i'll shelton johnson. i have been a national park ranger w since 1987. isi worked here since 1984. was born and raised in detroit michigan and had no childhood marble park visit and as a resultlt felt improvished. at some point i realized i'm haunted by a family. goes by a name of olsted. i must say you kept the spirit of my connection to the national world alive. i didn't realize this until i received the invite to speak here. i wasn't conscious ofil that. i'm known for bringing back the history of the african-american soldiers that severed in yosemite national park in 1889 and 190 4. myle personal connection lead m, it's can't youd a dramatic pause.e. i'll i do it again incase you missed it. lead me to one day preform my buffalo soldierti presentation. at that point dayton duncan was the chair of a national park foundation. duncan is kin burns best friend. i wasof for the writer of the national park idea. afterwards he said something along the lines you shared with the group you might get that in thefi film. thatin has a place in it. i annoyed him overtime asking if it was still

my name is shelton johnson, i've been a national park ranger since 1987. i've worked in national parks since 1984 but i was born and raised in detroit, michigan. and i had no childhood national park visit and as a result felt somehow impoverished by the absence of that particular type of inhabiting of the landscat inspires one. and then at some point i realized that i'm haunted by a family, as a o family that hauns me goes by the name of olmsted. and must credit as for keeping the spirit of my connection and affinity to the national world alive. and it did not realize this until i received the invitation to speak here, because i have not been conscious of that. what i'm primarily known for his bring about the history of african-american soldiers come the buffalo soldiers who served in yosemite and sequoia national park in 1899, 1903 in 1904 pick. the obsession by obsession my personal connection with the history let me -- that's called dramatic pause. i'll do that again in case you missed it. led me -- 20 before my buffalo soldier presentation for the nati

finally, shelton johnson, a national park ranger and educator extraordinaire who has landed in yosemite national park adjust refuses to go away. [laughter]gl also the author of glory land. a really interesting perspective about national parks and the dilemmas that many of us, people of current color in this country face. when we celebrate on one hand this marvelous land and yet the prices some of us paid for some of them to even exist. wonderful exploration of that in hiss book, but he will be bringing a very personal sort of perspective about what it means to be in these places that he is now the steward and helps guide the rest of us in that notion of stewardship. i leave you finally with this. it is about that notion of stewardship. about that collective responsibility we now have. we inherit, we pick up the legacies. we continue the legacies. in denver we started every meeting andnt every event with e land acknowledgment. i would say it is a people knowledge and acknowledgment of our history. as we move forward, i think we will hear from these folks about what we should shape our pu

andlt finally, shelton johnson. national park ranger and educator extraordinary who has landed in yosemite nationalat pk and just refuses to go away. [laughter] is alsond the author of glory land. a really interesting perspective about national parks and the dilemmas many of us people of color in this country face when we celebrate on one hand this marvelous invention of national parks and these beautiful places. and yet the prices that some of us pay for them to even exist. and the tensions all of the time but wonderful exploration of that. it's going to bring a very, very personal perspective about what it means to be in these places that he is now the steward. helps guide the rest of us in that notion of stewardship. so i leave you finally with this. it is about that notion of stewardship. about that collective responsibility we now have. we inherit. we pick up theth legacy ofeg olmsted. we continue the legacy support in denver we start every meeting and every event with what we call a land acknowledgment. i woul