Sarah James

Last updated
Sarah James
Born1946 (age 76–77)
Fort Yukon, Alaska
NationalityAmerican, native Gwich'in
Awards

Sarah Agnes James (born 1946 [1] [2] ) is a native Neets'aii Gwich'in from Arctic Village, Alaska, USA, but was born in Fort Yukon "because that is where the hospital was. I grew up part of the time in Fort Yukon and Salmon River, but most of the time in Arctic Village, Alaska [3] ."James is a board member of the International Indian Treaty Council. She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2002, [4] together with Jonathon Solomon and Norma Kassi. They received the prize for their efforts to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) from plans of oil exploration and drilling. Oil and gas exploration would disturb the life cycle of the Porcupine caribou, which has been a foundation for the Gwich'in culture since approximately 18,000 BC. [4]

Contents

Politics and lobbying

In November 1969, James joined a group of indigenous students led by Mohawk activist Richard Oakes that occupied the former prison island Alcatraz in San Francisco, CA. [5]

In the 1990s James visited communities in South American countries (Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala), speaking for the underprivileged. She also appeared on television programs (CNN, MacNeil-Lehrer, CBS). And she traveled to Washington, trying to clear up concepts that they believe petroleum companies misrepresent, and speaking for preservation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. [6]

Background

James encourages all of us to “learn from each other and go forward for the Earth, so we can live.” Sarah is inseparable from the far northern world of interior Alaska. Her mother, father, and grandparents lovingly taught her to protect the “Sacred Place Where All Life Begins”, Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodiit. The land is her teacher, her medicine, her sustainer, and her way to the Creator. She grew up living off the land and knows the hardships of surviving in the cold north country. Sarah dedicates herself to protecting necessary lifeways, amplifying the voices of her people and beings—especially the caribou. A strong spokesperson and powerful activist, Sarah travels globally to mobilize many into empathy to protect the Porcupine Caribou herd and, defend their calving grounds from oil development and climate catastrophe. She educates and learns from diverse people, bringing her teachings, and also receiving theirs. Sarah works from her village and remains devoted to passing on the ancestral teaching to younger generations. [7]

Honors and awards

In 1993, James was awarded the Alston Bannerman Fellowship. [8] In 2001 she received the "Leadership for a Changing World" grant awarded for outstanding but little known leaders. [9] In 2002 she was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for "grassroots environmentalists along with Jonathon Solomon Sr., and Norma Kassi. [10] [9] She also received the National Conservation Land Trust Award in 2002. In 2004, she received the "Ecotrust Award for Indigenous Leadership", [11] and in 2006 she earned the Alaska Conservation Foundation "Celia Hunter Award for Outstanding Conservations". [12]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yukon River</span> Major watercourse in northwestern North America

The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. From its source in British Columbia, Canada, it flows through Canada's territory of Yukon. The lower half of the river continues westward through the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is 3,190 kilometres (1,980 mi) long and empties into the Bering Sea at the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta. The average flow is 6,400–7,000 m3/s (230,000–250,000 cu ft/s). The total drainage area is 833,000 km2 (321,500 sq mi), of which 323,800 km2 (125,000 sq mi) lies in Canada. The total area is more than 25% larger than Texas or Alberta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arctic National Wildlife Refuge</span> Protected area in Alaska

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or Arctic Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, United States, on traditional Gwich'in lands. The refuge is 19,286,722 acres (78,050.59 km2) of the Alaska North Slope region, with a northern coastline and vast inland forest, taiga, and tundra regions. ANWR is the largest national wildlife refuge in the country, slightly larger than the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is administered from offices in Fairbanks. ANWR is home to a diverse range of endemic mammal species; notably, it is one of the few North American locations with all three endemic American ursids—the polar bear, grizzly bear, and American black bear, each of which resides predominantly in its own ecological niche. Besides the bears, other mammal species include the moose, caribou, wolves, red and Arctic fox, Canada lynx, wolverine, pine marten, American beaver, and North American river otter. Further inland, mountain goats may be seen near the slope. Hundreds of species of migratory birds visit the refuge yearly, and it is a vital, protected breeding location for them. Snow geese, eiders and snowy owl may be observed as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arctic Village, Alaska</span> CDP in Alaska, United States

Arctic Village is an unincorporated Native American village and a census-designated place (CDP) in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the CDP was 152. This was unchanged from 2000. The village is located in the large Gwitch'in speaking region of Alaska, and the local dialect is known as Di'haii Gwitch'in or shahanh. As of 1999, over 95% of the community speaks and understands the language. As of 2019, the second village chief was against oil drilling because of the impact on caribou

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Norma Kassi is a native Gwich'in from Yukon Territory, Canada, and a former member of the Yukon Legislative Assembly and former chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation. She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2002, together with Sarah James and Jonathon Solomon. They received the prize for their struggles for protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) from plans of oil exploration and drilling. Oil and gas exploration would disturb the life cycle of the Porcupine caribou, which has been the foundation for the Gwich'in culture for 20,000 years. In 2010 she was elected as Chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathon Solomon</span>

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References

  1. ↑ "The Visionary Activist Show - Big Miraculous Dream Blessings". KPFA. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  2. ↑ "Sarah James | Alaska Women's Hall Of Fame". 2021-08-05. Archived from the original on 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  3. ↑ Staff, Grist (2006-12-12). "Sarah James, Gwich'in activist and environmental prizewinner, answers questions". Grist. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  4. 1 2 Goldman Environmental Prize: "Sarah James" Archived 2007-12-04 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved on November 29, 2007)
  5. ↑ Harball, Elizabeth; Anchorage, Alaska's Energy Desk- (2019-07-17). "'We're never going to surrender' - Sarah James on a life fighting oil drilling in the Arctic Refuge". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  6. ↑ Bert Gildart: "The power of one in a remote land" The Christian Science Monitor (Retrieved on December 30, 2007)
  7. ↑ "Sarah James | Neets'aii Gwich'in". Spirit Aligned Leadership. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  8. ↑ "What Fellows Say". www.alstonbannerman.org. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  9. 1 2 "Womens Hall of Fame Sarah Agnes James » » Alumnae". Alaska Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  10. ↑ "Sarah James & Norma Kassi & Jonathon Solomon". Goldman Environmental Foundation. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  11. ↑ "2004 Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award Honoree: Sarah James". archive.ecotrust.org. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  12. ↑ "All Award Recipients | Alaska Conservation Foundation" . Retrieved 2020-07-12.
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