Indigenous Group: Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation

Business: US Government and State of Alaska

Issue: Opening the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling which threatens the Porcupine Caribou herd. The animals are protected under a U.S.-Canada treaty, which commits both nations to preserve it.

Comment: April 23, 2018: CBC – The herd is the largest and healthiest in the North and one that is considered crucial to the physical and cultural health of Indigenous people in Canada’s northwest. While it calves in Alaska, the 218,000-strong herd spends most of its time in Canada.

The Porcupine Caribou Management Board (PCMB) is an advisory board established under the Porcupine Caribou Management Agreement (1985) to communicate information about the herd and provide recommendations to agencies responsible for managing the herd. In 1987, the Agreement Between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America on the Conservation of the Porcupine Caribou Herd was signed, establishing the International Porcupine Caribou Board (IPCB). The Chair of the PCMB is a member of the IPCB.

Last Update: Jan. 8, 2021: Government of Northwest Territories – Partners to the Canadian Porcupine Caribou Management Agreement came together on January 6, 2021 to respond to the recent oil and gas lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): “The parties are committed to advocating for protection of the Porcupine caribou herd and this vital habitat. We are disappointed that the US government proceeded with the lease sale on Wednesday, January 6, despite significant concerns we have raised which remain unaddressed. However, we are pleased the sale attracted little attention from major oil companies, who have recognized that drilling in this area is neither acceptable nor profitable. We believe this is a result of our collective action, as well as a lack of local support and economic viability. We will continue to work collaboratively to oppose oil and gas development in the ANWR protected areas and to protect the Porcupine caribou herd and its habitat, now and for future generations.”