Gwich'in communities continue to rely on the caribou to meet both their subsistence and spiritual needs. The hunting and distribution of caribou meat also enhances their social interaction and cultural expression. The songs, stories, and dances of the Gwich'in continue to center around the caribou. The caribou provides more than just food. Skins are used for winter boots, slippers, purses, bags, and other items of clothing.
Bones continue to be used as tools.
The historical respect for the caribou included the importance of using all parts of the animal, avoiding waste. In 1987, the United States and Canada signed an international agreement to protect the caribou, establishing an eight-member International Porcupine Caribou Board, with four members from each country. The Gwich'in continue to encourage greater communication and cooperation between the two countries in protecting the caribou herd. The Gwich'in people must turn from hunting and cooperation among villages to international politics in order to protect the caribou so central to their livelihood.