Gwich’in Steering Committee Condemns Budget Bill that Includes Drilling in Sacred Arctic Refuge
For Immediate Release – May 22, 2025
Fairbanks, AK – On behalf of the Gwich’in Nation, the Gwich’in Steering Committee condemns the House Republican budget bill, which includes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This effort to hand over the sacred coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge to oil and gas development flies in the face of our rights as Indigenous people.
It is frustrating to see elected leaders in Washington continue to ignore our voices. The Gwich’in Nation has been unified in our voice against oil development in the Arctic Refuge for decades – in 1988 we signed a formal resolution, the Gwich’in Niintsyaa, to protect the coastal plain, because our Elders and Chiefs recognized that oil development in the caribou calving grounds was a threat to the very heart of our identity.
We have for decades presented testimony in front of the U.S. Congress, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples, and at public hearings to protect our sacred lands and use our voices not just for ourselves but for the caribou. For us, protecting the Arctic Refuge is not just about protecting land: it is about our way of life.
“We have seen politicians leverage the Arctic Refuge for political gain before. And we have seen decision makers prioritize the profits of oil companies over the inherent values of the sacred coastal plain before. This budget bill seeks to do more of the same,” shared Kristen Moreland, executive director of the Gwich’in Steering Committee. “But the Gwich’in were here before politicians, and we have relied on and protected the caribou since time immemorial. The threats brought by this budget bill only reinforce our commitment to use our voices to fight for our future generations and our way of life. We will never stop fighting to protect the Arctic Refuge.”
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For Media Inquiries:
Genae Lako, 303-918-6290
Kristen Moreland, Executive Director, 907-328-9634