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March 1, 2022 marked the 150th anniversary of the founding of Yellowstone National Park. This important milestone is reason to celebrate this special place, but also reflect on its history and envision a more inclusive future. Despite myths about Yellowstone being an untouched, uninhabited land before the Yellowstone Park Protection Act was signed in 1872, the lands that became the world’s first national park were inhabited by or important to many Indigenous peoples. Today, dozens of Tribes can still draw ancestral connections to the park.

In this episode, we sit down with Wes Martel, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition’s Senior Wind River Conservation Associate. Wes leads GYC’s work to protect and restore Indigenous conservation priorities that honor cultural landscapes, Tribal rights, and ways of life. We’ll discuss his work, some of his favorite moments from the recent virtual gathering, and hear a few deeply personal stories about what has shaped Wes’ storied career in championing both conservation and Tribal sovereignty.

Voices of Greater Yellowstone was created by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, a conservation nonprofit dedicated to working with people to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, now and for future generations.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the land of 49+ Indigenous Tribes who maintain current and ancestral connections to the lands, waters, wildlife, plants, and more.

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> Give to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition

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> Read more about or watch the virtual Wind River Inter-Tribal Gathering

> Learn about the in-person Wind River Inter-Tribal Gathering this June

> Greater Yellowstone Tribal Map

Podcast Artwork > Rachel Dunlap Art

Music >
Redwood Trail by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Thanks for listening in!

—Kristin Kuhn & Emmy Reed, GYC Communications (and Teebs Kuhn, party-crashing co-host)