diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
deleted file mode 100644
index f7d9090..0000000
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-[submodule "vendor/ark"]
-	path = vendor/ark
-	url = git@github.com:heptio/ark.git
diff --git a/doc/backup-and-restore.md b/doc/backup-and-restore.md
index c953546..8b325a0 100644
--- a/doc/backup-and-restore.md
+++ b/doc/backup-and-restore.md
@@ -1,36 +1,28 @@
 # Backups
 
-We're using [Ark][1] for backing up Kubernetes config and GKE resources. It is
-available as a Git submodule in the `vendor/` folder (incl. the `ark`
-executable).
+We're using [Velero][1] (formerly Ark) for backing up Kubernetes config and GKE
+resources. It is available as a compiled binary for your platform [on GitHub][2]
 
-In order to initialize and update submodules in your local repo, run once:
-
-    git submodule update --init
-
-Then, to fetch/update the modules, run:
-
-    git submodule update
-
-The Ark service is running on the Sidamo cluster and was set up using the
-[official docs' GCP instructions and config files][4]. There's a daily backup
+The Velero service is running on the Sidamo cluster and was set up using the
+[official docs' GCP instructions][3]. There's a daily backup
 schedule in effect for Gitea (using the label `app=gitea`).
 
-Please refer to Ark's [ Getting Started ][5] doc for all backup and restore
+Please refer to Velero's [ Getting Started ][4] doc for all backup and restore
 commands.
 
 ## Backup location
 
 Cluster configuration (including all live resources) is backed up to [a Google
-Cloud Storage container][3].
+Cloud Storage container][5].
 
 ## Persistent volumes
 
-Persistent volumes are just GCE disks. Thus, with the current config, Ark
-creates volume snapshots as native [GCE disk snapshots][2].
+Persistent volumes are just GCE disks. Thus, with the current config, Velero
+creates volume snapshots as native [GCE disk snapshots][6].
 
-[1]: https://heptio.github.io/ark/v0.10.0
-[2]: https://console.cloud.google.com/compute/snapshots?organizationId=772167872692&project=fluted-magpie-218106&tab=snapshots&snapshotssize=50
-[3]: https://console.cloud.google.com/storage/browser/sidamo-backups?project=fluted-magpie-218106&organizationId=772167872692
-[4]: https://heptio.github.io/ark/v0.10.0/gcp-config
-[5]: https://heptio.github.io/ark/v0.10.0/get-started
+[1]: https://velero.io/docs/v1.0.0
+[2]: https://github.com/heptio/velero/releases/tag/v1.0.0
+[3]: https://velero.io/docs/v1.0.0/gcp-config/
+[4]: https://velero.io/docs/v1.0.0/about/
+[5]: https://console.cloud.google.com/storage/browser/sidamo-backups-new?project=fluted-magpie-218106&organizationId=772167872692
+[6]: https://console.cloud.google.com/compute/snapshots?organizationId=772167872692&project=fluted-magpie-218106&tab=snapshots&snapshotssize=50
diff --git a/vendor/ark b/vendor/ark
deleted file mode 160000
index 0fd7872..0000000
--- a/vendor/ark
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 0fd7872ef48ce617e561e6e45f8ccb0f11637f58