Art, Celebration and Community: Reflections from our trip to Kotzebue with Protect the Kobuk
May 20, 2024 | Written By: Jessica Thornton, Trinity Villalobos and Brihannala Morgan
The end of April, 2024, was a momentous time for those fighting to stop the Ambler Road - firstly the Bureau of Land Management’s recommendation of the No Action Alternative to the Ambler Road, and secondly the selection of the Kobuk River as one of America’s most endangered rivers of 2024.
This news was met with excitement and celebration by the Alaska Native communities and allied activists who had been leading the fight against the Ambler road across northern Alaska. Three Native Movement staff – Jessica Thornton (Arts in Action lead), Trinity Villalobos (Interior Organizing Fellow) and Brihannala Morgan (Campaign Development Lead) – had the honor of traveling to Kotzebue to join Protect the Kobuk, a grassroots organization of Northwest Arctic residents that gathered over 700 signatures from local people against the road, in their celebration.
The evening was filled with joy; Protect the Kobuk hosted a Kobuk River foods potluck with speeches expressing gratitude to everyone who had been organizing for so long and had made these two victories a reality. As Native Movement, we brought screen printing supplies and together with the community printed 50 shirts and over 20 patches (including a set for sled dogs racing in the Kobuk 440!). Jessica taught community members how to screenprint, and we left screen printing supplies so that Protect the Kobuk can continue printing on their own in the future.
“This event was a good reminder of how important it is to take the time and the effort to celebrate the wins that we have with our communities and partners! Connecting with others over our shared visions for the future, making art together, sharing appreciations and food with each other, and creating joyful spaces are such an important part of our work. It makes our movements sustainable for the long run. We always have more work to do and the Ambler Road project might not be gone forever, but the connections we made will make us stronger for the next round. I’m so deeply grateful to all the organizers across Alaska who have been fighting this fight for so long, and thank you to everyone in Kotzebue who made this trip an unforgettable experience.”
- Jessica Thornton, Arts & Action Lead, Native Movement
“ This trip was a good reminder of how much my passion for this work is rooted in a connection with the land and with the people whose fight to protect it. While the event itself was really successful, and it felt great to be able to share Native Movement’s resources with screen printing, training, and supplies, it was the times that we spent with Ruth, Stacey, Susan, Chad, and others and hearing about their lives at camp, about how the river and land had provided for them that I will remember the most deeply. It was an honor and a joy to share a meal, hear stories, and celebrate together.”
- Brihannala Morgan, Environmental Justice Campaign Development Lead, Native Movement
“I’m so amazed that my job is getting to learn firsthand about community organizing by supporting incredible organizers, advocates, and community groups who do awesome things. My main role during this project was supporting logistics. I booked hotels and flights, worked with the City Parks and Recreation on booking and setting up the venue, helped facilitate meetings and our travel itinerary to help organize the trip, and did on-the-ground support for the day of the art build. I don’t have a lot of experience with trips like this, so it was a series of many firsts for me! It felt incredible to be hosted and welcomed into a new community. I hold so much gratitude for our hosts who toured us around the town, helped out with transporting supplies, and let me borrow proper boots when I came with ones that wouldn’t work. Thank you to Ruth and her family, Stacey, and Susan who really did so much for us to have a great time.”
- Trinity Villalobos, Interior Organizing Fellow, Native Movement
