There are sixteen communities located in and around the Porcupine Caribou range including the Gwitch'in, Northern Tutchone, Han, Inuvialuit and Inupiat First Nations of which the Gwitch'in is the largest. The Vuntut Gwitch'in First Nation are part of the Gwitchin Nation that expands over Alaska and Yukon. "Vuntut Gwitch'in" means "People of the Lakes" derived from the Muskrat trapping season in the months of April and June. The Vuntut Gwitch'in depend heavily on the Porcupine Caribou as a source of food, clothing, shelter and other products which have sustained them for thousands of years. The hair and the skin of the caribou is used to make traditional crafts and clothing, including moccasins, gloves, vests, purses, dresses, and hair decorations. The Gwitch'in waste no part of the caribou.

With modern development and the threat of oil and gas development looming, First Nation groups have taken the protection of the caribou herd into their own hands through the establishment of several committees and management boards.