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ELS Hosts Nationally Renowned Speaker on the Arctic Wildlife Refuge

On Wednesday, August 31, 2005, ELS and Ahahui o Hawai`i hosted Mr. Mike Williams is a full-blood Yupiaq Eskimo from Akiak and a nationally renowned speaker on the Arctic Wildlife Refuge and its commercial development. Mr. Williams spoke on three major topics: the commercial development of Arctic Refuges; who has a right to speak about these - Natives or corporations; and what this debate can tell Hawaiians about the Akaka Bill. According to Molly Schmidt, a third-year law student attending the talk, "It was a moving and motivating experience to hear Mr. Williams speak about the way that development in Alaska is affecting the subsistence communities there."