Helen Cherullo
Braided River Executive Director and Founder
In this blog post, Helen Cherullo, Braided River Executive Director and Founder looks back on the twenty years since the 2003 publication of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land—the little book that made a BIG difference for the Arctic. This GiveBIG, we hope you’ll consider supporting Braided River in continuing to create powerful storytelling to protect our wild and sacred lands and waters.
It was twenty years ago in Spring 2003 that the seeds for Braided River were planted. Back then, the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was being described in Washington DC as:
“A flat white nothingness.”
– Gail Norton, then Secretary of the Interior
“It is a barren wasteland, frozen wasteland.”
– Ted Stevens, then senator, Alaska
“It’s flat, it’s unattractive.”
– Frank Murkowski. then governor of Alaska
Along with photographer Subhankar Banerjee, we were determined to tell a different story of the Arctic. We had no idea what we were about to unleash.
In 2003, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) held up our book, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land, on the Senate floor. Our friends at the Alaska Wilderness League made sure this book—literally one day off the press—made it to Washington DC in time for a crucial vote. The senator shared images in the book as proof of the vibrant life on the coastal plain during all four seasons of the year, refuting comments from others who had characterized the place as one devoid of life. In addition, the book featured stories of the Gwich’in and Inupiat Indigenous Peoples who had lived on these lands for thousands of years, and who helped Subhankar survive during his photographic expeditions. The truth of these images told a powerful and persuasive story. When the final votes were counted, much to the astonishment of the George Bush administration, the Arctic Refuge was saved from development by a narrow vote, 52 to 48.
On top of it, an exhibit based on the book scheduled to open at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History was canceled, then quickly reinstated—but in a remote gallery, and with natural history captions altered to make no reference to the climate crisis, or endangered wildlife.
This proved to be a defining moment for the Arctic. It was also a defining moment for me as publisher of Mountaineers Books, a nonprofit regional publisher with a mission to encourage people to get outdoors, fall in love with nature, and protect what they love.
After the controversial vote, and the ensuing media attention to censorship by a revered publicly funded institution-- the book, our plucky independent publishing enterprise, and photographer Subhankar Banerjee were catapulted into the national media. Through the generous and unexpected philanthropic support of three extraordinary foundations— Lannan, Campion, and The Mountaineers—we leveraged the images and stories into a national media campaign, more than fifty multimedia events, six traveling museum exhibits developed in collaboration with California Academy of Sciences, and partnerships with numerous groups working to preserve the Arctic Refuge.
Subhankar’s honest, persuasive images and stories changed perspectives and influenced decisions at the highest levels of our government. Exhibits, media, and presentations by the photographer ultimately reached millions more people than we ever could have with the book alone. Through this experience, we saw what was possible with beautiful images, a compelling story, a committed photographer, and the support of visionary donors.
We crafted a plan for a dedicated nonprofit committed to preserving the last wild places in western North America. Through art, we would advocate for tangible preservation and protections.
Today, Braided River works closely with photographers, writers, artists, grassroots organizations, Indigenous Peoples and philanthropic organizations to weave together images and prose that connect wild and remote landscapes to us all.
Now twenty years on, Braided River books, exhibits, media, and film impact campaigns have brought to life and supported protections for the Tongass rain forest, Bristol Bay, the Western Arctic, Colorado River, and the wildlife corridor from Yellowstone to the Yukon. Using our books as a starting point, Braided River works with grassroots organizations and foundations to encourage people to take action.
By connecting people emotionally to critical conservation and environmental social justice issues, Braided River plays a unique role in protecting America’s irreplaceable wild places for generations to come.
REDEFINING ACTIVISM—Changing perspectives
Braided River showcases photography and writing that generates awe, builds excitement, and gives people authentic hope through action—which is not always easy when you’re talking about preserving biodiversity and the impacts of climate change.
Through the arts, we are redefining environmental activism based on empathy and beauty, instead of on divisive politics.
As one example, one day, we received a call from Dan, a self-proclaimed “Arctic evangelist.”
He had purchased a dozen copies of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land by photographer Subhankar Banerjee. He told us the book was the best gift he had found to give to his family and friends to explain why he was so committed to preserve this distant, wild place.
While ordering more books, he told us about the reaction of one of his oldest friends. When Dan gave his friend, a gas station owner, the book—his friend checked out the title, peered back over the rim of his glasses, and said, “You have got to be kidding.”
Dan pleaded with him to just take a look, and the friend finally relented—“Because you are my buddy, I’ll do this for you.”
Days passed. “Have you looked at the book yet?”
“No, I haven’t.”
Weeks passed. “Have you had a chance. . .”
“No, not yet.” Until one day the friend admitted he had looked at the book. He told Dan, “I know you care deeply about this. So I looked at all the photographs, and even read some of the essays—as much as I could take of them, anyway. But you need to consider some important things about my life.
I am an oil man. I run a gas station. I feed my family on oil, and put my kids through school on oil. Oil is my life. I don’t believe the combustion engine is going away any time soon.” He paused a moment, and continued, “But I want you to know: I don’t want the oil under that land. I had no idea there was a place on this earth that was so beautiful.”
At Braided River, we believe in the universal persuasive power of beauty.
Capture the heart, and the mind will follow. One image at a time.
For more on this history please see “Did one photograph change the fate of the Arctic Wildlife Refuge?”
What the political fight over a photo teaches us about the power of art, grassroots activism and images. Perspective by Finis Dunaway, author of "Seeing Green: The Use and Abuse of American Environmental Images" and, "Defending the Arctic Refuge: A Photographer, an Indigenous Nation, and a Fight for Environmental Justice."
SUPPORT BRAIDED RIVER DURING GIVEBIG!
This GiveBIG (May 2-3rd)—we hope you’ll consider making a gift to support the impactful work of Braided River, and help us continue this important work.
From continued work in the Arctic, to the Colorado River and Olympics—this year we’re bringing bringing more books, exhibits, and multimedia storytelling to life. Read our 2022 annual report for just a taste of what we're accomplished in the last year alone!
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