Protect our homelands: From the Arctic to the Desert Southwest

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It’s a place teeming with life—polar bears, musk oxen, more than 200 species of birds, and the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, which has sustained the Gwich’in Nation for millennia. It’s also an important symbol of the wild, and an emblem of the hope and peace of mind that can only be found in connecting with nature, in knowing it exists.

The Arctic Refuge is one of the world’s last untouched wild places. Now it’s facing the greatest threats in decades. Come learn about this incredible place and the work to protect it.

Hear from members of the Gwich’in Nation who have traveled from the Arctic to raise the alarm and join the effort to save the Arctic Refuge. While the Refuge may seem distant, what happens there will echo on public lands and in communities across the West. Decisions made now could forever alter the wild we leave our children.

The Film: The Refuge a part of the Granted Series by Patagonia
This 20- minute long film explores the relationship between the Gwich’in Nation, the Alaska Native People living next to what is now known as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the Porcupine Caribou herd which is the basis for their subsistence and culture. The Gwich’in people have been fighting to stave off oil development in the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge, the birthing ground for the Porcupine Caribou Herd, or to the Gwich’in people “the sacred place where life begins”. The film explores this long-fought battle.