Utqiagvik, Alaska, sits on the North Slope of Alaska, the northernmost community in the U.S. The town has less than 5,000 residents and can only be accessed by air or, in the summer, by sea.
Despite its remoteness, this week, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and EPA administrator Lee Zeldin made the trek — 2,000 miles from Washington, D.C., as the crow flies — to visit the area and talk to the town’s residents, more than half of which are Alaska Natives, about unleashing Alaskan oil and gas.
While the Biden administration professed a commitment to Native American sovereignty and inclusion, when it came to oil and gas production, Alaskan Natives who advocated for their interests in the industry say their concerns were ignored.
The Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat (VOICE) represents 21 members in eight Alaskan Native communities spread out across 95,000 square miles of northern Alaska. For years they had requested an audience with former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. When she finally granted them the meeting last summer, representatives of VOICE had to fly to her.
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Author: Ray Hilbrich
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