The U.S. government is considering plans to increase oil and gas production off Alaska, and major companies are eying untapped resources in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. But these potential oil and gas fields are in pristine areas, called “the garden” by native Inupiat tribes, that have been hunted and fished for thousands of years. energyNOW! correspondent Dan Goldstein travels to Alaska’s North Slope to find out if offshore drilling can co-exist with an ancient way of life.

Billions of gallons of oil lie beneath the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Royal Dutch Shell wants to drill for that oil, and the revenue could help bring Point Hope into the 21st Century – paying to renovate its recreation center, build roads and modernize buildings. Oil money helped modernize the town of Barrow and make it less dependent on whaling, while bringing restaurants, taxicabs, banks and even a thriving tourist industry.

But do the Inupiat people of Point Hope want oil money? Many are concerned that an oil spill like the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico would ruin the environment and their economy. They're also worried about the process Shell is using to explore for oil, including explosive charges that could make the whales detour out to sea.

Shell says its methods are safe and won't harm the environment or disturb the Inupiat traditions. The company has much invested in the process already, including billions of dollars and two years of wrangling for federal permits. Now that the government seems close to giving the go-ahead, what will become of Point Hope and its traditions?