This section is provided as a communication hub to share information and links related to the of the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou herd in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
More resources
Statements from Parties of the Porcupine Caribou Management Agreement
“Our position remains that drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is not sustainable for long-term health of the Porcupine caribou herd.”
Vuntut Gwitchin Government Statement on Suspension of Leases of Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit, June 2, 2021
“While this is welcome acknowledgment that the environmental review conducted was rushed and inadequate, it still does not right the wrongs that allowed a lease sale to proceed in the first place.”
Statement from Minister of Environment Pauline Frost on commitments to caribou and climate change in new US-Canadian agreement, March 2, 2021
“Together with our other Canadian partners within the Porcupine Caribou Management Agreement, we have been working so hard to see this level of acknowledgement and commitment to Indigenous rights and environmental protection. I am elated to see this progress and am excited to see it come to fruition on the land.”
Protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a priority for Prime Minister Trudeau and President Biden, February 24, 2021
Vuntut Gwitchin Government is commending yesterdays’s acknowledgment by Prime Minister Trudeau and President Biden of the importance of cross border cooperation in protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. “Hai choo’ to Prime Minister Trudeau and President Biden for making protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge part of a renewed U.S. – Canada Partnership.”
Statement from Minister Frost on President Biden’s moratorium being a step in the right direction for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, January 22, 2021
“With this new executive order, which sends a signal that is consistent with our shared values of informed, science-based decision making, we will continue our efforts with renewed optimism and enthusiasm.”
Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation celebrates action taken to protect Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit, January 20, 2021
“There is still a lot of work ahead, and we will not stop until our sacred lands are permanently protected, but today we are taking a moment to breathe a sigh of relief.”
Statement of Chief Tizya-Tramm on Lease Sale of Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit, January 19, 2021
“Today, with the issuance of these leases, we are the closest we have ever been to drilling in Izhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit. But the fate of these lands is not yet sealed.”
Work to protect Porcupine caribou will continue, January 8, 2021
Partners to the Canadian Porcupine Caribou Management Agreement came together on January 6, 2021 to respond to the recent oil and gas lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The parties are committed to advocating for protection of the Porcupine caribou herd and this vital habitat.
Minister Wilkinson expresses concerns over sale of leases for oil-and-gas development in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, January 6, 2021
“Canada continues to strongly oppose development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge due to the potential impacts on the Porcupine caribou herd and on Indigenous Peoples. Porcupine caribou and their calving grounds are invaluable to the culture and subsistence of the Gwich’in and Inuvialuit and are integral to biodiversity in the North.”
Vuntut Gwitchin Government and Gwich’in Tribal Council Respond to Reckless Lease Sale of Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit (The Sacred Place Where Life Begins), December 7, 2020
“The current U.S. Administration has ignored our rights and our concerns but our voices cannot be silenced. We will not stop until the critical nursery grounds of our relations the caribou (Vadzaih), the place we call Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit, is permanently protected. We will stand up to anyone who seeks to destroy these sacred lands and our culture.”
Statement from Minister of Environment Pauline Frost on a potential permit for exploration work in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), November 11, 2020
“We have submitted our concerns into the permitting process and continue to urge the United States government to live up to their international commitments to protect the Porcupine caribou herd and its essential habitat in Alaska.”
Minister Wilkinson voices concerns over proposed project in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, November 10, 2020
“We believe this represents a significant risk for the herd and for the Indigenous Peoples and northerners that depend on it. I will continue to work with federal officials and our domestic partners to raise our concerns and engage with the United States’ review process.”
Coming together for caribou, September 10, 2020
“Partners to the Canadian Porcupine Caribou Management Agreement gathered on September 3, 2020, to respond to the Record of Decision on oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and reaffirm our commitment to conserving the Porcupine caribou herd and its habitat.”
Minister Wilkinson supports Indigenous and territorial partners in protecting Porcupine caribou in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, September 3, 2020
“We have long opposed industrial development in this region due to the potential impact to the Porcupine caribou herd and to Indigenous Peoples. We continue to have significant concerns, which we raised during the environmental review process.”
“Vuntut Gwitchin Government and Gwich’in Tribal Council feel confident that the work we have done to ensure our concerns on our record will play an important role in demonstrating the failure of BLM in undertaking a robust and inclusive environmental review process.”
Other
- CPAWS Yukon response to Draft EIS (pdf)
- The Arctic Refuge coalition’s technical comments on the DEIS (pdf)
- National Wildlife Refuge Association Response to Notice of Intent (pdf)
- CPAWS Yukon Response to Notice of Intent (pdf)
- Canada’s Position (pdf)
- The Sacred Place Where Life Begins – A short film about the importance of the the Arctic Refuge
- See the Scars That Oil Exploration Cut Across Alaska’s Wilderness – The New York Times
- Proposed oil exploration plan would put polar bear population at an unacceptable risk – The Hill
- Ecological Impacts of Road- and Aircraft-Based Access to Oil Infrastructure – Audubon Alaska – A synthesis of literature and series of recommendations regarding oil and gas development on Alaska’s North Slope.
- International bank Barclays will likely reject opportunities to finance oil and gas drilling in the Arctic – The Hill
- For Gwich’in people, Arctic drilling poses a threat to caribou and culture – The Globe and Mail
- ‘Our lives are at stake’: Gwich’in fight to protect caribou at biennial gathering – CBC News
- Gwich’in, allies vow resistance as U.S. readies ANWR drilling leases – Yukon News
- Join the Migration – Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society gallery of Porcupine Caribou migration
- Tests for Oil in Arctic Refuge Won’t Happen This Winter, Officials Say – New York Times
- Interior Department Moves Toward Selling Oil Leases in Arctic Refuge – New York Times
- In the Blink of an Eye, a Hunt for Oil Threatens Pristine Alaska – New York Times
- See the Scars That Oil Exploration Cut Across Alaska’s Wilderness – New York Times
- Here’s What Oil Drilling Looks Like in the Arctic Refuge, 30 Years Later – New York Times