Arctic Sounder
Sounder Opinion
October 4, 2007

In Alaska, we see significant impacts of climate change, but also oil and gas development has left a legacy of severe toxic waste pollution from massive oil and gas expansion of industrial complexes that include roads, pipelines, drill pads, housing quarters and dump sites. There is also a record of extensive oil spills on land; and who can forget the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Prince William Sound where the ecosystem and residents have still not recovered?

Now the question of expansion of such industrial complexes offshore is on the table in Alaska. There is no doubt that wherever the companies operate, it has taken a toll upon the subsistence lifestyle, human and ecological health and spirit of the land here in the North. Today Shell promotes their hopes for operations offshore in Alaska to Native peoples that live in coastal regions as if they are unaware of this company’s record of human rights abuses and violations reported by Indigenous peoples abroad but also close to home.

One reoccurring theme in this debate is the serious and profound concerns of residents that will be left to deal with the impacts of offshore development. Most residents strongly oppose the offshore plans and have called upon the company to cease all activities such as seismic surveys.

Thankfully the ninth circuit decision to put a stay on Shell’s offshore plan honors the wishes of the people in the communities. This is notable since the Federal Government has a trust responsibility and a fiduciary duty on subsistence rights.

Shell touts their plan as creating a better quality of life for the next generation. I have to ask: who will benefit and who will lose most? As the subsistence resources are undermined by offshore development thereby the rights of the people to live a subsistence way of life is undermined as well.

Around the world the Industry standard is one of pressuring governments to allow exploration of oil and gas resources in a way that maximizes profits for the industry at the expense of the environment and human rights, in particular those of Indigenous peoples.

The oil and gas companies have a proven record of negligence and a legacy of pollution in Alaska, as I iterated earlier Shell itself has a reported appalling record of Indigenous rights violations, human rights abuses and a trail of broken promises within Indigenous territories in Nigeria, and Russia . YET the Inupiat and other coastal tribes are asked to trust Shell with the ocean and future of the people?

The fact is that the profit-at-all-cost mentality of corporations is the risk that will be put upon Inupiat and the waters that have sustained their way of life for millennia. Indigenous peoples subsistence rights are intrinsic to the environment due to the intimate connection we have in relation to our physical nourishment, health, cultural practices, spirituality, and social systems. The reality is, the ecosystem, when left intact, is the greatest assurance that subsistence rights will remain intact. Therefore when there is discussion of ensuring subsistence rights in the terms of development it is a contradiction.

Let’s be real about this issue. There are no such mitigation measures that will ensure the waters will be safely developed especially considering the fact that there is no proven method for clean up of oil spilled in Arctic Waters. When community members raise this issue, the question of how they plan to clean up offshore spills goes unanswered. Yet Shell claims to stand ready to address the concerns of the people.

There are assertions of more uniquely qualified credentials to safely explore the Arctic waters offshore Alaska. What is the history there? Sakhalin Island in Russia? We’ve met with Indigenous leaders from there, and they tell a different story—that the waters they rely upon do not give life as before for their people. They have shown pictures of massive dead fish on the beaches—Does Shell tell this story when they go to North Slope communities? I’m sure there were mitigation measures in place there too. Yet devastation has occurred in Sakhalin.

The jobs are minimal in comparison to the true cost of this development to the people of the North. Besides, there are such a low number of jobs allotted with Shell for Alaska Native people (150 out of 700) How many of the high level pay scale jobs would go to Alaska Natives?

Short term gain and long term devastation is the crux of the issue. So many unanswered questions and such a long history of Indigenous claims of human rights violations by Shell. I am one who would advocate that no amount of money or “jobs” can replace a vibrant thriving ancient subsistence way of life that is the birthright of future generations.

Author is the campaign organizer for Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands (REDOIL) an Alaska Native grassroots organization with members from communities in the North Slope and throughout the State of Alaska addressing the human and ecological impacts brought on by unsustainable development practices of the fossil fuel industry.

