Stephanie Alexie found her home surrounded by deep water one morning, resembling an ocean. The neighboring houses appeared suspended over blue pools, mirroring the sky. Alexie and her children were isolated until neighbors arrived with a boat to reach her area in Nunapitchuk, a Yup’ik village in western Alaska with about 550 residents.
The land where Alexie’s home is situated did not traditionally flood. However, in recent years, seasonal changes in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta—where Alaska’s two longest rivers discharge into the Bering Sea—have become increasingly disruptive. Each spring, as ice breaks away from frozen rivers during the thaw, Alexie finds her home marooned on an island.
Her home withstood the significant flooding of May 2020, the worst in years for the village, but the floodwaters came close to its foundation, damaging the insulation beneath the floors. The moisture likely triggered black mold growth across the kitchen ceiling. With 26 people sharing its four bedrooms, Alexie feared her home might become uninhabitable.
Alaska houses 40 percent of the country’s federally recognized tribes, almost half of whom reside in about 200 villages in rural areas. These communities, diverse in culture and geography, all face the accelerated warming of Alaska, which occurs at two to three times the global average. In 2024, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium reported that 144 tribes are confronting erosion, flooding, and permafrost degradation.
These environmental shifts have exacerbated housing shortages in western Alaska. The 2020 floods in Nunapitchuk rendered several homes uninhabitable, forcing displaced residents to move in with friends or family, escalating overcrowding issues. Moving to larger cities like Bethel might offer more housing opportunities but could hinder access to traditional subsistence practices.
Without substantial government aid, residents have adapted to preserving their lands, even relocating houses to safer areas or moving into already crowded homes. Concerns grow that sustaining safe housing and cohesive tribes could become increasingly challenging without governmental intervention.
Before the prolonged arrival of settlers in the late 19th century, Indigenous peoples in western Alaska led semi-nomadic lives, moving based on subsistence needs. This mobility buffered them against changes from flooding and erosion. However, the gold rushes and ensuing economic development led to settlements around constructed schools, whereby schools served as hubs for medical care and sanitation. These changes forced Native peoples into permanent settlements in areas frequently impacted by flooding and climate changes, subsequently altering their traditional way of life.
As a warmer climate disrupts traditional ways, Alaska Native communities face multiple challenges in maintaining viable homes. The difficulties are compounded by the interconnected effects of erosion, flooding, and permafrost thaw, which not only threaten homes but also infrastructure. These scenarios are increasingly common in regions such as western Alaska, where many are struggling with the high costs of maintaining and relocating homes.
The transition from the semi-nomadic lifestyle to permanent settlements initiated by schools and economic development in the early 20th century has left Indigenous communities navigating the effects of climate change in frequently unsuitable habitats. This shift can be tied to historical factors such as the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971, which linked Indigenous land ownership to oil development.
Housing systems designed during this period often failed to respect Indigenous architectural knowledge suited for extreme cold climates, leading to the rapid degradation of housing structures. Over time, these poorly insulated, mid-century style homes have contributed to a housing crisis and related health issues.
In recent years, advocacy for more adaptable housing structures in Alaska recognizes the urgent need for change. The housing crisis ties into broader economic challenges since poverty and limited funding hamper most development projects in rural Indigenous communities.
Currently, federal resources and funding have not kept pace with the needs of the Indigenous villages facing relentless climate challenges. Efforts by local tribal governments to secure resources for necessary relocation and preservation projects are further hampered by funding competition between similarly impacted tribes.
Despite the pressing and interconnected challenges posed by climate change, such as flooding, erosion, and permafrost thawing, Indigenous communities face daunting odds in securing necessary governmental support. The work to keep these communities viable requires a concerted effort from multiple stakeholders to bridge funding gaps and embrace climate maturity solutions.
