Sent 4 May 2018. Part of Little Blue Letter.

"That sea ice is like our garden."
~ Stanley Tocktoo, President, Native Village of Shishmaref
Ice Ice Maybe
Ice in the Arctic is thinning and decreasing, yet our understanding of how these changes impact coastal communities is still limited. In Alaska, the effects can be broadly summarized as follows:
  • “Fast ice” (which is attached to the coast and doesn’t move) once protected communities from storms, but is now too thin (or non-existent) to protect the shoreline from the battering waves. This leads to erosion and infrastructure damage (like this recent storm in Shishmaref).
  • Poor or nonexistent sea ice reduces access to important food sources that Indigenous communities rely on, making once routine trips across the ice now life-threatening tasks.
Diomede is normally protected by sea ice in the winter, but during a February 2018 storm, waves battered the island village (Photo: Frances Ozenna)

On a positive note:
  • The village of Newtok recently received a $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that will be used to relocate seven homes. That might not seem like much, but in a town of 60 households, it’s a great step forward!
  • In Shishmaref, local hunters are beginning to use drones to analyze the ice so they can keep people and equipment safe.
  • Other communities are actively planning for climate change adaptation strategies through public forums, emphasizing the co-management of local land, water, and resources.
Gif of the week
Sea ice breaching the shore in Kotzebue
Voices from a changing frontier
To learn more about the enduring bonds between Alaska Native communities and the ocean, have a listen to these stories:
  • Ernest Sagoonick: A lively elder tells of his first adventure to a small island where he is left in awe at the discovery of a wildlife haven.
  • Qagruq: A young man returns home to take part in a whaling festival in a story that teaches how integral ocean subsistence is to Alaska Native culture and community.
  • Peter Atchak: On the importance of listening to the knowledge of elders and how it protected one man from freezing to death after a fall through thin ice. 
From the editor
I first heard of Diomede when Sarah Palin said in 2008 that "you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska". It's true - Big Diomede (Russia) and Little Diomede (USA) are only a couple of kilometres apart. Take a look. (Inexplicably, one review on google maps gives the islands three stars, saying, "The islands are very beautiful, but there are no parakeets").
Little Blue Letter was curated this week by Dj Tyson. Dj is the Arctic Program Assistant at Pacific Environment, an international environmental non-profit that seeks to protect the communities and wildlife of the Pacific Rim. After work, Dj explores the Alaska wilderness and writes, reads, and watches sci-fi stories.
Editing etc. by Glen Wright. Glen is a researcher studying marine governance, the high seas, and ocean energy. He is a drinker of tea, lover of the sea, and an Oxford comma user. Glen recently published Academia Obscura: The Hidden Silly Side of Higher Education.
 

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