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Shaktoolik
Driftwood close to houses
Silver, pink, and king salmon
A view from the Shaktoolik River
River bank erosion near Shaktoolik
Fishing boats anchored in Shaktoolik
The wall of driftwood
Main Street, Shaktoolik
Black Berries
Shaktoolik

Shaktoolik is located on the eastern shore of the Norton Sound in the Bering Sea.  It lies 125 miles east of Nome and 33 miles north of Unalakleet.  It is a Malemiut Eskimo village with a fishing and subsistence lifestyle.  Shaktoolik has been known to have a subarctic maritime climate, but this is changing quickly with climate change.  The Norton Sound is usually ice-free from May to October.  Shaktoolik was the first and southernmost Malemiut settlement on Norton Sound, occupied as early as 1839. Twelve miles northeast of Shaktoolik on Cape Denbigh is Iyatayet, possibly the original settlement in this area around 6,000 to 8,000 years ago.

Residents of Shaktoolik were interviewed during the summer of 2010 about the impacts of climate change they are witnessing, how they are adapting, and what they would like to tell the world about their situation.  These videos are linked below.

The most visible impact of climate change in Shaktoolik is the increased intensity of fall storms.  Very large storms in 2005 and 2009 nearly destroyed the village.  Driftwood which accompanied these storms piled up very near their houses.  While the dritwood may have acted as a seawall to protect the village during the storm, it could also have acted as a battering ram if the storm surge was any higher.

Villagers also talk about how they are preparing for these large storms and alert us to their need for an evacuation route, a road and a bridge, to higher ground.

Documentaries

Shaktoolik Documentary by Mera Kenney
Silageetuq: a documentary film

This new documentary film by Mera Kenney captures the perilous situation in Shaktoolik, a native village on the northwest coast of Alaska.  The village is threatened by the increasingly severe fall storms associated with a warmer Arctic. Silageetuq highlights the village's need for an evacuation road, a road to "somewhere" safe.

Impacts

Shaktoolik residents talk about the fear and anxiety associated with increased storm intensity.
2011: Storms

Shaktoolik residents talk about the fears and anxieties large storms bring to their village.  Storm intensity is increasing in Alaska with global warming and is the main threat to the security of the residents of Shaktoolik.
Shaktoolik, AK residents talk about the changes they have seen to their climate and ecology.
2011: Climate change impacts

Shaktoolik, AK residents respond to questions about the impacts of climate change they are witnessing.  The impacts they see are dramatic and readily apparent.
Shaktoolik, AK residents show us and talk about the erosion they are witnessing.
2011: Erosion

Shaktoolik residents are noting pronounced changes in river erosion, coastal erosion, and beach deposition.  Coast and river erosion are happening on both sides of the isthmus upon which Shaktoolik resides narrowing their strip of land.
See video
2011: Gathering plants

Shaktoolik resident talks about what plants and berries she gathers and the changes she has noticed in when the plants or berries appear.
Marlin Sookiayak has noticed tundra lakes drying up.
2011: Tundra lakes drying up

Marlin Sookiayak, along with many other hunters and gatherers, has noted that tundra lakes have dried up.
See video
2010: Shaktoolik residents recount the storms

Major storms hit Shaktoolik, Alaska in 2005 and 2009 nearly destroying the village.  Here residents talk about how these storms affected their village.
Shaktoolik resident recounts the storms
2010: Shaktoolik resident recounts the storms

Carole Sookiayak recounts the storms affecting her village.
Shaktoolik resident Tonia Sagoonick recounts the 2009 storm
2010: Shaktoolik resident recounts a recent storm

Tonia Sagoonick recounts the 2009 storm.
Shaktoolik, Alasak resident talks about the storms affecting their village
2010: Shaktoolik resident recounts the storm

Michael Sookiayak, Sr. recounts the storms affecting his village.  Michael works in the village government as is actively involved in disaster planning and relocation and evacuation efforts.
Shaktoolik resident talks about the 2005 storm
2010: Shaktoolik resident recounts the 2005 storm

