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WALK TO WASHINGTON, D.C.
for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
An Initiative of the Caribou Commons Project
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Project Overview
"The Arctic Refuge represents everything spectacular and everything endangered about America's natural heritage." — Robert Redford
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been discussed by world leaders and debated in the US Congress. Many people, from Robert Redford to George W. Bush to David Letterman have spoken publicly about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It has been headline news in every major newspaper across the country, and is the highest-profile conservation issue in the world.
Every year, the Porcupine River Caribou, who migrate farther than any other land animal, converge on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to give birth to the next generation of calves. Polar bears travel from the frozen ocean ice to dig maternity dens in the foothills of the Arctic Refuge. Millions of migratory birds fly to this special place to nest, coming through every state in the United States and as far away as Antarctica.
In the autumn of 2002, the Caribou Commons Project together with members of the Gwich'in Native Americans will undertake their own "migration" -- a three-month, 3,500 mile self-propelled journey to Washington, DC The Walk to Washington, DC for the Arctic Refuge will be organized around a series of public events, concerts, slide-shows and rallies across the United States.
Background
The last US election and recent world events have put the Arctic Refuge into more peril than ever before. Following the last Senate energy vote, the next important hurdle will be the results of US mid-term congressional elections.
For the Gwich'in of northern Alaska and Canada, this is more than a conservation issue -- this is a human rights issue. The Gwich'in have relied on the Porcupine Caribou Herd for their subsistence needs since the last ice age. The calving grounds, located on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, are a sacred place for the Gwich'in. They are firmly opposed to toil exploration or development in the Arctic Refuge and have fought for permanent protection of the calving grounds for nearly two decades.
The Walk to Washington, D.C. will begin in Seattle in August of 2002, and arrive in Washington, DC in mid-November. Trip participants will bring a message from Gwich'in Native Americans and the Americans they meet along the way, that the Arctic Refuge must be permanently protected. As we approach cities along the route, we will encourage people to walk or bike with us into their home towns to join in special "arrival events". Americans will be able to demonstrate with their own two feet that they are in favor of cleaner, more efficient energy solutions that will allow us to control pollutions, cut back on greenhouse gases, and to protect special places like the Arctic Refuge.
Starting the Walk to Washington, D.C. in Seattle, Washington
The cross-continental route of the Walk will begin in Seattle on August 23rd, and continue through Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, DC No single journey across the US will be able to visit every region that should be visited, so parallel journeys will originate in the northeast and southern states (please see map). All parallel journeys of the Walk will converge on Washington, DC in mid-November, 2002.
Key Project Personnel
Norma Kassi — Gwich'in Trek Coordinator
Ken Madsen — Project Coordinator and Cross-Continent Walk Participant
Matthew Lien — Music Coordinator
Elaine Alexie — Gwich'in Community Project Coordinator
Timothy Leach — Northeast Trek Coordinator