Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 5, 1 May 2005 — Inupiat people are speaking out. [ARTICLE]

Inupiat people are speaking out.

Support for oil drilling among lnupiat is changing dramatically. On March 8th, during the congressional visit to the Arctic, there were protests in my village ofKaktovik and in Barrow. The Elders ofKaktovik are calling for the protection ofthe Refuge. PointHope, thesecond largest lnupiat village on the North Slope, passed a resolution strongly opposing oil development in the coastal plain of the Refuge.

The whole north coast ofAlaska is open to oil drilling. Only the Arctic Refuge is protected. Leases are happening at a very fast paee, even the oeean is being aggressively leased. Why can't we save this one plaee, preserving the culture of my people, the lnupiat and ofour friends the Gwich'in 7 — RobertThompson of Kaktovik, Alaska