ADVANCEMENT OF THE PRACTICE
something deep within us; a satisfaction or knowing that we have provided, we have cared for, and we have respected our traditions. (Gearhead et al., 2013) Cultural and spiritual connections can also be severed through accelerated physical environmental changes caused by a warm- ing climate, such as permafrost thaw, coastal and river erosion, glacier melts, and wildfires. These processes can destroy and damage cul- turally and spiritually significant sites at an accelerated pace, including historical struc- tures, landscapes, buildings, archaeological sites, and ancestral lands (Nicu & Fatorić, 2023). Extreme weather events such as major storms resulting in damage to physical struc- tures have also occurred (CDC, 2021). In 2022, Typhoon Merbok devastated the village of Hooper Bay. Angutekaraq Estelle Thomson of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance de- scribed the impact of the storm on Hooper Bay: It did a lifetime of erosion in one storm. All dunes, including the old village and houses, were completely swept around. These were the houses of our ancestors. That was a very historic and cultural site and that was very hard for us. That was a site for well over 1,000 years. (G. Bare, personal communication, June 6, 2023)
salmon fishing in southwest coastal villages such as Hooper Bay (Martínezcuello, 2023). Fishing restrictions on salmon have further stressed ANs who struggle with food security due to the decrease in salmon over the last few years. Agatha Napoleon states that vil- lagers must travel to other areas to hunt or fish, which can involve traveling 60–80 mi in 1 day on a snowmobile, and “then sometimes we catch nothing” (A. Chang, personal com- munication, July 3, 2023). Another example of decreasing hunt- ing opportunities is seen in northwestern and western Alaska. Historically, migration of seals lasted for 2 months, but migration has shortened to a 2-week period. The com- pressed migration season reduces hunting opportunities to a smaller window of time (Huntington et al., 2016). Cyrus Harris, a long-time resident of the Kotzebue region, describes the situation as, “We have been dealing with a lot of climate change for a least 15 years by far. So that year [2018–2019], we had a 3-day window and that’s a very short window. If you missed that opportunity, we know you’re empty-handed. That happened for a couple of years” (G. Bare, personal com- munication, May 4, 2023). The warmer temperatures and higher hu- midity have also aected the safety of harvest- ed meats and seafood through algal blooms that can produce harmful toxins to humans when consumed and through thawing ice cellars that have traditionally been used to store food (CDC, 2021). Communities that have not found alternative food storage meth- ods have had to alter their diets to Western foods that can cost twice as much in rural Alaska than in Anchorage (Gray et al., 2018). The rapid shift from traditional foods to Western commercial, prepackaged food has impacted the health of ANs. Research shows that AN adults were 50% more likely than non-Hispanic White adults to be obese and AN adolescents were found to be 30% more likely than non-Hispanic White adolescents to be obese (O¡ce of Minority Health, 2020). Being overweight increases the likelihood of illnesses such as diabetes, which has been in- creasing among ANs (Alaska Native Epidemi- ology Center, 2017). Thawing permafrost from warmer temper- atures has also posed health threats to ANs by releasing human-made and naturally formed pollutants. Pollutants can enter drinking wa-
ter sources and can cause additional water and food safety and security issues (Evengard et al., 2011). Rising temperatures and longer growing seasons have increased the risk of larger and more frequent wildfires that can alter the vegetation distribution essential to wildlife, and thereby alter the distribution of wildlife populations that are vital to the diet of ANs (Gray et al., 2018). Additionally, a majority of the >200 AN communities are aected by coastal and river erosion, which is exacerbated by climate change. Increased coastal and river erosion elevates the threat of flooding events, disturbance of sensitive ecosystems, and damage to food system in- frastructure, which further threaten eorts toward food sovereignty (Alaska Federation of Natives, 2018). A herd of caribou runs across the frozen land- scape as the sun rises on the horizon. Climate change has aected migration seasons in Alaska.
Impact on Mental and Behavioral Health
Climate change is exacerbating and increas- ing mental health issues that stem from expe- riences with rapid sociocultural changes and acculturation in the last century. Increased mental health issues such as stress and anxi- ety, psychosomatic symptoms, and depres- sion have been associated with acculturative stress (Bell et al., 2010). Examples of accul- turative stress include the loss of traditional food resources and habits, cultural practices, and jobs (Berner & Furgal, 2005). Climate change impacts on ANs have forced com- munities to behave or adapt to new cultural structures, which add to the stress of existing acculturation or can cause re-traumatization (Bell et al., 2010). Other ways climate change aects mental health is by disrupting social, economic, and environmental determinants of health, and inducing stress by introduc- ing an uncertain future and disrupting tra- ditional cultural practices (Bell et al., 2010). The psychosocial stress exacerbated by climate change has manifested in higher in-
Impact on Cultural and Spiritual Practices
Environmental impacts of climate change also have direct aects on AN cultural and spiritual practices. The land, environment, and animals are interwoven with their iden- tity, culture, and spiritual practice (Bennett et al., 2014). Climate change threatens long- established practices in hunting and harvest- ing food that are vital aspects of AN culture and traditions. The deep relationship between food and tradition is described by a long-time Arctic resident: When we think about what sea ice means to us, food is at the center. We have trav- eled the sea ice our whole lives, like our ancestors before us, to hunt for food. The food we harvest provides more than nour- ishment for our bodies. Being able to give food to our families and children, our el- ders, our dogs, and our community, feeds
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