A small Native community in the remote North Slope borough of Alaska has been at the center of debates in Washington, D.C., over bringing “drill, baby, drill” to its backyard — and it isn’t completely against the idea. 

More than 3,000 miles northwest of Washington sits the small village of Kaktovik, Alaska. With roots tracing back thousands of years, the Native residents have no intention of leaving and want to see their people and village grow over the years. For most, that can’t happen without more drilling.