My name is Bernadette Dementieff. I’m Gwichyaa Zhee Gwich’in. I’m from Gwichyaa Zhee, in Alaska (Fort Yukon). I am Executive Director of the Gwich’in Steering Committee, which was formed in 1988 in response to proposals to drill for oil in the Sacred Place Where Life Begins, the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
As far back as I can remember, the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was sacred to my people. I was always told that if that place was ever disturbed it would be the end of the Gwich’in Nation. The Sacred Place Where Life Begins is the birthing grounds of our Porcupine Caribou Herd, who we have survived off for over 20,000 years.
When I think of the Porcupine Caribou herd, I think of my people. The caribou are the reason we’re still here. The coastal plain is so sacred to us that we don’t touch it. We do not go there to hunt.
Every two years our people come together to reaffirm their commitment to protect the coastal plain from drilling.In July we held our 14th Gwich’in Gathering in Arctic Village, and it was so powerful. We reaffirmed our commitment to protect the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We danced, we sang, it was such a good time. We were well provided for and I felt that our ancestors were sitting there with us.
Once you damage the land, the caribou don’t come back. It makes me want to cry to think that someday my caribou won’t come. They’re a part of who we are; we expect them every year -- just like greeting family.
We are caribou people. If they go, we go. Part of us will die with them, and the other half can’t survive without them.
In June 2005 I first went to the Gwich’in Steering Committee. My cousin Lucy Beach was working as executive director, and when I went in there Jonathon Solomon was there. I always felt like it wasn’t my place, but he’s the one that told me that it doesn’t matter how far I went in school. I’d graduated, but I guess I didn’t feel like I was worthy enough. He told me education is good, but if you have this in your heart then you have the fight in you, and that I should take every opportunity to do it. It’s who I am.
As an honorable Elder, I respected him. That’s when I knew.
After talking to him, I felt more positive and knew I had to do it. I’ve always known about the issues -- we used to talk about the threats to the coastal plain in our schools. I always wanted to start visiting schools. It’s 2016 and I’m glad I’m able to do it now.
After being disconnected from my people and land for a long time, I found that connection again. It was then that I realized I’m needed; that this is so important and that I have a mouth, I might as well use it! I do not want to see my culture wiped off the face of the earth, or my people gone. Working at the Gwich’in Steering Committee, and looking back at all the pages, and the meetings, I’m so proud to be Gwich’in and so proud of my people. They are master survivalists. They’ve been through some of the craziest, scariest times in life and they survived. They stood together; they helped each other, and they survived and I can’t just let that go. I can’t let that die.
I’m so proud of my people and my ancestors; my elders. They didn’t give up. They didn’t give up for me. So I will continue this for the next generation.
Now being a mother myself, I understand the importance of teaching my children that their heritage, their culture, their traditional lifestyle is very important and that their livelihood depends on protecting that area.
It is my responsibility as a Gwich’in woman, as a Gwich’in mother. I have to share my responsibility in protecting the sacred area for my people, for all people.
Unity, being so important, is the strength that we have to make changes. Nobody can make the change except for us, and working together indigenous and non-indigenous people, we can make a positive change if that’s what we really want. Protecting the lands is not only an indigenous issue, because we will all be affected.
President Obama has been supportive of indigenous people and it seems that he’s helping us to have the world understand how important our lives are; that we can’t just erase our history. So, asking him to protect the coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will affect all people. This is a United States issue. This is an American people issue. This is the heart of Alaska. This is the heart of the Gwich’in.
The Gwich’in people deserve to live as they always have. I encourage you to share what you can to stand united with us. I feel like the power is the people, and as long as we stand together then we can stop all this damage that’s happening to our world.