Clara Sookiayak recounts the 2005 storm.
Shaktoolik residents talk about changes to rain and snowfall patterns.
2011: Precipitation changes

Shaktoolik residents talk about changes to rain and snowfall patterns they have noticed.
Shaktoolik residents talk about the impacts of climate change.
2010: Impacts of climate change

Shaktoolik, AK residents talk about the impacts of climate change they are witnessing on sea ice, erosion, and other local processes.
Shaktoolik residents talk about the impacts of the large storms.
2010: The impacts of large storms

Shaktoolik, AK residents talk about the impacts of large storms on their village and lifestyles.  Large storms not only pose a direct threat to the village, they also threaten their fresh water supply and the marine environment upon which they depend.
The weather is unpredictable now.
2010: Unpredictable weather

Being able to predict the weather is a fundamental necessity for a subsistence culture.  Shaktoolik residents depend on being able to predict weather conditions for hunting, fishing, and gathering success.  Villagers here discuss how those conditions have changed and their ability to predict weather conditions have also changed.
See video
2010: Impacts on traditional gathering activities

Shaktoolik, AK residents talk about how climate change is affecting their traditional gathering activities, and ultimately, how their subsistence culture is being impacted.
Unusual sightings in Shaktoolik.
2010: Unusual sightings

Shaktoolik residents talk about unusual sightings that may or may not be related to climate change.  Researchers may want to take note of these "anecdotal" observations as indicators of future trends.

Adaptation strategies

Shaktoolik residents offer advice on how to adapt to climate change.
2011: Adaptation strategies

Shaktoolik, AK residents give advice on how native villages can adapt to climate change, especially focusing on the importance of being proactive within the communities in seeking assistance and, in order to be more resilient, taking steps to ensure that cultural traditions of subsistence hunting and gathering are learned and passed on to younger generations.
Shaktoolik resident talks about the importance of preserving the wisdom of the elders.
2011: Wisdom of the elders

Shaktoolik resident Carole Sookiayak talks about the importance of preserving the wisdom of the elders in order to better adapt to climate change.
Clara Sookiayak recounts how difficult it is to evacuate Shaktoolik in a storm
2010: Evacuation difficulties (part 1)

Shatkoolik, AK resident Clara Sookiayak talks about how difficult it is to evacuate the village in a storm.
Shaktoolik ressidents talk about evacuation efforts during large storms.
2010: Evacuation difficulties (part 2)

Shaktoolik, AK residents talk about evacuation efforts, and related difficulties, during large storms.
Shaktoolik residents talk about adaptation strategies
2010: Adaptation strategies

Shaktoolik, AK residents talk about how they have learned to adapt to large storms and other climate impacts.  They are also talk about the importance in maintaining their traditional subsistence culture and practices as being an asset in the face of climate change that makes them more resilient.
Shaktoolik residents offer advice to other villages on relocation, dislocation, and adaptation
2010: Shaktoolik residents offer advice to other villages

Shaktoolik, AK residents offer advice on relocation, dislocation, and adaptation to climate change.  Some the the most difficult dimensions of adaptation come in the form of bureaucratic barriers, such as appropriate paperwork and planning documentation.  These requirements tax the capacity of local governments and for some villages are beyond their capacity.

Alerts

Shaktoolik, AK residents send a message to the world about their needs in adapting to climate change
2011: Message to the world

Shaktoolik residents post a message about the severe impacts of climate change on their security, livelihoods, and culture, and talk about their immediate needs.
See video
2010: Residents call out for help

The adaptation needs in Shaktoolik are acute and imminent.  The next large storm could have significant negative, including life threatening, impacts on this village.  Residents in this video talk about their need of an evacuation route and funding for this project.  Without an evacuation road there are very few, if any, options for Shaktoolik residents to move away from the coast during a storm.  Storm intensity increases with air and ocean temperatures.