BIPoC Outside

Ellen Bradley is a Lingít scientist and professional skier whose work brings Indigenous perspective to both climate science and the outdoor industry. We had the opportunity to sit down with Ellen to discuss her work, how skiing helps her connect with land and identity, the arc of western science, extractive tourism; what it is, the consequences, and what perpetuates it, how the skiing industry's approach to wild places is rooted in colonialism, the impacts of tourism, and how we have to have critical conversations about societal systems if we hope to make change.

Brittany Leavitt is a jill of all trades in the climbing community as an educator, instructor, athlete, and community organizer. She is also a founding member and now Executive Director of Brown Girls Climb; a national non-profit which strives to facilitate mentorship, provide access, uplift leadership, and celebrate representation in the outdoors and climbing for People of the Global Majority. We had the opportunity to sit down with Brittany to discuss her work both with and outside of Brown Girls Climb, recreating in urban space, building and recognizing capacity, reciprocal recreation, intentional language, and how to mindfully take up space.

Alison Mariella Désir is an endurance athlete, author, activist, mental health advocate, the mind behind PBS's Out and Back series, and the founder of Harlem Run, Run for all Women, and the Meaning Through Movement Tour. We had the opportunity to sit down with Alison to discuss her work and comprehensive approach to community building, how exclusionary histories inform the spaces we move through, how racialized bodies move differently through space, mental health and movement and how the past informs the present.

Dr. Nicole (Nykkie) Lugosi-Schimpf is a world traveler and polyglot. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and a qualitative scholar specializing in: International Indigeneity, BIPOC-Indigenous relations (Canada and Central Europe), nation(hood), identity, and structural racism. We had the opportunity to sit down with Nykkie to discuss what inspires her work, how to both teach and learn uncomfortable topics, how to find experts and learning resources, and how silence is the enemy.

Tori Baird is a canoeist and wilderness adventurer who has expeditioned in some of Canada's most rugged, remote, and wild places, often with her boys and dogs in tow. She also runs "Paddle Like a Girl," outdoors' skill-building and canoeing workshops that are geared to women. Tori paused her most recent adventure to chat with us about her expeditions, remote wilderness, back country, and water risks and planning, the additional planning it takes when expeditions are family affairs, empowering women in the outdoors, and the awesome work of Paddle Like a Girl.

"L” (short for Lanisha) Renee Blount is a Harvard-trained designer, creative strategist, professional adventurer, storyteller, and photographer. We had the opportunity to sit down with L to discuss her work, her approach to allyship in the industry, how creatives with cultural capital change outcomes, tips for newcomers to the industry, and defining what the win is.

Guarina Lopez is a Yaqui citizen, visual artist, storyteller, cyclist and the Founder of Native Women Ride & The Indigenous Cycling Collective We had the opportunity to sit down with Guarina to discuss her work, how culture comes first, the roots of the problem with environmentalism and feminism, the cycling space, the wild west of social media, building solidarity by respecting individual agency, and the Carlisle 200; Guarina's film documenting her prayer ride to raise awareness about Carlisle Indian Boarding School.

Teresa Baker is an outdoor diversity activist, writer, and founder of several organizations which most recently includes the In Solidarity Project. We had the opportunity to sit down with Teresa to discuss African American National Park Event, retracing the route of the Buffalo Soldiers, overcoming fear, breaking the mold of the outdoor person, giving people space to make mistakes, bringing humility to the work, authentic storytelling, the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge, the In Solidarity Project, and the Outdoorist Oath.

Judy Kasiama is a multi-sport athlete, an outdoor advocate, and the founder of Colour the Trails and the Like Me Film Festival. We had the opportunity to sit down with Judy for the second time to discuss what she's been up to since we last chat, the positive change in snow sports demographics, the work left to be done, how industry is still getting it wrong, and how they can change that.