Imagine a place where the very ground beneath your feet is shifting, threatening to swallow your home and everything you know. This is the stark reality for the Yupic people of Nunapichek, a village in the Alaska, USA. For generations, the Yepic have lived in harmony with nature, their lives intertwined with the river and the tundra. But now, with the rapid warming of Alaska's climate, their way of life is at risk.
Homes in Nunapichek are sinking into the permafrost, a once solid ground now turning into a murky, unstable mess. Local residents call it Alaskan quicksand, a fitting description for the treacherous terrain. The consequences are dire. Key infrastructure is damaged and the village's future is uncertain.
A typhoon in October 2025 exacerbated the situation, leaving electrical lines in disarray and raising water levels even higher. Morris Alexi, the former tribal administrator, paints a grim picture.
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With global warming, our lives have become increasingly challenging. It's becoming harder to sustain our way of life. Look around and you'll see homes tilting, almost touching the ground, and the riverbank is dangerously close.
Nunapichek is not alone in this struggle. A 2020 report reveals that 144 native villages in Alaska face similar threats requiring relocation due to climate induced infrastructure damage. Edna Chase, a resident of Nunapichek, has lived in her home for over 50 years. Now it's sinking into the ground, making it nearly uninhabitable. There's no foundation left. It's all underground, she says, pointing to her floor.
To prevent flooding, a makeshift water pump works tirelessly every 15 minutes. Chase's life has become a battle to keep her home dry for herself and her teenage son. She finds solace in Bible verses written on her fridge, door, and walls, a reminder of her faith and hope for better days.
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The problems extend beyond slanted houses. The unstable ground makes movement difficult, and the only way to navigate is via boardwalks that constantly need repairs. Even the village's beloved basketball court, elevated above the ground, is filled with holes.
In 2023, the residents of Nunapichek voted unanimously to relocate to a new spot 3 miles away. Alexi, leading the relocation efforts, believes the new location, built on sand, could provide stability for centuries. It would bring joy and relief. As you can see, it's high and dry here, he says.
However, the challenges are immense. Estimates suggest relocating Nunipichek could cost a staggering $230 million. Yet, the village has only managed to collect a fraction of that amount.
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Relocating Nunipichek could cost a staggering $230 million. Yet, the village has only managed to collect a fraction of that amount.
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In 2022, they received $2.2 million to repair a police station. And in 2024, the Bureau of Indian Affairs awarded $250,000 for a master plan design. During his presidency, Joe Biden took steps to address climate relocation, hosting the White House Tribal Nations Summit, where tribes, including Nunapichek residents, met with the administration to demand action.
The Biden administration allocated over $560 million to help tribes cope with the climate crisis, including relocation efforts. But progress has been hindered. The Trump administration froze $100 million earmarked for these communities, a significant setback.
It felt like we were making progress, only to take a step back again, Alexi laments. Melissa Shapiro, a policy advocate and lawyer at Woodwell Climate, believes the challenges extend beyond one administration.
It's a systematic issue. The Trump administration certainly made things harder, but there was little support in place to begin with.
One of the biggest obstacles is the lack of a leading authority to coordinate tribal relocations. Over 20 federal agencies, including FEMA, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, each play a role, but without a central coordinator, the process is fragmented.
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The Trump administration froze $100 million earmarked for these communities
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Since 2009, the Government Accountability Office, GAO, has made multiple recommendations to Congress on handling climate relocations, but none have been fully implemented. It's a peacemeal approach that isn't working. A federal entity needs to take charge and coordinate these moves, says Alfredo Gomez, director of the GAW's natural resources and environment team.
The melting perafrost isn't just a threat to homes, it's a health hazard. Gaps in walls and floorboards allow water and air to seep in, creating ideal conditions for black mold to thrive. Over 15% of Nunapichek's residents have asthma and more than 10% suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease according to a 2023 study.
The unstable ground also prevents new house construction despite the villages growing population. Approximately 70% of residents live in overcrowded spaces, almost 20 times the national rate according to the University of Alaska study. Additionally, the sewage lagoon and dump site banks are eroding, allowing waste water to contaminate the river.
This pollution, including battery acid and human waste, flows downstream, affecting areas where children swim and residents fish for subsistence. The health and well-being of the village and its residents are at risk, but so is the entire Yupic culture. We want to preserve our way of life, our native heritage, tradition, and culture. Morris emphasizes. Moving to the city is not an option for the Yupic people. It would mean giving up their community and way of life, something they've cherished for centuries.
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Permafrost is a health hazard. Gaps in walls and floorboards allow water and air to seep in, creating ideal conditions for black mold to thrive.
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This is my home. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else, says James Berlin, the village's longtime mayor and Alex's uncle. Unless we relocate to a different spot. In November, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 30, Alexi plans to share his village's story with the international community, shedding light on the challenges of living in a sinking village. The future of Nuna Pitchik and its residents hangs in the balance, a stark reminder of the urgent need for climate action and support for vulnerable communities.
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[KE: Everything climate scientists predicted about global warming since the 1970s is coming true, only faster. No one predicted a US government that would just shrug and look the other way.]
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