Why “Leave No Trace” Misses the Bigger Picture
“Take only pictures, leave only footprints.” Sounds great, right?
But here’s the thing— The 7 Principles of “Leave No Trace” (LNT) can reinforce a harmful idea: that humans and nature are separate.
That the best way to “respect” the land is to pretend we were never there.
The Problem? It’s Rooted in a Colonial Mindset.
LNT assumes land is “pristine” when untouched. But who gets to decide what “untouched” means?
For thousands of years, Indigenous communities actively shaped the land through controlled burns, seasonal migrations, harvesting, and stewardship. The idea of “pure wilderness” was used to justify displacing these communities, erasing their knowledge, and claiming the land as “empty.”
So when outdoor ethics say, “Don’t interact, just observe,” they’re pushing a settler-imposed framework; one that ignores Indigenous land relationships and treats humans as outsiders in our own environment.
So What’s the Alternative?
- Shift from ‘Leave No Trace’ to ‘Engage with Respect.’ Learn local Indigenous land practices and support their restoration.
- Acknowledge that healthy ecosystems need human interaction. Support ethical foraging and sustainable land use.
- Respect the land by respecting its original caretakers. Advocate for Indigenous land rights, not just “low-impact” recreation.
True respect isn’t about being invisible, it’s about being responsible participants in the ecosystem.
