Protect Alaska!
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Despite the government being shutdown, the Trump Administration has begun the process to offer roughly 16 million acres of Creation in the Western Arctic Reserve for oil and gas drilling. This comes at the same time Congress has proposed to use the Congressional Review Act to roll back the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Record of Decision (ROD) that intended to address some of the most glaring legal issues with the 2020 plan and to provide some additional protections for polar bear habitats and the calving ground of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, known to the Gwich’in as Izhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit - the Sacred Place Where Life Begins.
Both of these decisions would significantly negatively impact the pristine wilderness of this sacred place. As Christians, we believe caring for Creation is a moral responsibility. The lands and waters of Alaska are not just economic assets – they are home to our Indigenous neighbors, vital habitat for wildlife, and among the most pristine places on earth. Protecting this sacred land has profound ecological, social and moral implications. Take action below to urge Congress and the Administration to care for Creation in Alaska! |
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UPDATE:
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is no longer safehaven for wildlife. The 2017 tax reform bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump has removed conservation protections for the Refuge. Two corporations and an oil services firm have jointly applied to begin seismic testing on the Refuge’s rich, biodiverse 1.5 million-acre Coastal Plain—the calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd, which the nearby Gwich’in First Nation relies on for food security and culture. The Trump Administration expedited environmental review processes to allow companies to engage in seismic testing, a process to find oil and gas deposits that sends sound waves underground. Seismic testing requires large crews, and the trails from the crews that conducted similar seismic testing on the Refuge’s Coastal Plain back in the ’80s still mark the terrain. Companies applying for testing permits argue that they’ve come together to help minimize any environmental damage. They plan to use sleds, smaller vehicles, and biodegradable lubricants, as well as build ice roads. They’ll also be using explosives and airstrips to get the job done. There is simply no way seismic testing can get done without permanently damaging the Refuge. Executive Director of the Gwich'in Steering Committee Bernadette Dementieff has faith Alaska Native tribes throughout the region will come together to stop this extraction. “We’ll go to every courtroom,” she said. “We’ll go to every community meeting. We’re not giving up. We’re not going to allow them to destroy the calving grounds." Thanks to the leadership of the Gwich'in people and many allies, major banks and corporations have pledged not to back fossil fuel extraction in the area. On January 6, 2021, the Trump Administration had an open auction, where the State of Alaska secured a lease to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. |
Many members of the Gwich'in community are part of the Episcopal Church, and blend traditional indigenous belief systems with Christian theology and practice. Since the Episcopal General Convention passed a resolution in 1991, this issue has been a top priority of the Episcopal Church. Many other faith traditions have also made commitments over the years to stand with the Gwich'in. Because of this, Creation Justice Ministries is calling on the ecumenical community to join in solidarity.
Advocacy
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Faith in Action: What Does Solidarity Look Like?
Faith and environmental justice leaders are standing together to speak up to defend the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Here are a few of their perspectives.
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Protecting the Refuge - Protecting the Future by Princess Daazhraii Johnson, former Executive Director of the Gwich'in Steering Committee, Neets'aii Gwich'in
We must protect ‘sacred place where life begins' by Episcopal Church immediate past Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori
Congress must protect lands sacred to Gwich’in people by Rt. Rev. Carol Gallagher, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Montana
My Turn: Saving the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: A sacred part of our collective story by Bonnie Demerjian
South Carolina, Arctic Natives, share a call for a clean environment by Rev. William Miller, African Methodist Episcopal Church
The Arctic Refuge: The Home that Lasts Forever by Bishop David Mahaffey, Orthodox Church in America, Alaska diocese
Hallowed Ground: Arctic Refuge Worthy of Federal Protection by Penny Gay, Church of the Brethren Going to the Garden ministry
Do We Really Need Arctic Drilling for Energy Security? by Ryan Patrick Murphy, executive director of Crossroads of the Rockies, a nonprofit Christian organization in Colorado providing relief to people’s immediate needs
We must protect ‘sacred place where life begins' by Episcopal Church immediate past Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori
Congress must protect lands sacred to Gwich’in people by Rt. Rev. Carol Gallagher, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Montana
My Turn: Saving the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: A sacred part of our collective story by Bonnie Demerjian
South Carolina, Arctic Natives, share a call for a clean environment by Rev. William Miller, African Methodist Episcopal Church
The Arctic Refuge: The Home that Lasts Forever by Bishop David Mahaffey, Orthodox Church in America, Alaska diocese
Hallowed Ground: Arctic Refuge Worthy of Federal Protection by Penny Gay, Church of the Brethren Going to the Garden ministry
Do We Really Need Arctic Drilling for Energy Security? by Ryan Patrick Murphy, executive director of Crossroads of the Rockies, a nonprofit Christian organization in Colorado providing relief to people’s immediate needs
