Kwigillingok Experiences Severe Storm Impact and Calls for Relocation
In Kwigillingok, a low-lying Alaska Native village on the southwestern coast of Alaska, remnants of Typhoon Halong resulted in elevated water levels on October 11. One resident, Noah Andrew Sr., 74, reported his house floating approximately 2 miles inland with him inside. Andrew has expressed a desire to relocate from the village.
Climate Change and Community Vulnerability
Kwigillingok has managed the effects of climate change, including permafrost thaw, erosion, and increased flooding, for several decades. The community has previously sought to relocate to higher, inland ground to maintain cohesion, but a concrete plan and funding have not been established. The federal government originally founded many of these villages around schools, without incorporating climate change considerations into their planning.
Following the October storm, 678 individuals were evacuated from the affected communities of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok. Many residents of these villages speak Yugtun, the Yup'ik language, as their primary language. Evacuation to larger cities such as Bethel or Anchorage, located 400 miles away, raises concerns about the potential loss of language, connection to land, and subsistence practices integral to Yup'ik culture.
Community Profile and Storm Details
Kwigillingok, home to approximately 400 people, is a remote village lacking road access. Travel within the village is conducted using all-terrain vehicles and snow machines on snow-crusted boardwalks connecting homes. Bush planes provide external access via a dirt runway.
While autumn flooding is a recurring event, the October storm's water level rise was notably rapid. Darrel John, a local resident, stated that his piling-supported home withstood the storm, but 45 other houses, often built on wood foundations on the tundra, were displaced. The incident resulted in one fatality and two individuals remaining missing. The majority of the village's residents support relocation.
Historical Context of Relocation Challenges
Relocation due to climate change impacts is a global issue, with several instances involving the movement of entire Indigenous communities in the U.S. The Isle de Jean Charles band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Tribe in Louisiana began an inland retreat a decade ago, with the island projected to be submerged by 2050. Similarly, the Alaska Native village of Newtok initiated a 9-mile relocation across the Ninglick River in the early 2000s to escape unstable tundra.
These community relocations have presented challenges. The combined cost for Isle de Jean Charles and Newtok exceeded $198 million. Funding acquisition and implementation have been complex due to the absence of a dedicated government agency for such relocations. In Louisiana, residents have reported issues with new home amenities. Newtok's $150 million relocation for around 300 people has seen some new buildings deteriorate and inadequate water/sewer facilities.
Despite these previous experiences, Kwigillingok residents propose moving their village 27 miles northeast to higher, inland terrain, with the October storm reinforcing this resolve. They anticipate state and federal government assistance for the move.
Official Response and Future Plans
State and federal officials, utilizing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster aid, are currently focused on rebuilding damaged infrastructure. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy indicated a need for further discussion and study regarding the relocation. He highlighted the complexity of preparing communities for future challenges, securing funding, and implementing relocation strategies.
A 2020 report by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, co-authored by the state, identified 144 communities across Alaska facing threats from flooding, erosion, and thawing permafrost due to climate change. The report estimated the cost of addressing these risks at approximately $4.3 billion (in 2020 dollars) over the next five decades and outlined priorities and strategies. Governor Dunleavy stated that relocation discussions would commence following storm recovery, likely unfolding over the winter and spring.
Cultural Preservation and Federal Responsibility
The duration of the relocation discussion is viewed as a cultural concern for Kwigillingok residents. Yugtun remains the primary language in such villages, and subsistence hunting and fishing are foundational cultural practices. Ann Fienup-Riordan, a cultural anthropologist with Calista Education and Culture, noted that prolonged evacuation to English-dominant cities could impede the preservation of the Yup'ik language.
Elders and community leaders in western Alaska assert that the federal government bears responsibility for assisting Yup'ik villages with relocation. This perspective stems from the Bureau of Indian Affairs' role in establishing year-round villages in the 1950s by building schools and requiring families to settle nearby. Historically, Yup'ik families practiced seasonal movement, adapting settlements to environmental changes before fixed infrastructure consolidated communities around schools.
If Kwigillingok's relocation proceeds, residents plan to continue using the current village site for subsistence activities such as seal hunting and establishing fish camps. As winter progresses, recovery efforts have slowed, leaving evacuated Kwigillingok residents awaiting decisions on their potential relocation to higher ground before future storm events.