Reconciling John Muir, Racial Politics and the Restoration of Indigenous Lands in Yosemite

John Muir is considered the father of the National Parks and has been honored extensively around California. But in 2020, the Sierra Club began reexamining their founder’s words. Was John Muir racist? Civic took a trip up to Yosemite to speak with Lee Stetson, a Muir historian and actor, and Sandra Roan Chapman, chairperson of the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, to discuss Muir’s legacy, current efforts to increase recognition of and resources for indigenous people, and the impact of the conservation movement in the region.