In 2019, Cameran Bahnsen was living in Los Angeles and leading field trips for Title 1 schools into the Santa Monica Mountains. Inspired by the experience, she decided to apply for the 2020 National Park Service Academy (NPSA)—a program that provides on-the-job training for college students that the Foundation has funded for more than a decade.
Cameran was fortunate to be placed in an internship that year in Grand Teton National Park as an interpretive ranger, was then hired as the park’s community engagement associate, and has just rejoined Grand Teton as the new tribal community engagement fellow. We spoke with Cameran about her time in NPSA, how her passion and experience led her back to the Teton landscape, and what she is looking forward to in this new role.
Where are you from and what is your connection to national parks?
Cameran: I grew up in Ventura County, California. I had been to national parks before NPSA, but I didn't visit a lot as a kid. I think I've always felt connected to the outdoors because of my cultural background. I am Assiniboine on my mom’s side, and my family comes from the Fort Peck Reservation in Montana. As Native people, our culture and traditions are inextricably connected to the environment. Even though I grew up off the reservation as an urban Native, my mom played a big role in keeping us as connected as possible to our culture. She has been an important role model in helping me connect to the outdoors in everyday ways.
What was your experience like in NPSA?
Cameran: I remember feeling so excited to be there. I loved the job. I loved the people that I worked with, and I loved the Tetons. It was one of the best summers of my life. The mountains are so special and its really amazing to experience this place. Professionally, I deepened my understanding of the National Park Service and public lands, and gained amazing mentors and community connections. I was especially motivated by tribal-park relations and wanted to keep moving in that direction.
How did NPSA impact your education and career path?
Cameran: I recently graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) with a degree in environmental studies and a minor in Native American studies. Being connected to and employed by Grand Teton at various times throughout my undergraduate career was awesome because I was able to draw on my professional experiences, which added so much value while taking college courses at UCSB. I took classes on public lands, conservation, and environmental education and got more involved in UCSB’s outdoor program.
What is your new position?
Cameran: I just got hired as the tribal community engagement fellow for Grand Teton. I will be working on building relationships with tribes from Fort Hall and Wind River—the two nearest reservations to the park—primarily through youth programs. Our main focus is to engage young people in Grand Teton, teach them leadership skills, and expose them to conservation careers. There's also a big emphasis on cultural history, and we provide a space where participants can connect with their traditions, language, and ancestral lands here in the park. The other part of this job is to help front-line interpretive rangers incorporate indigenous history, culture, and stories into educational programming.
What are you most excited about with this role?
Cameran: What I'm really passionate about is finding ways for local tribes and indigenous peoples to connect to Grand Teton, which is their traditional homelands. They are the original stewards of this place, before the National Park Service was ever an idea, and their connections to Grand Teton are incredibly deep. I’m also passionate about telling the tribal story of the park because I think that it is really important for people to know as they're traveling around these places. Tribes have been taking care of the land for thousands of years. That's been my favorite part about this; bringing that perspective to light with the public in the best way that I can. I’m also excited to just be in Grand Teton, living in a beautiful place, with some of my dearest friends. I couldn’t ask for anything better.
