The Responsibility We Carry Forward
Growing up, my father often told me that one day I would have to learn how to tell the story of our people and our region.
At the time, I didn’t fully grasp what he meant. Today, I think about those conversations often.
A big part of this job is helping others understand who we are, what we value, and why decisions made hundreds or thousands of miles away have such profound consequences for the people who call the North Slope home. It’s something I am asked to do regularly—in meetings, in boardrooms, in congressional offices, and around conference tables.
It is never easy.
There is always more to say than time allows. Too much history, sacrifice, wisdom, and experience to fit into a presentation or meeting. We are often telling a story, thousands of years in the making, to people whose next vote, budget decision, or policy choice can immediately affect every aspect of life in our communities.
On this Founders’ Day, as we mark 54 years since the establishment of the North Slope Borough, I want to share a few parts of that story that I believe are important.
The North Slope Borough was founded because our leaders understood something fundamental: the people most affected by decisions about this region should help shape them.
When the Borough was established on July 2, 1972, our founders knew oil would transform Alaska and the North Slope. And they knew our communities could not simply stand by while that transformation unfolded. The stakes were too high and the consequences too immediate.
Their vision was not rooted in opposition to development. It was rooted in responsibility.
Our founders built a local government—and created one of the most significant examples of local self-determination in Alaska’s history.
When some doubted whether a remote Arctic region could govern itself effectively, North Slope leaders built institutions capable of delivering essential services, planning for the future, and advocating for the interests of their communities. They proved that local knowledge, local leadership, and local accountability lead to better outcomes.
For generations, the North Slope has helped power Alaska’s economy. The resources developed here have funded schools, roads, public safety, and essential services across our state. Our region has contributed enormously to Alaska’s success, and we remain committed to responsible resource development because we know its importance.
We are not outsiders to development. We live alongside it. Our residents work in these industries, and our communities have partnered with government and industry for decades to move major projects forward. We understand both the opportunities development creates and the responsibilities that come with it.
At the same time, we understand that development alone is not the full story.
We know the value of healthy caribou herds, clean water, abundant fish, and access to the lands that sustain our way of life. Stewardship is not a competing interest. It is an obligation. Through our Wildlife Management Department and countless community-led efforts, we invest in research and responsible management that benefits the entire state.
Maintaining the balance between economic development and stewardship requires listening, partnership and, most importantly, respect for the people who live here. Maintaining that balance is challenging, but worthwhile.
What we ask of our federal, state, and industry partners is simple: Nothing about us without us. We deserve meaningful engagement on every decision that affects our people, our lands, and our future.
Fifty-four years ago, our founders created a government that ensured local voices would have a place in decisions shaping this region. Their vision remains as relevant today as it was in 1972.
As we celebrate Founders’ Day, we honor the leaders who came before us, the communities that continue to carry their vision forward, and the generations who will inherit it. We remain committed to telling our story, protecting what matters most, and helping shape a future that reflects both the opportunities before us and the responsibilities we carry.
Our story is one of resilience, responsibility, partnership, and self-determination. It is a story shaped by those who came before us, carried forward by the choices we make today—and it is far from finished.
Quyanaqpak to our founders, our elders, and the people of the North Slope.
Araqhaa! Happy Founders’ Day.
Josiah Aullaqsruaq Patkotak
Iñupiaq Hunter and Mayor of the North Slope Borough
