In 1990 I found myself on the Firth River, in the far north-west corner of the Yukon. I was training to be a raft guide with Ecosummer Yukon Expeditions (a company I would eventually co-own) and was excited at the prospect of seeing my first muskox. What I did see was far more memorable. I witnessed about 10,000 caribou crossing the river, a small part of the Porcupine Caribou herd, one that migrates annually from the Yukon to Alaska to calve.
Thousands of caribou surged around me, snorting and barking in low coughs. Waves of swirling brown part and poured past. Thousands of legs upon thousands of feet churned the soil, kicking up dust and sending shed hair airborne. The restless energy of the herd was palpable. They were so close, yet even while sitting in the midst of it all, I felt no fear.
The 10-02 lands, also known as ANWR (Alaska National Wildlife Refuge), harbours the calving grounds for this herd of caribou and is under threat by oil development. As worldwise wilderness areas diminish each year, I urge wise decision making in this issue.
The following body of work was made in celebration of caribou and the wilderness they inhabit.