Alaska: Natives vs. Big Oil

Whale sighting in the Bering Sea / Image Credit: https://www.visittheusa.com/state/alaska

It has now been more than 30 years since the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, which spilled more than 11 million gallons of crude oil into the water. The disaster polluted the then-pristine wilderness, resulting in the deaths of thousands of animals, including sea birds, otters, seals, and bald eagles. It also caused a drastic economic toll, many fishermen went bankrupt, and the economies of small Alaskan towns suffered, culminating in $2.8 billion in economic losses. Since then, Prince William Sound still hasn’t been cleaned up, and only two of the 28 species that have been most affected are on the recovery list.

The oil spill, which was the largest ever at its time, is largely representative of the bigger-picture relationship between large oil companies and local native tribes in Alaska. Oil has driven transformation for Alaska tribes, for instance, the Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) separated any Alaska Natives from jurisdiction over their land, handing more power to big oil in development in the state. The law was passed without a vote by Alaskan Natives or the general public. The native lands were then given to for-profit Alaska Native Corporations, many of which have agreed to joint ventures with mining and oil development companies.

Image Credit: RGB Ventures

Since the passing of ANCSA, the visually extraordinary natural lands have increasingly been polluted. In 2000 alone, over 450 million pounds of toxic releases were reported from a lead and zinc mine called the Red Dog Mine, which employs many native people. That year, there were 1,534 oil spills reported to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, equal to 145,338 gallons of oil.

However, local native organizations are pushing back; groups such as the Alaska Native Oil and Gas Working Group are challenging new Alaskan oil exploitation proposals and pushing the Alaska Native corporations to move away from oil and diversify its economy. Unfortunately, these groups face an uphill battle as big oil continues its push into Alaska’s untouched wilderness.