"If the caribou die, then we die." These few words speak eloquently to the significance of caribou for northern peoples. They were spoken not by a wise old chief, but by a 13-year-old Dene youth in 2007 during a hearing regarding uranium exploration on the caribou wintering grounds.

Right now there is urgent, widespread concern about the future of the most central of species: caribou. Caribou and the North brings both the facts and the feelings of the current situation to a North American readership. The writers look at why we need to conserve the caribou, the threats that have faced caribou in the past, present, and future, and the actions that we can take. Also included is an appendix with up-to-date information on the range, movements, habitats, numbers, population trends, and key threats to caribou in North America.