Honoring the 60th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act: Recognizing the Land’s First Stewards

As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, we must reflect on both its significance and the complex history it intersects. Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 3, 1964, the Act was a landmark in American environmental policy, creating the National Wilderness Preservation System, which now safeguards over 111 million acres of wild landscapes. While this legislation marked a pivotal moment in the conservation movement, it’s essential to acknowledge that these lands were never "untrammeled" in the way the Act defined. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples have lived, stewarded, and thrived on these landscapes, long before they were designated as "wilderness."
The Wilderness Act was innovative for its time, offering legal protection to areas where nature could exist without the imprint of modern civilization. However, the language of the Act—describing wilderness as a place "where man himself is a visitor who does not remain"—overlooked the deep, ongoing relationship between Indigenous communities and their ancestral lands. These lands were, and continue to be, central to Indigenous cultures, histories, and livelihoods. As we honor the Act, it is crucial to recognize that what was framed as "preservation" often involved the erasure of Indigenous presence, stories, and rights to these lands.
Margaret Murie, known as the "Grandmother of the Conservation Movement," was a key figure in advocating for the passage of the Wilderness Act. While her work was instrumental in protecting wild landscapes like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, it’s important to remember that these areas were not empty or untouched. Indigenous peoples had been stewards of these lands for millennia, managing ecosystems and living sustainably. The Muries’ contributions to conservation were significant, but our understanding of wilderness today must evolve to include the perspectives and rights of the Indigenous peoples who were, and still are, the original guardians of these landscapes.
As we mark this 60th anniversary, we celebrate the Wilderness Act's achievements while also recognizing the need for a more inclusive approach to conservation. Honoring the Act should go hand in hand with acknowledging the enduring presence of Indigenous peoples on these lands and supporting their sovereignty and stewardship. The future of wilderness conservation must embrace this holistic view, ensuring that protected areas are not only preserved for their ecological value but also respected for their cultural and historical significance. By doing so, we can forge a path that honors both the legacy of the Wilderness Act and the deep, ancestral connections that Indigenous peoples have to the land.