"Sen. Dan Akaka portrays Rep. Ed Case as a Republican in Democratic clothing, but on one important issue the two candidates are far apart in reverse roles. Case opposes drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, while Akaka is in favor of drilling, claiming to act at the behest of "the indigenous people of Alaska." His rationale is unacceptable and displays a misunderstanding of those native peoples.

Akaka joined Sen. Dan Inouye, Republicans and only one other Democrat last November in voting for a bill that would allow drilling in the precious Alaskan refuge. The vote was 51-48. Their votes were not surprising, as the two senators had abandoned their party on this issue on previous occasions. Further congressional action is required to formally open the area for drilling.

Akaka told of having met members of the Inupiat tribe who "are kindred spirits with Hawaiians," sharing "a strong and sacred bond to their lands and waters." In a 2001 op-ed column on these pages, he described them as "subsistence hunters who depend on the land," deriving 60 percent of their diet from "caribou, marine mammals, fish and waterfowl."

The emphasis should have been on marine mammals, which is why Inupiat tribal leaders are opposed to offshore drilling, regarded as a threat to their whaling. In a 2002 op-ed column in the Star-Bulletin, Charles Pe'ape'a Makawulu Burrows, president of Ahahui Malama i ka Lokahi, a Hawaiian environmental group, wrote that only 10 percent of their food resources are migratory caribou."

Get the Story:
Akaka's stance on Alaskan refuge drilling is misguided (The Honolulu Star Bulletin 9/19)

Relevant Links:
Arctic Slope Regional Corp - http://www.asrc.com
Gwic'hin Steering Committee - http://www.alaska.net/~gwichin
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish and Willdife Service - http://arctic.fws.gov
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Pro-Development site - http://www.anwr.org

Related Stories:
Kempthorne meets with Native leaders on ANWR visit (09/01)
Jonathon Solomon's legacy recalled at memorial (07/18)
Jonathon Solomon, Athabascan elder, dies at 74 (7/14)
House approves bill to open ANWR to development (05/26)
Native village battles big oil company over drilling (05/25)
Alaska Natives at center of ANWR drilling debate (02/03)
Senate removes ANWR drilling from defense bill (12/22)
Senate vote on ANWR in defense bill expected (12/21)
Senate faces fight over ANWR in defense bill (12/20)
Column: ANWR debate not only about environment (12/15)
Bush officials make big claims on ANWR drilling (12/13)
Native corporations want share of ANWR revenues (11/29)
GOP removes ANWR drilling from budget measure (11/10)
House scheduled to vote on ANWR drilling measure (11/9)
Senate passes budget measure with ANWR drilling (11/4)
ANWR drilling measure up for vote in Senate (11/3)
Senate panel adds ANWR drilling to budget (10/20)
Gwich'in Nation continues fight against ANWR drilling (09/21)
Senate delays action on ANWR drilling in budget (09/14)
Shareholders want ANWR oil shared with all Natives (07/08)
NCAI's Hall praises Senate passage of energy bill (06/29)
Opinion: Drilling in ANWR would destroy sacred place (06/07)
House panel puts ANWR drilling in energy package (04/14)
Stevens wrong on claim that ANWR will help Natives (4/12)
Gwich'in leader blasts Senate vote on ANWR drilling (03/18)
Senate votes for ANWR drilling in federal budget (3/18)
Senate vote on ANWR drilling said to be very close (3/16)
Letters: Gale Norton still wrong on ANWR drilling (3/16)
Editorial: Norton wrong about drilling in ANWR (3/15)
Gale Norton: Drilling in ANWR won't hurt environment (3/14)
Stevens 'depressed' over ANWR drilling fight (3/14)
House, Senate differ on ANWR energy legislation (3/10)
GOP to include ANWR drilling in budget measure (3/9)
Arctic drilling a sensitive issue for Inupiat Eskimos (3/7)
Senate Republicans optimistic on ANWR drilling (12/16)
GOP says it has votes to authorize ANWR drilling (11/05)
Bush administration prepares for second term (11/04)
Bruce Babbitt: Arctic drilling would harm Inupiats (07/08)
House Republican drop bid to open ANWR to drilling (06/17)
House Republicans push two energy bills through (6/16)
Alaska to open ANWR shores to oil and gas drilling (04/01)
Alaska Native mayor decries spread of development (02/13)
Norton approves development in Alaska reserve (01/23)
Norton wants to drill more than ANWR (11/04)
ANWR opponent named AFN's top citizen (10/28)
House negotiators approve ANWR proposal (10/03)
Republicans revive ANWR drilling (9/27)
Bush wants ANWR and that's that (9/26)
Bush veto over ANWR drilling not certain (9/24)
Norton: Veto bill if no ANWR drilling (9/20)
House-Senate hammer out energy bill (6/28)
ANWR advocates on energy bill committee (6/14)
DOI official says public doesn't get it (5/10)
Energy picks have Murkowski happy (5/3)
Democrats balk on energy negotiations (5/2)
Senate approves energy bill (4/26)
Work wraps up on energy bill (4/25)
Alaska Native drilling won't be pushed (4/24)
Murkowski silent on Native drilling (4/22)
Senate rejects ANWR drilling proposal (4/19)
Next Stop: Drilling on Inupiat land (4/19)
On drilling, a defeat for Bush (4/19)
Bush looks for other places to drill (4/19)
Votes for ANWR said lacking (4/18)
ANWR proposals offered(4/17)
Editorial: Norton's ANWR video (4/17)
ANWR swing votes sought (4/16)
Norton defends use of pro-ANWR video (4/12)
ANWR amendment delayed in Senate (4/12)
Hussein threat sparks ANWR plea (4/11)
Burns says caribou impact 'nil' (4/10)
Native drilling to impact caribou (4/9)
New ANWR analysis questioned (4/5)
Bush discounting drilling report (4/1)
Drilling report was held back (4/1)
Gwich'in activist still at it (3/25)
Pros and Cons: Arctic Drilling (3/19)
Among Inupiat Eskimos, an 'injustice' (3/13)
Senate takes up energy bill (3/6)
Campbell: Drill ANWR (3/4)
For or against, Inupiats tied to off-shore drilling (11/2)
Inupiats press for oil drilling in ANWR (10/26)
ASRC supporting anti-drilling complaint (10/26)
'Attack' on Gwich'in decried (10/24)
Norton admits ANWR 'mistake' (10/23)
Norton staff rewrote Arctic drilling data (10/19)
Arctic drilling debate continues (10/15)
Bush promotes ANWR as home security (10/12)
ANWR spared in defense vote (10/3)
House approves limited Arctic drilling (8/2)
Bush makes last-ditch pitch for Arctic drilling (8/1)
House panel approves Arctic drilling (7/18)
Gwich'in Nation blind-sided by Norton visit (6/15)
Norton: Indian Country won't get ripped off (5/24)
Alaska Natives square off over Arctic drilling (5/18)
Campbell: Alaska Natives support drilling (4/25)
Gwich'in Nation: We Come from the Caribou (4/4)
GOP Senators unveil drilling proposal (2/27)