Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Scientific American reports this week that the fight over the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is back. For many in the North, though, Mr. Speaker, that fight never went away. A couple of years ago, the international newspaper the Guardian brought the Alaska Refuge to the world's attention in a long feature article. What might have seemed like new information to the southerners has been a part of Indigenous life in the Arctic for generations upon generations. Whether living in northern Canada or in Alaska, Northerners are no strangers to far-and-away lawmakers trying to impose their will on the Arctic.

The refuge itself covers 19.6 million acres across north-eastern Alaska. It is a sacred place, home to wonderfully unique northern ecosystems. A nature reserve that receives no more than 300 human visitors per year while the surrounding region is also home to the Gwich'in, residents of both the U.S. and Canada. The most recent American attempt to open 1.5 million acres of coastal plain within the refuge to drill is extremely troubling.

Mr. Speaker, Gwich'in on both sides of the border between our two countries are afraid right now. They are afraid that their rights will not be respected and that the regions lands and animals, especially the Porcupine caribou herd, will be hurt beyond repair and beyond compensation if the changes pushed by the current American administration go ahead. As northern Indigenous people, the Gwich'in are spiritually and physically linked to the caribou. In recent years, we have seen the Bathurst, Bluenose, and Barren Ground herds decline dramatically. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted