Alaska Natives Face Cultural and Spiritual Threats Amid Trump-Pushed Extraction Projects

The broad Kuskokwim River in southwestern Alaska, where wooden huts and tarped shelters stand beside drying racks draped with bright red strips of salmon, is a testament to the generations-long tradition of Alaskan Native families harvesting and preserving this vital food source. However, severe restrictions on subsistence fishing have been imposed due to declining salmon populations, attributed to climate change and commercial fishing practices. The environmental impact of these changes is not limited to food sources, but also threatens long-standing rituals and cultural traditions.

Key Takeaways:

• Over 1 in 5 Alaskans identify as Alaska Native or American Indian, with many sharing a history in the region dating back thousands of years and cultural and spiritual traditions associated with subsistence hunting and gathering.
• Various factors, including climate change and commercial fishing practices, are blamed for the sharp decline in salmon populations, which has led to restricted subsistence fishing on the Kuskokwim and Yukon rivers.
• Alaska Native leaders are divided on extraction projects, with supporters citing jobs and revenue, while opponents worry about environmental damage and the disruption of their traditional way of life.
• Tribal members are often on opposite sides of the same proposal, with examples such as a mine in southwestern Alaska supported by a Native-run corporation but opposed by a regional tribal coalition.
• The Trump administration has pushed aggressively for drilling, mining, and development on Alaska's public lands, authorizing unprecedented lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other areas.
• Opponents of extraction projects fear long-term environmental damage and the potential disruption of migratory wildlife, such as the caribou herd, which is a crucial food source for Native hunters in Alaska and Canada.
• The impact of the salmon collapse has been devastating, leading to "no fish camps, no traditional knowledge that's been passed down to our younger generation," as described by Kristen Moreland, executive director of the Gwich'in Steering Committee.
• Alaska Native leaders are concerned about the potential long-term negative aspects of extraction projects, including cleanup and restoration costs, and the disruption of traditional activities and cultural heritage.

Statistics:

• 21% of Alaskans identify as Alaska Native or American Indian alone or in combination with another racial group, the highest ratio of any state in the 2020 U.S. Census.
• Over $1 billion has been spent on environmental cleanup costs since 1989, with an average cost of $200 million per year (2011-2020 data).
• The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge contains an estimated 10.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 53 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas.
• The proposal for a major mine, the Donlin Gold project, would require a massive dam to hold back millions of tons of mineral and chemical waste in a valley.

Sources:

• Peter Smith, "Fish camps still dot the banks of the broad Kuskokwim River in southwestern Alaska" (Associated Press, undated)
• United States Census Bureau, "Racial and Ethnic Diversity: Western United States" (2020)
• U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Arctic National Wildlife Refuge" (2022)
• Native corporations and advocacy groups, such as the Allakaket Tribal Council, Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat, and the Gwich'in Steering Committee.