Contact:
Norman Anderson (907)842-3566 or (907)439-2698
nakneknorm101@hotmail.com
Faith Gemmill, REDOIL Network (907) 750-0188
redoil1@acsalaska.net

For Immediate Release
January 10, 2007

Alaskan Natives Condemn Bush lifting of Presidential Withdrawal for Offshore Development in Bristol Bay

Fairbanks, Alaska - President Bush today executed his presidential authority to remove long-standing protection of Alaska Bristol Bay. This action by Bush withdraws the prohibition on offshore oil and gas development within what is one of the Nations most important commercial and subsistence use areas.

REDOIL (Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands) has consistently supported the Bristol Bay regions tribes and communities and their right to subsistence and commercial fishing economic self sufficiency. REDOIL is a network of Alaska Native grassroots leadership. REDOIL recently sent a letter to President Bush and Governor Palin in support of maintaining the Presidential Withdrawal.

The North Aleutian Basin is valuable to the local communities for its abundant subsistence resources that sustain traditional Alaska Native cultures and ways of life. Bristol Bay is one of the most productive areas of the United States Outer Continental Shelf regions. Several endangered species depend on these waters including the northern right whale whose critical habitat is likely to be designated within or directly adjacent to the area of highest industry interest. The region is ringed by unparalleled estuaries critical to the region's ecological productivity and the lease sale area overlaps with fisheries of national significance including pollock, cod, red king crab, herring and the world's largest salmon run. Bristol Bay fisheries are the base of the economy and livelihood for residents of the region. Bristol Bay is extremely sensitive to potential seismic testing, oil spills, and chronic pollutants from offshore drilling operations associated with both oil and natural gas development. The risk posed to Bristol Bay subsistence resources and the livelihood of local residents is unacceptable. Therefore REDOIL strongly condemns the Presidential lifting of the ban on offshore drilling within this critical commercial and subsistence use area.

“This shortsighted decision to open Bristol Bay to offshore oil and gas leasing will have long term adverse physical, social, cultural, spiritual, and economic impacts to the Native communities that rely upon this critical subsistence and commercial use area to meet their needs. Salmon is one of the most important species that provides for and nurtures the way of life of the Native communities within this region. We will support the local communities and their opposition to offshore development and we intend to assist them to seek protection within the new congress despite todays’ setback”, states Faith Gemmill, Outreach Coordinator for the REDOIL Network.

Alaska Natives, American Indians and Indigenous Peoples globally have always viewed human rights and a healthy environment as fundamentally linked. Careful management and protection of the Arctic environment is a requirement for the enjoyment of Alaska Native human rights, particularly as they relate to the "subsistence" or "traditional" economy. “As Indigenous Peoples of Alaska we have long fought for recognition of subsistence rights as a basic inherent fundamental human right,” says Gemmill.

Existing international law already protects subsistence rights. This right is recognized and affirmed by civilized nations in the international covenants on human rights. Article I of both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights read in part:

“In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence.”

Alaska Native communities are constantly working toward basic survival. The term “subsistence” may not mean much to citizens of the United States, but to Alaska Natives the term “subsistence” is about their rights, livelihood and survival.

Norman Anderson, subsistence fisherman from Nak Nek, Alaska concludes, “All five species of salmon are the mainstay of the economy of our communities. Lifting the Presidential Withdrawal is a threat to our subsistence resources which would be completely depleted from any offshore development within Bristol Bay. Through long term use and occupancy, we understand this ecosystem better than most. Oil and gas exploration would devastate our subsistence lifestyle. Any spill of any magnitude would destroy our way of life. The North Aleutian basin is our store. Anything that jeopardizes the purity of this area would detrimentally impact us.”

The REDOIL Network is supporting the local communities of Bristol Bay that have gone on record in opposition to offshore drilling of this critical region, these groups include an array of diverse groups of the fishing industry, Native Associations and Tribal Governments and Public Interest Groups.

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The REDOIL Network consists of grassroots Alaska Natives of the Inupiat, Yupik, Aleut, Tlingit, Gwich'in, Eyak and Denaiana Athabascan tribes who have formed a network to address the human and ecological health impacts of the unsustainable development practices of the fossil fuel industry in Alaska. The REDOIL Network strongly supports self-determination rights of tribes in Alaska as well as a just transition from fossil fuel development and promotes the implementation of sustainable development on or near Indigenous lands. The REDOIL Network is a project of the Indigenous Environmental Network.