Save the caribou

Page 5

Dear Editor:

I am a 22-year-old member of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, which is also known as Old Crow, Yukon.

The first experience I had with touring to help protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge came to me when I was 14 years old. I had the opportunity to travel down to the United States with 13 other members of Old Crow to meet with various people-reporters, school students, senators-on this issue and tell them how important it is for the Gwitchin Nation to keep the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge free from oil development.

I feel that this was a great learning experience for me, being a shy 14-year-old coming out of a small isolated community of 250 people.

The refuge is a very important piece of land, because of the fact that it is the birthing grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, which is the main food source for the Gwitchin Nation. It is also home to thousands of animals and birds from all over the world, which come to this sacred place to have their young and also care for each other.

Ever since I was a young girl I have always heard my Elders and leaders speak of this place in such a high manner that I always wished to come to the refuge and see for my own self how unique this place is.

When I was 15, I had the opportunity to travel to the refuge with a group of youth from the United States who were travelling around to promote awareness of this issue. They spent two days in Old Crow at an Elders bush camp and they had the wonderful experience of sitting at the camp and listening to all the fascinating stories and legends.

They also had the experience of tasting and enjoying the delicacy of fresh caribou meat that was cooked on an open fire. They very much understood how dependent the Gwitchin Nation is on their traditional land and how much the Gwitchin Nation practices its traditional way of life, passing it down generation to generation.

I joined the group from Old Crow enroute to Fairbanks Alaska where we would then drive to Prudoe Bay and fly to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

At Prudoe Bay, the first thing I noticed was the pipelines all over, and the health of the caribou. The first sight was a cow caribou with her calf laying underneath the pipe. I was so shocked at how unhealthy they looked.

On the day of leaving, I was the last to jump on the plane. I remember saying "just one more day. Please just one more day," but of course I had to leave. I stood by a hill, which had a creek flowing by and a small waterfall.

I knelt down and I was digging in my bag for something and I found some tobacco, so I said a prayer. 'Creator, I come to you on bended knees. I ask for your help, your guidance and your strength. Please bless the people of which I come from, bless the animals of which we strive on, and bless the beauty of each within. I ask you Creator to help as we, the people of the Gwitchin Nation and our supporters, fight to protect this beautiful vast land. I ask you Creator, bless all our relations, our ancestors and the unborn that they may have the opportunity to live with their culture and tradition always." I sprinkled the tobacco into the creek that flowed by and watched as it disappeared.

The President of the United States is still, to my understanding, trying to open up the Artic National Wildlife Refuge for oil development, and we are asking for all the support we can get.

I believe that if we, the Gwitchin Nation, lose the caribou herd, we would lose everything we've got.

May the Creator bless each and every one of you out there, and your families.

Remember to stand up for what you believe in and fight for what is right.

Anne Blake