Something more important than Pebble Mine

Kathy McLinn answered my question on what happened at the Pebble Mine rally.  Sounds like a lot of good things went on.  One of the things she said that caught my eye was- It was a day to affirm the importance of the preservation and revitalization of Yupik culture.  It has me thinking-  does it take a Pebble Mine rally to bring something like this up?  Are there other times when this is an issue and talked about?

In one of my previous posts, Old ways vs. new ways, I hinted that our native ways of life will be lost in a generation or two if today's young ones aren't taught.  This, in my opinion is much more important than preventing a mine.  Of course a mining disaster can destroy our wilderness and wildlife in one swift kick, so it can't be completely ignored.  I have more on Pebble Mine, but that can wait.

Feedback, please.