Issues: Global Warming

NATIVE FOLKWAYS ERODING AWAY, Shismaref, Alaska.

Climate change affects more than just land and animals; it changes human lives. For thousands of years, the Inupiats of Alaska have survived and thrived in this demanding terrain, but since the 1950s they have had to face new challenges: a rising Bering Sea and thawing permafrost. Since the 1950s, shore erosion has been unstoppable. In 2002, residents decided to move their village from the shore to more protected ground, forcing them to give up their traditional fishing, sealing and home-building sites.

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All photos © Gary Braasch