Doreen Bird | Santa Domingo Pueblo, NM

Doreen Bird, PhD, MPH (Santa Domingo Pueblo) is a Tribal community member and Public Health Consultant.

Why does wilderness matter to you?

We are all part of Nature and keeping the wilderness protected is our responsibility. Our non-human relatives deserve a clean, beautiful environment to live in just like us. We are all connected and it's up to us to speak up for the protection of all animals, trees, lands and waters.

Why does wilderness matter to your community?

My community loves and pays respect to everything in the wilderness. We pilgrimage, say prayers, sing to and check on our ancestral homelands just like our ancestors did and taught us to do. Being deeply connected to Nature is our way of life.

Share a story about a special experience you have had in wilderness.

We have been taking Indigenous youth out into the wilderness to learn about ancient water catchments left by our ancestors. Learning and sharing Indigenous Ecological Knowledge is both a birth right and responsibility. The youth learn and engage in ways not provided in a regular school or classroom. Nature is our relative and our teacher. We leave the wilderness in a better way than found and our connections to Earth, Lands, & Waters are priceless.

What are your hopes for the future of wilderness?

We hope that America learns to listen to our Indigenous Knowledge and join us in keeping the wilderness protected from mining, extraction, roads, and capitalist development. We hope people learn to love and respect Nature and to protect the wilderness.