Solidarity from Maine: Protect the Sacred Arctic Wildlife Refuge

Hear voices of Arctic indigenous Gwich'in women who speak out to protect their way of life and sacred land—the public lands of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska—from a potential oil development. A 20-minute award-winning film screening of "The Sacred Place Where Life Begins – Gwich’in Women Speak" is followed by a discussion and action with director Miho Aida, who travels on her bicycle to spread the message from the Gwich'in nation – one mile, one person at a time. Books and DVDs will be available for sale (donation) at the screening.

Miho Aida, originally from Tokyo, Japan, is a filmmaker, educator, author and outdoor adventurer in California. Miho is one of the 25 authors of a book: We Are The Arctic. In this book, she shares “As the caribou go, so go the Gwich’in,” an essay describing her experience with the Arctic Refuge through a lens of the Gwich’in women while working on the film. In 2014 and 2015, Miho traveled over 2,000 miles on her bicycle to promote the film, and is looking forward to riding again this summer to promote the film in Maine.