Who was John Muir? Much more than I knew!
Particularly in the past few years, the actions, beliefs, and statements of past leaders are reviewed in light of today’s mores, perspectives, and social media ecosystem, often to advance negative agendas. Some recent reports have characterized John Muir, the preeminent conservationist and founder of the Sierra Club, as racist and bigoted.
In reading a recent article in the NY Times about the Sierra Club’s current upheaval, I was directed to and read this article from 2021 written by three authors who have served on the Sierra Club’s Board, including one who was the first Black President of the Sierra Club.
The article provides a nuanced and I assume more accurate picture of Muir’s engagement with both Indigenous and new immigrants (Black, White, Asian, and others) to western North America. He valued and celebrated the Indigenous people’s appreciation of the natural world, living in harmony and balance with nature rather than exploiting nature for immediate personal profit.
Given our current administration’s rejection of science, diversity, nature, and harmony, I found this short history of Muir’s lived values something worth remembering and embracing. And, it reminded me that we have to urge our elected representatives to focus their efforts on preserving our natural environment because human life as we know it can’t exist without it. If you want to read the NY Times article you can access it at this link, but it is behind a paywall.
As always, please let me know your thoughts about this article and other things climate, & share with me your actions to leave our world a better place for all its inhabitants.
Cheers, Bill
