AP PHOTOS: Alaska village still home despite climate threat


              Ardith Weyiouanna, center, holds the hand of her grandchildren, Isaac Olanna, left, and Kyle Rose Olanna as they stand for a photo after attending a Sunday service at the Shishmaref Lutheran Church in Shishmaref, Alaska, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. "To move somewhere else, we'd lose a part of our identity. It's hard to see myself living elsewhere," said Weyiouanna, whose family first came to Shishmaref with a dogsled team in 1958. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Gary Kakoona, 15, smiles for a photo in front of his aunt's home in Shishmaref, Ala., Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              With a hunting rifle secured on his chest, Leonard, who preferred first name only, pauses for a photo in Shishmaref, Alaska, Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. "Home," Leonard, who was born and raised in the village, described Shishmaref. "It will come when it comes. I'm not too worried," the 28-year-old seal hunter said of the ongoing relocation talks due to climate change. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Sitting on their ATVs, seal hunters John Kokeok, right, and Ralph Olanna share a light moment before pulling a boat into the water in Shishmaref, Alaska, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Kokeok's brother Norman, a skilled hunter, knew the ice and trails well. Yet during a hunting trip in 2007, his snowmobile fell through ice that melted earlier than usual, and he was killed. John blames climate change and he has been retelling his story ever since in hopes of warning younger generations and finding solutions to protect his island community. Like others, he voted to relocate Shishmaref to safer ground. But he also wants to protect its traditions, its way of life. The only way he'd leave now is if he'd had to evacuate. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Dressed in an Inuit-style parka, Annsoph Nayokpuk, 6, stands for a photo in Shishmaref, Alaska, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              John Sinnok, 73, stands for a photo with the Arctic Ocean behind him in Shishmaref, Alaska, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              The Rev. Aaron Silco, and his wife, Anna, who are pastors at the Shishmaref Lutheran Church, stand for a photo with their two-month-old son, Aidan, in a cemetery next to the church in Shishmaref, Alaska, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. "If they focus too much on that (on climate change), it will become too much of a weight, too much of a burden, because…there are birthday parties and there are funerals and there are sports events," Aaron Silco said. "There's still life happening despite all of the weight and the burden that climate change can cast upon this community." (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              The morning sunlight falls on Daniel Iyatunguk, a 21-year-old seal hunter, as he pauses for a photo by the lagoon in Shishmaref, Alaska, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. He said he noticed thinning ice during hunting seasons. "It's not as thick as it used to be long ago," said Iyatunguk. "It's a concern." (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Sadie McGill, right, and her husband, Tracy, hold their puppies as they stand for a photo next to the home Sadie was born and raised in Shishmaref, Alaska, Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. She built her life elsewhere after leaving the village decades ago but came back recently to take care of her aging mother. "Yes, I missed it," said Sadie. "People here are really nice. They are really helpful." (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Joe Eningowuk, 62, and his grandson, Isaiah Kakoona, 7, stand for a photo in the lagoon while getting ready for a camping trip in Shishmaref, Alaska, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              The setting sun colors the sky as Helen Kakoona, 28, stands for a photo with skinned seals in front of her in Shishmaref, Alaska, Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. "Home sweet home," Kakoona said of the village. "No other place feels like home but here." (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Mary Kakoona, 63, pauses for a photo while removing fat from seal skin in Shishmaref, Alaska, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. “I know we gotta move sometime,” Mary said about a relocation that at times seems inevitable. “Water is rising and this island is getting smaller.” (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
            
              Ned Ahgupuk, 26, and girlfriend Kelsi Rock, stand for a photo with their 1-year-old son Steve Rock-Ahgupuk while strolling along the beach on the Arctic Ocean in Shishmaref, Alaska, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. "We've been here all our lives," said Ahgupuk. He said climate change is a concern but he won't leave the island. "Everyone is like a big family caring for each other." (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
AP PHOTOS: Alaska village still home despite climate threat