I just got off the phone with Gwich'in elder Sarah James. She's in Washington D.C., lobbying against plans to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Senate is going to vote very soon on whether or not to allow drilling there. The Bush Administration is chomping at the bit, eager to begin. They have even put it in the budget. Despite being told by the American public, eight times since 1988, that there should be no drilling there.
Where they want to drill is called "Izhit Gwatsan Gwandaii Goodlit" in the Gwich'in language. "The Place Where Life Begins". It's the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It's the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, whom the Gwich'in have a spiritual and physical connection with that goes back to the beginning.
"That's a birthing place", Sarah told me, "and it's sacred. It should never be disturbed"
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"We didn't come across any land bridge", she said, "We believe that the Creator put us in the part of the world that we're supposed to take care of. And we think we've done a good job. The ecosystem still works."
"We're Caribou People. Just like there's Buffalo People and Salmon People, we're Caribou People. We've lived with the caribou since time immemorial".
The network of roads, drilling platforms, worker housing, pipelines, etc. that big oil hopes to build will effectively destroy this birth place. Which,in turn, will destroy the life that comes from there: the porcupine caribou herd; wolf; grizzly; polar bear; wolverine; white owl; white fox; eagle; .....and Gwich'in.
All for six months worth of oil for the United States.
"It's not going to make a difference on the deficit or the war, or the oil. It's going to take ten years, and it's only a six month supply for our country". She said.
The Gwichi'in are asking people and write your Senators, and tell them that ANWAR should be given permanent protection. C'mon Kossacks, if anyone can help win round 9, it's all of you.
The struggle continues,