Alaskans Rally Against LNG Development and Fossil Fuel Expansion at "Sustainable Energy" Conference
June 11th, 2025 | Written By: Maka Monture (Native Movement Communications Co-Director) and Enei Begaye (Native Movement Executive Director)
Community organizers and climate advocates rallied on June 2nd and 3rd in downtown Anchorage to protest the Alaska LNG project and other false soluttions promoted at Governor Mike Dunleavy’s “Sustainable Energy Conference" held on Dena'ina Ełnena. The rallies were held in response to federal and state-level efforts to expand oil and gas extraction across the state, including on lands traditionally stewarded by Indigenous peoples..
The rally, led by Native Movement, Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition (FCAC), Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Northern Alaska Environmental Center, and Stand Up Alaska, coincided with the presence of Trump administration representatives in Anchorage. Their visit included closed-door meetings with international stakeholders regarding the administration’s stated goal to "unleash Alaska's resource potential."
The rally took place on Dena’ina land outside the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center, where international delegates had gathered for the conference. Protesters carried banners with messages like “Defend the Sacred: Extraction is Not Our Way of Life” and “Our Land, Our 7 Generations to Come.” The crowd—intergenerational and energetic—voiced strong opposition to what they view as false solutions to the climate crisis.
“Over 250,000 people across the country advocated for the protection of these lands last year. We are prepared to continue to have our voices heard in our commitment to clean air, water, and land for future generations.”
Photo by Maka Monture (Native Movement and Always Indigenous Media)
Speakers included Nauri Sivuqaq Simmonds of Soverign Inupiat for a Living Arctic (SILA), Panganga Pungowiyi of Sivungaq and Indigenous Environmental Network, Sarah Furman. of Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition, Rochelle Adams of Director of Yukonjik K’aaht’ii Naii Yukon River Protectors, Jasmine Jemewouk of Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT), and Enei Begaye of Native Movement. The crowd joined in on chants such as “Alaska is not for sale!” and “Hey hey, ho ho, these false solutions have to go,” their collective voice echoing up the glass walls of the Dena’ina Center.
The protest comes amid heightened scrutiny of Alaska's role in global fossil fuel markets, as state officials seek long-term LNG export deals with foreign market buyers. These projects contradict both Indigenous values and the call for climate justice and a just transition, which calls for a rapid transition away from fossil fuels.
“News of the proposed rescinding of protections for the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska is extremely disappointing,” said Sonny Ahkivgak, Organizing Lead at Native Movement. “Over 250,000 people across the country advocated for the protection of these lands last year. We are prepared to continue to have our voices heard in our commitment to clean air, water, and land for future generations.”
Check our the recap videos below to hear more on what speakers had to say at the rallies!
