Stand with the Arctic Vigils

The Inupiat Eskimos of America's Arctic Coast have relied on the bounty of the Arctic Ocean for thousands of years. The ocean is their garden. Today, the Inupiat people continue to live in harmony with polar bears, bowhead whales, seals, sea birds, walrus and beluga whales.

Shell's plans to drill for oil this summer threaten this way of life in the Arctic - which is why tribal leaders Arctic communities stand opposed to offshore drilling. As one Inupiat father told the New York Times: "They talk about the jobs, the promises of education and support for the economy, but that is counterfeit compared to the dangers of an oil spill."

We can't turn our backs on the Inupiat people or the polar bears, walrus and other iconic species of the Arctic's Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. On July 12 across the Arctic and in the lower 48, people will gather at the ocean's edge or another important community location to show solidarity with the Inupiat people of the Arctic. In solidarity with the ocean dwellers of the Arctic, we will raise a paddle or join hands in a prayer for the ocean.