Overview

The town of Telluride will host a portion of the Sixth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership on Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1 following the Aspen portion of the Global Meeting. Telluride Institute will invite approximately 50 Mountain Partnership delegates to participate in an Indigenous-led panel discussion focused on mountains. Telluride Institute’s Richard Lowenberg will also host a conversation on the needs, state of play and opportunities for tech enhanced community building among remote mountain communities in “Networking the Summits.” These presentations will be enhanced by regional hikes, led by local guides highlighting the unique ecosystems and areas of cultural significance surrounding Telluride. Guides will also facilitate small group discussions focused on the challenges and opportunities faced by mountain communities grappling with climate change. 
Featured in photo: Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk

Agenda

Colorado or Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) for all events. Subject to change depending on weather and number of participants.

Friday, September 30

• Early AM: Depart Aspen - To-go lunch to be provided
• 1 PM: Arrive in Telluride
• 2-5 PM: Indigneous Panel Discussion - Elders Session
• PM: Evening Films

Saturday, October 1

• 8:00AM - 9:30AM: Morning Hike Option with local guides
• 10AM-12PM (noon): Networking the Summits
• Lunch
• 1:30PM-4:30PM: Indigenous Panel Discussion - Contemporary Utes Session
• 5:00PM-7:30PM: Farewell Dinner at Town Park

Sunday, October 2

• AM: Depart Telluride for Grand Junction and Montrose Airports - Breakfast to be provided

Indigenous Panel Discussions Descriptions 
September 30 and October 1, 2022: Afternoon Schedule

The Indigenous Panel discussions for the event will focus on, “Indigenous knowledge from yesterday connecting the contemporary existence of the next generation. Shared voices  through time, stories that can only be told by the people.” — Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk

Ute Mountain Ute Tribal member and Telluride Institute board member, Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk, has organized presenters for two Indigenous led panel discussions for the United Nations Mountain Partnership Summit Telluride Event. One panel will be composed of Ute elders from the three Ute tribes and facilitated by Lopez-Whiteskunk. The other panel will include younger generations and contemporary Utes from the three Ute tribes.  Both panel discussions will focus on the significance of the mountainous regions to Ute people both historical and present as well as the issues of accessibility, inclusivity and recognition.  Panelists will share stories, field questions and engage in discussions with UN delegates, community members and regional government elected officials. A specific focus will be given to Indigenous land acknowledgments and the potential for more Indigenous participation in resort communities such as Telluride.

Networking the Summits

“Networking the Summits” will continue the Indigenous focus, with local-global indigenous participants  from mountain regions throughout the Americas and beyond. To be most pragmatic, the program is also inviting attendance of a few representatives from tech companies and nonprofit initiatives dedicated to addressing the sustainability crises that we face, with improved networking, so as to  take some urgently needed next steps at high altitude.

Mountains, the top of the world’s watersheds, are the fragile locales for exploitive resources  extraction, tourism and crippling boom-bust economies. Mountains are also home to evermore  populated high altitude cities and innumerable small rural communities declining in population, struggling to keep lands rich in biodiversity, lacking adequate funds or shared resource capabilities, all being critically impacted by the cumulative effects of development, economic disparities and climate change. What can be done? Internetworked communication is one well understood answer. 

Mountain areas are among the least network connected places on the planet. In today’s world, mountain communities need to be able to talk with each other, to seek assistance and advice, and  to share stories, technologies, mistakes, successes, indigenous knowledge, eco-data, lifelong learning, economic opportunities, healthcare and cultural preservation. 

Unfortunately, network access in the world’s mountains is mostly inequitable, of low bandwidth and largely unaffordable. Greater collaboration is needed to have conversations, to share more data from and with mountain regions. Technical, social, environmental, economic and cultural data is critical to the development of urgently needed decisions and solutions to major challenges. 

Next phase networking connectivity, applications and eco-social processes are now increasingly understood to also be a key to achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

More information on the Telluride Mountain InfoZone Program may be found here: 
https://www.tellurideinstitute.org/mountain-infozone/

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