Our Commitment to an Inclusive Wilderness
Bob Marshall was best known as a passionate advocate for the protection of wilderness, but he was also a champion for the social justice issues of his day. Bob fought for the integration of Forest Service facilities and equal access to public lands in the 1930s. He was a tireless campaigner for the rights of workers as well. Bob fought for programs that would create tangible connections to wild nature for all Americans.
As an organization who bears his name, we aim to follow in Bob’s footsteps. As a committed group of public land stewards, we also stand with those that demand an American experience that is equitable, fair and just.
Through intentional actions we will seek connections with nature for all Montanans and Americans – connections that come from time spent on the lands we all share. We will work to remove barriers for those that have not seen themselves as part of the American public lands story, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color and LGBTQ+ communities. We will explore our own actions, examine our own policies, and facilitate partnerships to help remove the vestiges of exclusion.
New Initiatives & Goals in 2021:
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To remove the barrier of high-priced hiking and camping gear to access Wilderness.
To build community and belonging and help new Wilderness users become more confident in the backcountry.
To create new education opportunities and connect new communities with the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.
Native Land Acknowledgement
The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex has a rich history of native peoples who called this landscape home prior to the colonization of Europeans on the continent. The Amskapi Piikani (the Blackfeet Nation of Montana), the Niitsítapi (the Blackfoot Confederacy), the Séliš (Salish), Ql̓ispé (Pend d’Oreille or Kalispel), and Ktunaxa (Kootenai) tribes are the original and longest serving stewards of the lands, long before it was known as “The Bob.”
We admire and are inspired by the Blackfeet, Salish and Kootenai peoples’ relationship with nature and wilderness. We recognize that the history of public lands includes much harm and dispossession to native peoples, and we’re committed to listening to and working with our local tribes to become better wilderness stewards and form new connections with the land.