The Caribou Commons Project is a unique collaboration of Aboriginal People, northern artists and musicians, and conservation groups. The goal of the project is to inspire people to help protect the caribou calving grounds in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which are threatened by large-scale oil development.
Caribou Commons, a production of Wildlands with Matthew Lien, is a moving and eclectic collection of compositions. Incorporating the sounds of the arctic wilderness and the voices of aboriginal people into the powerful music of the seven-piece Wildlands ensemble, Caribou Commons captures the essence of the calving grounds, the vast range of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, and the issue that threatens their future.
The musicians of Wildlands came together in 1997 during the Yukon Wildlands Project's Tatshenshini River expedition and resulting concert. The seven members of the group bring a wide range of musical styles and experiences to their work, yielding compelling musical compositions and performances full of passion and sensitivity. With Matthew Lien, Wildlands' producer and audio coordinator, the group recorded the album in December of 1998, reflecting their experiences from the Caribou Commons arctic expeditions.