How to Understand a Caribou

By Mayet|2026-10-05T13:29:47-05:00October 15th, 2026|Comments Off on How to Understand a Caribou

October 15, 2026

In Anchorage, Alaska, public hearings were held by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1987.  The purpose of these hearings was to share information and take public opinion about the impact of the trans-Alaskan oil pipeline on the Porcupine Caribou herds in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWAR.)  This area was the primary calving-ground for those caribou herds.  

I attended the hearings, listening to many pundits, oil experts and biologists responding to public questions and comments.  On my left, was a Gwitch’in man of the Athabaskan Nation. His people often call themselves the “Caribou People” because of their symbiotic relationship with those herds over thousands of years.  On my right sat an Inupiat man also from one of the dozen or more villages of Northeastern Alaska where the Porcupine Caribou herds range.

During the breaks we remained in our seats and chatted.  After several hours of discourse about data obtained from tagging, darting, studying and tracking the caribou by small plane over some years, the Gwitch’in man spoke across me to the Inuit man, saying, “They don’t know that nothing behaves naturally when observed in this way?” 

“Nothing wants to be stared at, poked, buzzed and chased… nothing good can come of it,” said the second man.  I raised my eyebrows and laughed prompting the Gwitch’in to say, “Do you like to be invaded and analyzed?”  

“To understand the caribou you must live among them with respect over time,” the other said to us.

“Or ask the people who do,” I quipped. 

Then we all laughed and they slapped their knees, sharing a wry look.   

I’ve often thought about how that applies to people. To paraphrase: No one wants to be speculated about and analyzed, it’s invasive.  It never leads to understanding.  

To deeply understand others we must live among them with respect over time.  Without real knowledge of someone, all we can do is speculate, which is just gossip. Which is what people are doing about each other much of the time.  It doesn’t foster trust.

How do we choose to understand people around us, or our world. Do we approach that with respect? Or do we speculate, assigning agendas and motivations to them without any real knowledge of them and without even asking them?

Something interesting to ponder.

Sending you warm greetings today,
XO Mayet