The Sacred Place Where Life Begins—Gwich’In Women Speak

In 1988, elders of the Gwich’in nation, people native to northern Alaska and Canada, called a gathering to discuss the threat of oil and gas development in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This area is a birthing and nursing ground for the Porcupine Caribou Herd, on which the Gwich’in people have depended physically, culturally and spiritually for millennia. In their language, they call this land “The Sacred Place Where Life Begins.” Since 1988, the Gwich’in nation has been gathering every two years. This short documentary shares the voices of Gwich’in women at the 2010 gathering, who speak out for their sacred land, the caribou, their way of life, and indigenous and human rights for future generations. These women inspire audiences around the country to action and will move you to join their effort to permanently protect their sacred land which is also our public land today.