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The idea of wilderness may not be as “hot” of a debate as other more common topics, such as LGBTQ, abortion, etc., but it is one that should be a topic of discussion for small gatherings with family or friends. The view of wilderness is one full of myths, and I hope this essay can clear some of them up for you and whatever future debates may arise from this. When asked what they think the word “wilderness” could be defined as, many say things like “pristine,” “remote,” or “untouched.” However, these are not all accurate and “correct” words to describe wilderness. While they may seem to be relatively innocent descriptions, these words are rather destructive towards North American history.
Many hundreds of years ago, what is now called the United States of America was populated by indigenous tribes that cared for and cultivated the land by creating their own way of farming and setting off controlled burns to overgrown forests, among other things. They laid the groundwork for what is here today, so when someone describes wilderness as “pristine” and “untouched,” they are, in a sense, displacing the indigenous communities and their hard work to make sure that wilderness did not just stand by itself, but instead involved human interaction. Today, most believe that wilderness requires humans to not interfere in any capacity, which is not the case. Humans should indeed be helping wilderness in the same way that indigenous peoples hundreds of years ago did. Wilderness, to me, is a place where nature is able to live and breathe as it wants, though not entirely independent and separated from human touch. Wilderness is a concept built around an interdependent relationship between us and nature; we help nature as it helps us, implying that we are also a part of wilderness. By this definition, we are required to live in harmony with nature, which I personally try to do as best I can. Nature is all around us—even if it had been buried by buildings and highways—and it should be respected. My definition is somewhat different from the idea of wilderness as a pristine, untouched, remote place because I am now learning about how nature cannot just live on its own. I would say that my definition is sort of like an expanded version of the common definition of wilderness in the sense that I do believe wilderness should be untouched in an industrial mindset, but also helped by humans along its growth journey. My definition, however, has not always been this progressive. I used to view wilderness as only involving plants, and that it was always sort of untouched and allowed to do its own thing without interference from humans. But, over the course of this class, I have been informed by several discussions about indigenous cultures and their history, as well as some reading. One writer who sticks out to me the most would have to be Robert Marshall, who claims that wilderness has several physical, mental, and aesthetic benefits (87). His discussion of the mental aspects were particularly interesting to me, as Marshall states, “Withdrawn from the contaminating notions of their neighbors, [famous environmentalists] have been able to meditate, unprejudiced by the immuring civilization” (89). Meditation is something that I personally believe could help many personal and mental troubles for people. Although I, myself, do not meditate on a regular basis, I do believe that going away to the tranquility of nature could be a “psychic necessity” (Marshall 89). As you can see, I was greatly affected by Marshall’s writing and his stance on wilderness because of his attention to the mental assistance that being in nature can provide. Upon further thinking, I have also read some wilderness survival narratives that help demonstrate my own stance on wilderness. Once, many years ago, I read Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer. For those that have not read it, the story follows Chris McCandless and his journey “into the wild” to find himself. However, McCandless seems to have relied more on the romantic view of wilderness because he chose to entirely rip himself away from any human interaction, believing that he can only go into “true wilderness” by embracing only the plants and animals found in nature. This, as I have written above, was a mistake, and it ultimately led to McCandless’ death. I would say that readers can view this story as a warning, in a way, because it shows what happens when you choose to depend solely on nature instead of embracing the more progressive definition that I have already discussed. McCandless, without realizing, made it clear that wilderness is an interdependent relationship between humans and nature, and his story truly highlights the dangers of not fully understanding what true wilderness means. While Into the Wild showed the romantic viewpoint of wilderness, as well as its consequences, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, by Cheryl Strayed, shows the more realistic, progressive definition. For those that have not read Strayed’s memoir, the story follows Strayed as she sets out on the Pacific Crest Trail to find herself. The narrative bounces back and forth between her past before the trail and her present journey. Through these flashbacks, Strayed does some deep self-reflecting on her past heroin use, for example, and readers are shown how the wilderness is often a place for self-reflection and psychological healing. This also, coincidentally, lines up with Marshall’s previous claims about how wilderness can provide some much-needed mental help in our chaotic, and psychically-draining world. And while I think I have made it clear that I was inspired by Marshall, I also want to say that Strayed influenced my own definition because of her own deep dive into the mental help that wilderness can provide. I hope this piece of writing demonstrated my own definition and reflection upon the concept of “wilderness.” To summarize the main points of my argument, I just want to say again that wilderness is a highly interdependent relationship between nature and humans. We both rely on each other for life, and though many may believe that wilderness is a place entirely wild and untouched by humans, I hope others can believe that nature needs us just as much as we need it. 
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