BLM Colorado Intern Spotlight: Macy Robinson of Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps

This year, BLM Colorado has hired two new interns through Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps (ALCC), a Conservation Legacy corps program that aims to engage Indigenous youth and young adults with conservation service programs. Macy Robinson (Cherokee) and I are this year’s hires. I sat down with Macy to discuss what her experience has been like so far and to highlight BLM’s burgeoning relationship with ALCC, an organization dedicated to the betterment of Indigenous lands and people. 

Macy Robinson is originally from Oklahoma and currently serves as the visitor center intern at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (CANM). Her day starts with opening the museum and visitor center. She’ll then greet guests and make herself available for questions, and if needed she’ll help to interpret some of the museum’s exhibits. On a good day she might even make it out to Escalante Pueblo where she’ll check on visitors. I asked her how she felt about interpreting some of the exhibits given that she didn’t grow up around Puebloan peoples.  

“I always state my knowledge as what I know rather than fact, and if I’m not sure of an answer I will tell people that this isn’t my tribe. Originally, I was nervous to be talking about another tribe but regardless of what I don’t know I still have an Indigenous perspective and sensitivity that I can share. That’s how I overcame my own uncertainty,” said Macy. 

So far Macy’s highlights have been a visit to Mesa Verde National Park where she met up with other ALCC interns to discuss the good and bad of their experience in conservation spaces as Indigenous people. She also visited Crow Canyon Archeological Center with CANM staff for workshops, staff trainings, and a tour. And over the course of Macy’s internship CANM has hosted their annual Four Corners Indigenous Art Market, a Ute Mountain Ute youth/elder day trip, and a separate intern exchange with the ALCC interns from Mesa Verde National Park. When I asked Macy for her biggest takeaway, she had this to say. 

“Before I started at CANM, I barely knew anything about the associated tribes from around here. However, developing cultural perspective from other Indigenous communities has been a goal for me and that’s what I set out to do when I took the internship. Hearing about everyone’s opinions, experiences and perspectives is something I'm grateful for.” 

Throughout her internship, Macy has been working on her own interpretation project focusing on the concept of ‘kiikiqo’ or ‘footprints’ in Hopi. Kiikiqo is a metaphor for the tangible heritage that connects Pueblo people of today back to their ancestors, who lived at sites such as CANM. Macy will be using jewelry found in the region to demonstrate kiikiqo. Her goal for this program is to educate visitors on the meaning of 'footprints,' the history of jewelry, and the importance of visiting these ancestral sites with respect. 

As we wrapped up our conversation, I wanted to know how Macy thought she’d apply her experience at CANM to her future endeavors: “I just transferred to Fort Lewis College from the University of Oklahoma, and I’ll be getting a degree in Anthropology. I’ve been thinking a lot about a career in tribal law, and this internship has given me exposure to technical concepts like NAGPRA (Native American Graves and Repatriation Act). But beyond that I’ve had the opportunity to listen to the tribes of this region and their experience. That’s something I want to take into consideration in my future work so that I can represent other tribes respectfully.” 

The relationship between BLM and ALCC is a new one, but as it continues to shape both mine and Macy’s early careers, we hope to see this relationship flourish. Regardless of where we end up as individuals, it remains true that Indigenous perspectives are necessary in BLM to facilitate the healthy management of public lands. 

Pualani Tupper is an Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps intern placed at the Bureau of Land Management Colorado State Office. As a Kanaka Maoli woman, she aims to educate public land users through indigenizing communications at the BLM.