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The Gwichʼin (sometimes rendered as Kutchin or Gwitchin), literally "one who dwells", are a First Nations/Alaska Native people who live in the northwestern part of North America mostly above the Arctic Circle. The Gwichʼin were also known by the French name of Loucheux or Loucheaux in historical documents, as well as the Tukudh used by missionaries. Many Gwichʼin speak their indigenous Gwichʼin language.
Caribou is traditionally a major component of their diet. Many Gwichʼin people are dependent on the Porcupine caribou herd which calves on the coastal plain in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Gwichʼin people have been very active in protesting and lobbying against the possibility of oil drilling in the ANWR.
There are approximately 7,000 Gwichʼin in 15 small communities in the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory of Canada, and in northern Alaska. Gwichʼin communities include:
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