Canada
Gwichʼin Settlement Region
Where the Porcupine caribou herd — 200,000 strong — pours across the tundra every spring.
The Porcupine caribou herd moves across the tundra in a river of antlers and hooves — 218,000 animals flowing north toward the calving grounds each spring. The Gwichʼin have followed this migration for over 20,000 years. They call themselves the People of the Caribou.
The Gwichʼin Settlement Region spans the border between the Yukon and Northwest Territories, centred on communities like Fort McPherson, Tsiigehtchic, and Aklavik. The Porcupine caribou herd — one of the largest remaining migratory herds on Earth — passes through the region twice annually, and the Gwichʼin relationship with the herd is among the longest continuous human-animal partnerships documented. The calving grounds in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are considered sacred. The Midnight Sun Marathon in Fort McPherson runs under 24-hour daylight in June. Gwichʼin cultural programming includes language classes, traditional food preparation, and guided trips along the migration routes.
Solo
Witnessing the Porcupine caribou migration from a Gwichʼin community is a solo experience of extraordinary power — 218,000 animals crossing the land that a culture has called home for 20,000 years.
Friends
A group trip timed to the caribou migration, combined with Gwichʼin cultural programming and the Midnight Sun Marathon, creates a shared experience that goes far beyond a typical adventure tour.
- The Porcupine caribou herd — 218,000 strong at last count — migrates through the region every spring and autumn.
- Gwichʼin people have relied on the caribou for over 20,000 years — the longest continuous human-caribou relationship on Earth.
- The calving grounds in the nearby Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are sacred to the Gwichʼin — they call themselves 'People of the Caribou.'
- The Midnight Sun Marathon in Fort McPherson runs under 24-hour daylight in June.
Dried caribou meat and fish prepared using Gwichʼin methods passed down for millennia.
Wild blueberries and cloudberries picked straight from the tundra in late summer.
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