Call for Proposals - BIPOC Outdoors at NMU

BIPOC Outdoors Summit @ NMU | A Summit with Purpose
Reclaiming Space. Restoring Balance. Reimagining Belonging.

The Outdoors Summit is committed to creating opportunities for individuals and communities to connect with nature, build practical skills, and explore new ideas. Whether your session takes the form of a research presentation, interactive workshop, reflective beach walk, or trail-based discussion, we encourage submissions that highlight knowledge sharing, innovation, and the shared human experience in outdoor environments.

Northern Michigan University invites changemakers, educators, creatives, scholars, guides, and outdoor enthusiasts to submit proposals for the 2026 BIPOC Outdoors Summit. We are seeking engaging, hands-on, and transformative sessions that center the experiences and leadership of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in outdoor spaces, while welcoming participants of all backgrounds to expand pathways for leadership, learning, and wellbeing in nature.

Held in Marquette, Michigan, in the heart of the Upper Peninsula, this summit is more than a gathering—it is a movement to reconnect, reclaim, and redefine relationships with land, self, and community. Proposals across a range of formats are encouraged, with an emphasis on collective experience, reflection, and meaningful exchange.

We welcome proposals that fall into one or more of the following tracks:

• Next Generation of Outdoor Leaders (Grades 9–12)

  • Inspiring, age-appropriate workshops that engage young people in the outdoors
  • Oral traditions - historical/cultural connections, nature-based skills, and relational building
  • Nature-based storytelling, art, or outdoor recreation activities
  • Youth leadership, confidence building, or pathways to outdoor careers

• Divergence & Synergies within Conservation & Indigenous Stewardship

  • Environmental justice, conservation, and sustainability
  • Traditional ecological knowledge and human-nature relationships
  • Current issues relating to Michigan, the Midwest, and the Great Lakes Region
  • Indigenous leadership and land stewardship
  • Communication pathways: trails, interpretation, and storytelling as praxis 

• Healing & Wellness

  • Somatic healing, mindfulness, and rest practices in the outdoors
  • Intergenerational healing and cultural restoration through land
  • Transformative place-based recovery: nature practices of resistance, joy, and rest 
  • Reclaiming cultural practices of grief and ritual
  • Land-based cultural memory work, place-based archival work

• Policy Advocacy

  • Advocacy beyond resource, natural resource protection, and access 
  • Current legislation, community connection, action, and sustainability
  • Initiatives supporting inclusion, environmental justice, and conservation
  • People, place, and cultural impacts of climate change

• Outdoor Industry Workforce Development

  • Representation and fostering a diverse workforce
  • Outdoor career pathways: visibility and access
  • Equitable workforce development, best practices, skills, and leadership
  • Awareness, recruitment, and retention best practices
  • Organizations and associations sharing their stories of reflective Indigenous connection and place-based work