Past Initiatives

Justice for All

“People of color have been excluded from the decision-making processes when it comes to natural resources. In many cases it has been because we have not come to the table and made our voices heard. At the same time, we have not been invited.” - Ms. Iantha Gantt-Wright
This conference served as an invitation and a welcome, providing an opportunity to restore and revitalize our connection as human beings as we work together to create an ethic that links responsible environmental stewardship with the goals of racial and ethnic justice.

Listening to the West

This curriculum guide stems from a gathering held August 10-13, 2000, at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The conference theme, “Listening to the West: Music In the Soul of a Region,” brought together musicians from various backgrounds, musicologists, folklore experts, and professors of history, English, anthropology, and other fields, for three days of exploring and celebrating the cultural diversity of the region through music.
The conference was a spirited reflection of the mission of the Center of the American West, which seeks to bring all westerners together as informed participants in the larger regional community.

Native Hands

The West would not be what it is, and would not have the unique character it possesses, if not for the way the region has been shaped by its first inhabitants. Acknowledging the importance and relevance of Native American points of view, issues, and events is one of the Center's goals. Through scholarship and connections the Center has built with organizations such as the Council of Energy Resource Tribes, the Native American Rights Fund, the American Indian College Fund, the Western American Indian Chamber, and prominent individuals, the Center seeks to include a native view of every subject which the Center covers.

Noise and our National Parks

An Interactive Dialogue addressing the issue of sound in our National Parks.
“Natural quiet” - the term may convey peace and tranquility, but it's a concept evoking contention and friction these days. A demand for the protection, restoration and maintenance of “natural quiet” appears with greater frequency in publications of environmental groups, while an opposing demand for the right to engage in motorized recreation appears in the writings of such user groups. In the spirit of the Silence of the Lands conference, we ask that you recognize that this is a very complex issue, and that progress will occur only through respectful debate.