by Claire Nelson, Education & Culture Manager
In October of 2019, the Mazama DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Working Group began visioning a statement that called upon our values as an organization towards work that is inclusive, equitable, and anti-racist. After review, the Executive Council approved the statement this October. This statement is at once a recognition of our current cultural climate at the Mazamas, a hopeful view of the future, and a commitment to do better.
The Equity Statement was a collaborative effort of the Mazama DEI Working Group, past Executive Director Mitsu Iwasaki, the current Mazama staff, and the Executive Council. This document is only our first version, and we look forward to continuing the discussion on how to be a more inclusive and just organization, particularly as we get feedback and engage in dialogue with our community who is most impacted by marginalization and injustice.
Mazama Equity Statement
By the Mazama DEI Working Group
Adopted by the Mazama Executive Council 10/22/2020
The mission statement of the Mazamas is intrinsically tied to and depends on our organization prioritizing equity, inclusion, and diversity. We can’t inspire everyone to love and protect the mountains without acknowledging the exclusive history of the outdoor industry, and practicing an equitable approach moving forward. This history has created structural and cultural barriers, including indigenous erasure from the places we recreate in and care about so deeply, and stunted the potential for a wide diversity of people to love and protect the mountains.
While we have members and participants of many races, ages, and genders, the Mazamas currently is a largely white, affluent, and able-bodied organization, both in leadership and participation. Many of our structural and cultural practices further white supremacy by marginalizing, excluding, and oppressing the diversity of people who might otherwise participate in our programming. This is a loss to our organization morally and functionally. We believe diversity is important to the Mazamas because it broadens our knowledge, increases our creative ability to innovate, and creates a stronger and safer community for everyone. Diversity is about more than representation, it is fundamentally about inclusion. We can build diversity by practicing inclusion that actively prioritizes and elevates those who have been historically excluded from the Mazamas and the greater outdoor community.
We are very much in the beginning phases of our journey towards becoming an organization that can inspire everyone to love and protect the mountains. Our goals are to increase the safety and inclusion of all aspects of the Mazama experience by ensuring equitable resource dedication to all groups, intentional programming, and increased representation of traditionally marginalized people in our leadership. The Mazamas will actively recruit members of underrepresented groups to leadership positions within the organization in order to begin the process of creating a truly inclusive direction and vision. We understand that we need to address certain cultural norms, and actively work toward cultivating a culture of physical and psychological safety, where people trust they can participate as their whole selves.
We know that we still have, and will always have much work to do. Thank you for coming on this journey with us.