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Everybody's got their own opinion about offshore drilling or anything, you know.
My opinion has been changing a lot.
I've worked in an oil field since I was 17.
My whole family is actually not very pleased with me working for Shell.
They're the people that are out picketing and
writing articles and things like that.
I think what's needed is an open mind
and a lot of patience,
and obviously talking back and forth.
They're doing exploration, now they're talking about drilling.
You know, we want to make sure that, you know, nothing's gonna' happen.
A lot of people feel threatened or intimidated by this change
that's come upon our lives.
We've always survived in the Arctic
with what comes to us, what is given to us by the animals.
And they've asked Shell not to create an impact on their life
in so many different ways.
I want to make sure that my grandkids and their kids
should have the same opportunities that I had and
that our ancestors had.
So, Shell is saying,
"Ok, what we'll do is we'll come in so quiet you won't even know we're here."
"We'll make no impact on your lives at all."
And, I'm afraid of that.
And it's like, well then, what's the point of development?
Now we're not too talkative sometimes, but
when it's dealing with something that's
gonna' change our way of life
then we have no choice but to say,
"Hey, where's all the studies? Where's, you know, are you sure?"
I encourage everybody, whether they agree or disagree with it
to make themselves a part of this.
It's gonna' happen and it's better for us to be there
working with them instead of someone else.
So, that's my opinion.
You should have an open line of communication between the industry
and the local people.
Yeah, I never thought I would be siding with the oil companies.
But, which I'm not entirely there yet,
I'm still forming my opinion, but
I can see positives now instead of just
"big bad oil company."