The Best Reason To #OptOutside on Public Lands On Black Friday

I can think of a billion reasons to #OptOutside the day after Thanksgiving. In fact, I can think of quite a few reasons to #OptOutside for Thanksgiving. And I have done so quite a few times in recent years.

This week’s #NatureWritingChallenge topic is all about why we should #OptOutside on public lands and the list of reasons is long. You won’t spend all that money on this year’s “it” gift that will end up in a closet somewhere come January, there’s no chance of fighting with a complete stranger over that last pair of socks for Uncle Fred, and nature makes a much better backdrop for the Christmas family photo you haven’t taken yet.

Not to mention how nature looks good on everyone, never goes out of style and is the gift that keeps on giving. I could go on and on. But before I get to what I believe is the best reason for you to #OptOutside next Friday on public lands, let’s do a little background work.

#OptOutside

In case you have missed it the last few years, #OptOutside is a campaign by the outdoor retailer REI to encourage people to get outdoors on the Friday following Thanksgiving instead of participating in Black Friday. In 2015, they closed their doors the day after Thanksgiving and encouraged all their employees to participate in activities outdoors instead. Since then, over 15 million people and more than 600 companies have chosen to #OptOutside instead of joining the craziness that is Black Friday.

Black Friday

Unless you have been living under a rock or a truly blessed person to not have any contact with all that is commercialism in the United States, you know that Black Friday is historically the largest shopping day of the year. Everyone and their brother is out hoping to procure the deals of the year as soon as the clock strikes 12:01am or even earlier last time I looked. It is not a national holiday but you would think so with how much attention is paid to this insidious marketing tool that wants you to believe if you don’t shop for all your holiday gifts (and yourself) the fourth Friday of November you will have missed out on the opportunities of a lifetime.

Native American Heritage Day

You know what actually is a national holiday on the day after Thanksgiving? Native American Heritage Day. In fact, the whole month of November is nationally designated to honor and highlight the long history of contributions and culture of Native Americans in the United States. It is a truly bipartisan resolution originating with President Bush in 2008 and enacted as a national day by President Obama in 2010. It does not receive near the attention it deserves, mostly because kids aren’t in school and everyone is out shopping.

There are those that feel using this particular day to recognize the great accomplishments and history of people of the First Nations is in poor taste as it falls the same day as Black Friday and nothing could be further from the traditions of Native Americans than a day focused on commercialism, gluttony and greed. However, it does help to bring to conversation the ambivalence of Thanksgiving.

Unlike what most of us have read in our school books, Thanksgiving originated to celebrate the massacre of indigenous people when settlers first arrived to what is now the United States. There are Native Americans today who think of Thanksgiving as a day of mourning, acknowledging the generational trauma it symbolizes. But as we know, a fair share of modern day Americans connect the holiday with fond family memories. So, what can we do to honor both?

The Best Reason To #OptOutside on Public Lands on Black Friday Native American Heritage Day

The best reason for choosing to #OptOutside and visit public lands on the Friday after Thanksgiving could be to help move the day’s focus of buy, buy, buy to a day spent highlighting the proper history and importance of these lands.

Many (if not all) of our public lands are places that Native Americans call the home of their ancestors and are considered sacred, even if they aren’t living there now due to the history of the creation of our national parks and other public lands. We can use our time on Friday to get out on public lands and acknowledge what they mean to indigenous people. Here are a few examples of what that could look like while out visiting public lands:

Know the names of the tribes that once called the public lands you are visiting their home. We will be visiting the Northern Washington Coast, for example, where Quinalt and Quileute are the original inhabitants. There are maps like this available to learn more.
Use the names of prominent features that are used by the original tribes of that area, not the names imposed by later settlers. You can find groups on Instagram like Indigenous Tags to help you out.
Learn the history of the land before settlers arrived, either through the visitor’s center or online before you leave for the outdoors. Many national parks and other public lands have been incorporating Native American history and perspective into their displays and programs but may not be complete. Doing a little research beforehand will help you appreciate and honor the land you #OptOutside in.

So, this year and every year let’s help take the commercialism out of the day after Thanksgiving not only for the sake of choosing nature first but as an opportunity to celebrate Native American Heritage Day and show our respect for the people who are its first stewards. We owe them at least that much.

For more information about Native American Heritage Day, check out these online resources.

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/americanindians/events.htm

Why Native American Heritage Day Is Important

Social Media And Using Mountains Indigenous Names

Natives Outdoors

Indigenous Geotags

https://www.indigenousgeotags.com/what-we-do/

https://www.tpl.org/magazine/legacy-native-lands%E2%80%94landpeople#sm.001gl4up8ybfcp310zs1xh4q2op66

Respectful Recreation

Native American Sacred Sites and The Federal Government

Tribal Nations Map

Native Languages States