Lincoln (Neb.) - Sept. 23, 1999 - The Caribou Commons Project will be featured at a presentation at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln beginning a 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14 in the Nebraska Union, 1400 R St. The presentation, which is free and open to the public, features work from award-winning nature photographer Ken Madsen and a talk by activist Norma Kassi, both from Canada's Yukon Territory.
The goal of the Caribou Commons Project is to inspire people across the continent to join in the effort to protect the calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd from development by the oil and gas industry. By the industry's own estimates the petroleum reserves in the crucial habitat, situated in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge along the Alaska-Yukon border, would represent less than 200 days worth of oil for the United States.
The Porcupine Caribou Herd isn't the only group depending on the land; the Gwich'in people have relied on the caribou for thousands of years. For the Gwich'in (pronounced gwitch-INN), destruction of the calving grounds and the consequent decline of the herd would represent a cultural catastrophe. Unlike the Buffalo Commons group, Caribou Commons advocates preserving land in its present, natural state rather than returning agricultural land to prairie.
Kassi, a member of the Gwich'in tribe, will offer her perspective on the ancient relationship between the Caribou and her people during the presentation. "The relationship between the Gwichi'in and caribou is not one of convenience, it is one of necessity," she said. "A healthy Porcupine caribou herd is necessary for the continued survival of Gwich'in culture. We need to continue to publicize the threats to the Porcupine caribou herd and to our way of life."
The elements of the presentation were created during Madsen's four-month, 775-mile wilderness journey in the Caribou Commons.
Madsen was joined for part of his foot and kayak trek by northern musicians, including Matthew Lien, whose music will serve as a soundtrack for the Oct. 14 presentation. The group captured the sights and sounds of Caribou Commons with photography and digital recording equipment and put them together to form an emotional and intellectual experience described by Lien as "seamless."
Audiences all around the continent have thrilled to the work of this group. Now, thanks to the efforts of the Canadian Studies Program at UNL and the Conservation Alliance of the Great Plains, Nebraska audiences will be able to enjoy the presentation and participate in one of the most important issues in the history of the North American conservation movement.
"No art form can fully express the wildnerness, but the
blend of media we use comes close," Madsen said. "In the end, we
hope our message reaches past the rhetoric to insights about the
intrinsic value of nature."
Back to menu
For questions regarding these releases, contact:
tsimons1@unl.edu
u
(402) 472-8514, Fax: (402) 472-7825