Focus on Fellows: Shirley Roburn

We spoke with former Weston Fellow Shirley Roburn about her journey in conservation and the vital role of storytelling in advocacy.

Through her work, she has examined how social movement and Indigenous storytelling, shared through multimedia forms such as film and social media, have catalyzed community empowerment and influenced resource management policy in northwestern North America. In this interview, she discusses the intersection of storytelling and conservation, the impact of social movements, and how communication shapes environmental advocacy.

Could you tell us about the research that was supported by the Weston Fellowship?

Shirley Roburn (SR): I’m very grateful for the Weston Fellowship, which at the time was called the Garfield Weston Fellowship. My background is in environmental justice and advocacy, and when I began my PhD, I was particularly interested in understanding how to effectively shift public opinion and government policy.

For my dissertation, I studied the campaign to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, focusing on the Porcupine Caribou Herd. This herd is not only a vital food source but also a significant cultural touchstone for Indigenous communities, and particularly the Gwich’in Nation. The protection of the caribou calving grounds has long been a contentious issue, with oil and gas development proposals continuously resurfacing. My research specifically looked at the 2005-2006 campaign to prevent the Arctic Refuge, where the caribou calve, from being opened to drilling. This was a critical moment in this ongoing struggle for Refuge protection. I wanted to understand how the Gwich’in, as real leaders in this fight, effectively used storytelling to build alliances.

Despite being a Nation of only a few thousand people scattered across small villages in northern Canada and Alaska, the Gwich’in played a leadership role in engaging broader constituencies in this effort. A key part of my research focused on the film Being Caribou, created by Leanne Allison and Karsten Heuer, who followed the Porcupine Caribou Herd’s migration on foot and skis to highlight the Refuge issue. The film was produced in collaboration with Gwich’in people who were consulted throughout the various project phases. By studying this film’s role in advocacy campaigns, I was able to see how it helped mobilize communities, build emotional connections, and influence policymakers, demonstrating the power of grassroots storytelling in environmental advocacy.

The Weston Fellowship allowed me to travel to Inuvik, Old Crow, and Whitehorse to conduct interviews and visit archives, and also to attend Wilderness Week in Washington, a major lobbying event where advocates meet with U.S. policymakers. These experiences were crucial to my research.

What were your main findings from this research?

SR: Storytelling is the lifeblood of movements - it keeps them alive and brings new energy. The use of grassroots storytelling and films provided a means for people to connect with the calving grounds issue on a personal level. It wasn’t just about sharing information but about creating an emotional bond that resonated with people’s values and lived experiences. The Gwich’in and their allies built a sustained movement through repeated community engagement, storytelling events, and advocacy efforts, ensuring that their message remained strong even when political circumstances changed.

Another major finding was the importance of collective resilience. Even when the 2005-2006 campaign lost a critical Senate vote by just one vote, the Gwich’in and their supporters continued the fight. Storytelling fostered a sense of hope and solidarity that sustained the movement.

This period also coincided with the rise of social media. People could see the collective impact of their actions online, even in the face of setbacks.