The Sacred Place Where Life Begins

• Main Author: Dunaway, Finis
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: University of North Carolina Press 2021
• Subjects: Arctic; Canada; Mackenzie Valley; Northwest Territories; Yukon; Gwich’in; Alaska
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.5149/northcarolina/9781469661100.003.0004

This chapter focuses on the profound interconnections between the Arctic Refuge coastal plain and Gwich’in communities across northeastern Alaska, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. Since time immemorial, the Gwich’in have depended upon the Porcupine caribou herd for their cultural, spiritual, and nutritional sustenance. The Gwich’in describe the Arctic coastal plain—the calving grounds of the Porcupine herd—as “The Sacred Place Where Life Begins.” This chapter considers their connections to the caribou in relation to the history of colonialism, including Gwich’in struggles against proposed mega-projects on both sides of the U.S./Canada border. In particular, the chapter highlights the fight against the Rampart Dam in Yukon Flats, Alaska, during the 1960s and against the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline in northern Canada during the 1970s. It also explains the impact of the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry, which was led by Thomas Berger, on Indigenous lands claims agreements in Canada, including the founding of Ivvavik (previously Northern Yukon) and Vuntut National Parks. Finally, the chapter includes some discussion of the US-Canada border and the ongoing effort of the Gwich’in and their allies to protect the Arctic Refuge and adjacent areas as a transnational ecological space.