The Arctic Iñupiat will not become conservation refugees. We do not approve of efforts to turn our homeland into one giant national park, which literally guarantees us a fate with no economy, no jobs, reduced subsistence and no hope for the future of our people. We are already being impacted by restrictions of access to the federal lands for subsistence purposes – this is really disturbing to us since we have lived here long before there ever was a refuge designated.”
– Matthew Rexford, tribal administrator, Kaktovik, in testimony before the Senate Energy Committee on Nov. 2, 2017.
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Suzanne Downing founded Must Read Alaska and served as its editor for many years. Her prolific writing spans nearly every topic meaningful to Alaskans. Before founding Must Read Alaska, she served as editor of the Juneau Empire and as a speechwriter for Governor Sean Parnell.
