Local views on oil development in a village on the North Slope of Alaska

This chapter presents the findings from an exploratory study of post impact assessment debates related to oil and gas development in the case of a village, Nuiqsut, on the North Slope of Alaska. It draws on the personal observations and experiences of one of the authors, who is an oral historian. The chapter addresses how the oil-economy of Alaska has evolved and describes how the funds from oil are distributed. The Alaskan village of Nuiqsut and the local situation regarding oil and gas development are then explained. The influence of oil development on the Alaskan economy is vast, as more than 17 billion barrels of oil have been produced on the North Slope since the discovery of the Prudhoe Bay oil field. The second theme identified in the debates around oil development in Nuiqsut is related to the impact on culture and in particular the preservation of language as an important cultural marker and the derived social implications.