January has seen major progress toward protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, thanks to the organizing power of three distinct communities—Indigenous activists, TikTok creators, and the makers of an unfinished documentary film—that came together toward a common goal.
“To be honest, it’s not easy going into places, talking to people that will never understand how spiritually and culturally connected we are to our land, to our water, and to our animals,” says Bernadette Demientieff, the executive director of the Gwich’in Steering Committee. “But I do it anyway. I try anyway.” She believes telling her story is the most important and powerful tool for making change. And she’s using new platforms to get that message out, including TikTok.
Western science supports that move: As Ru Mahoney, the founder of Project Impact explains, media—in the form of TV news, stories on social media, videos on YouTube, etc.—is the No.1 force that determines how people make decisions relating to scientific issues like climate change. That’s why she works as a science impact producer to maximize the social impact of stories in the media.
Mahoney says social media is a way for people to reclaim the power to tell their stories while sidestepping the overly polarized landscape that exists in traditional media. And the idea paid off. Through a viral campaign in support of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, activists were able to garner more letters to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in three short weeks than the federal government had ever received during a public comment period.
“The youngest generation stood up for something that they believe in that represents human rights, that represents the fight for climate change, that represents the fight for our future,” says Alex Haraus, the TikTok creator responsible for kicking off the viral ANWR campaign.
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