Delivering Bosco

When Lenny Kohm threw himself into the Arctic Refuge issue, he knew nothing about political activism. A Sierra Club lobbyist told him that his member of Congress—Doug Bosco, a Democrat representing California’s First District—had pro-development leanings. If Kohm wanted to help the campaign, the Sierra Club staffer said, he should try to “deliver Bosco.” During the fall of 1987, Kohm, Glendon Brunk, and others formed the Sonoma Coalition for the Arctic Refuge. After the Sonoma Coalition succeeded in delivering Bosco on a key vote, members decided to launch a national campaign. Unable to gain enough funding to produce a documentary film, they decided to put together a multimedia slide show, with a fade-dissolve unit and soundtrack featuring music and narration. In addition, the chapter discusses how Sonoma Coalition members—especially Kohm—built trust and solidarity with Gwich’in leaders such as Norma Kassi. Until the Sonoma Coalition came along, national environmental groups rarely emphasized the human rights issues at stake, let alone partnered with the Gwich’in in their campaigns.