Challenging a greedy world

I was troubled by the articles in the January/February issue of The Witness that addressed the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), especially the impact of development on the Gwich'in people. My troubled mind and heart stem from the statements of Steven Charleston, former Episcopal Bishop of Alaska, and Mark MacDonald, our present Bishop, who did not even mention another group of Christian indigenous people with a direct stake in ANWR development. I am referring to the Inupiat (Eskimo) people of the Arctic Slope. The Inupiat own 92,000 acres of subsurface mineral rights in the ANWR coastal plain.

My hope in writing this letter is to offer a complementary, rather than an adversarial, viewpoint to that raised by Bishops Charleston and MacDonald. Eight months ago I moved from Anchorage to Barrow at the invitation of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC), owned by nearly 8,000 Inupiat shareholders, to accept the position of Corporate Staff Attorney. Barrow is a different world. Like the Gwich'in, the Inupiat derive up to 80 percent of their food from subsistence hunting and fishing, so they are highly motivated to protect the land. ASRC has pioneered innovative means to develop oil and gas resources in the fragile tundra ecology of the Arctic. Yet many Inupiat now feel "invisible" because their pro-ANWR development stance causes them to be "lumped in" with the oil companies and branded as "greedy Natives" by those who do not take the time to understand the complex legal realities of Inupiat life.

ASRC is one of 13 Regional Corporations formed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. The Regional Corporations were granted the mineral rights and the Village Corporations the surface rights to certain land selections within each Region. Because mineral resources are not evenly distributed throughout Alaska, ANCSA dictated that each Regional Corporation redistribute 70 percent of its annual revenue from resource development to the other Regions for the benefit of their Native shareholders.

Under ANCSA, the Gwich'in elected to take absolute title to their former reservation land and dissolved their Village Corporation. Thus, the Gwich'in have no obligation to share the wealth from their resource development with other Regions; and the Gwich'in are not entitled to share in the resource development of other Regions. The Gwich'in leased most of their land for oil and gas exploration; but no developable resources were found. Self-determination is a choice, and every choice has its consequences.

In the early 1970s ASRC raised concerns about the potential environmental impacts of oil development at Prudhoe Bay on the Caribou -- the same concerns that the Gwich'in raise now. However, after over 30 years, ASRC's concerns about negative environmental impacts on the Caribou at Prudhoe Bay have not materialized. The Central Arctic herd has thrived and increased many times over.

If we are to cure the "radioactive legacy of imperialism" as Steven Charleston so eloquently advocates, then we must have the courage to support Native self-determination and take the time to understand the many viewpoints that exist within the Native community. And like our Bishops I report strong reason for hope. Heroic efforts are being made by the Gwich'in and the Inupiat to open and maintain constructive dialogue on the issues that divide them on ANWR development.

As people of faith in the dominant culture we can support the Inupiat and Gwich'in dialogue in prayer and by lobbying our elected officials to ensure that all Native voices will be heard on resource development issues.

Erin Rose, Esq.
Corporate Staff Attorney
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation
Barrow, AK