This letter is on behalf of the 2,570 Inupiat members of the Native Village of Barrow Traditional Government located in Barrow, Alaska.
We are a ‘small’ federally recognized tribe living as far north as you can get in the North American Continent We wish to correct one of many gross errors written by Columnist Suzan Shown Harjo in the Sept. 12, 2001, issue of Indian Country Today.
‘The local Inupiat, who do not depend on the caribou, favor development and the royalties it would bring to them and all Alaskans.’ If Suzan would make the time to visit any of our homes here in, Barrow, Alaska, she will find caribou meat consumed, on a daily basis, by the Inupiat.
Just to give you one example, my family has had caribou meat prepared in various ways five out of the past seven days. The caribou is part of our main diet. To live in, ‘the harsh, cold’ environment we must have meat and the oil (blubber from bowhead whales, ring seals, bearded seals) as part of our daily diet. To inaccurately report to thousands of people that we do not depend on the caribou is grossly erroneous.
The sources of information Suzan used to write her article may be just as inaccurate as her reporting ‘Inupiat, who do not depend on the caribou.’
As part of our self-determination, we, the Inupiat, support responsible development of our God-given natural resources We will not allow industry to desecrate and destroy our food source that has sustained us for many generations. Our priority is the protection of the habitat of our food source.
We, the Inupiat have made demands that industry must meet the standards set by our borough government in order to develop the natural resources. Our people have been actively involved, and have monitored the industrial activities occurring on our lands
Thank you, for the listening to our side of the story.