Fly Away

It took 3 airplane trips to get eight of us and all the gear back to Fairbanks; Barbara, Sue and I took the first flight. I got up early to wash my hair by the river so I would feel less grungy returning to civilization. Kirk picked us up at about 8:30 and provided interesting commentary on the way to Arctic Village where we would transfer to a larger plane.

After refueling, Kirk went back to the Kongakut to pick up Marilyn, Joanie and Jenn. As they were waiting for him, hundreds more caribou crossed the river and passed by their packed bags.

While we were at the Arctic Village airstrip waiting for the second plane to arrive, some of the Gwich'in people came out to show us jewelry and crafts they had for sale. We spoke with a couple of women who told us how important the caribou migration is to their subsistence and way of life. If oil drilling is allowed on the coastal plains of the Arctic Refuge, it will interfere with the calving grounds and change the migratory pattern of the herd. The Gwich'in depend on the Porcupine Caribou herd to meet the nutritional, cultural and spiritual needs of their people.