If She Can Do It, You Can Too

I have never spent this much time to listen to stories from Native Americans. Had I ever tried to seek out this opportunity? No, not really, until I met Jamie last month in Olympic National Park.

This last eight days have been one of the most intense yet eye-opening experiences for me to learn about indigenous people’s rights, history and current issues around Gwich’in nation.

“A long time ago, our creator put Gwich’in people and the caribou on this land. The caribou has provided us everything we need to survive. We have taken a responsibility to protect the land and the caribou. It is our birthright to protect this land,” said Sarah.

The coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska has been under the debate of drill or not to drill for the oil development since 1987. This area has been known as the calving and nursing ground for the Porcupine Caribou Herd, which is the Gwich’in nation’s life line. Sarah said, “In Gwich’in, we call the place ‘The Sacred Place Where Life Begins.’ No Gwich’in goes there even during the starvation time. Drilling into the area means that drilling into our heart and our existence. This is why it’s a human rights issue. It is an environmental issue and tribal rights issue. It is a national issue since the public owns this land. It is a women’s issue since we all can give birth. All women can speak up to protect any birthplace.”

To me, for a long time, I was only seeing it as an environmental issue. I donate money to environmental organizations and they have taught me how this oil development would change the fragile arctic ecosystem forever and the real problem is our dependance on oil. It takes 10 years to develop the area to potentially supply 6 month of oil in the US. But now I am here and living with Gwich’in people and eating caribou, I clearly see this issue from a perspective of indigenous people’s rights, human rights and tribal rights.

The Gwich’in Steering Committee was established in 1988 to advocate a permanent protection of the coastal plain of Arctic Wildlife Refuge with subsistent prevision. They have been educating the public about this issue.

“We have made many friends who are standing side by side with us. We need more friends and supporters who understand our way of life and our relationship with the caribou and stand by us. If we let oil companies drill into the area, we will repeat the same history the way of the buffalos and the tribes had to face in the West,” said Sarah.

I said, “Never again.”

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