Caroline Cannon, an Iñupiat leader from the Northwest village of Point Hope, has been awarded a Goldman Environmental Prize.
Goldman Prizes are given each year to one person on each inhabited continent to reward "ordinary individuals who take extraordinary actions to protect the earth and its inhabitants," according to the San Francisco-based foundation that administers it. An international jury chooses the winners from nominations by activists and organizations.
The Goldman awards are described as the largest prizes offered on behalf of grassroots environmental action. Each recipient this year will receive $150,000.
Cannon has been an outspoken critic of oil drilling plans in Alaska's Arctic waters. The foundation's website explains why Cannon was chosen:
Learn more about the Goldman Prize and Caroline Cannon, here.