Joaqlin Estus

ANCHORAGE — As new policies and directions for a changing Arctic are being decided, Indigenous leaders at an Anchorage event have said, “nothing about us without us.” Without them taking part in decision making, they fear the result will be costly…

Scientists are known for speaking with dry precision rather than for dramatic effect. Still, “immediate,” “extreme,” “unprecedented,” and “consequential'' are some of the words scientists are using to describe climate change in the Arctic. The sense…

The Inuit Circumpolar Council has some uphill battles it’s waging. One is to stir action internationally to address climate change despite the loss of a major international forum, the Arctic Council. Another is to continue to collaborate with…

By Joaqlin Estus ICT Salmon populations on the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers have plummeted to record lows and fisheries managers shut down most or all of the fishing on the rivers last summer. At the Alaska Federation of Natives convention in October…

Joaqlin Estus ICT Local, regional, and state resources have been deployed to more than a dozen villages damaged by the remnants of the typhoon Merbok in western and northwestern Alaska. The storm brought high winds, storm surges, erosion and flooding…

Tribes across the country are facing climate changes such as drought, higher temperatures, and sea level rise. Federal agencies offer aid for dealing with the effects, but tribes have criticized how those services are delivered, saying regulations…

Joaqlin Estus Indian Country Today HONOLULU, Hawai’i — In November a massive military fuel facility spilled 19,000 gallons of mixed water and fuel, and contaminated drinking water for 93,000 people near Honolulu. The spill set off a cascade of other…

Consumers are seeing record high prices for gasoline since Russia invaded Ukraine. But is that good cause to open more public lands to drilling for oil and gas? The answer depends on who you ask. The national average price for gasoline at the pump…

Joaqlin Estus Indian Country Today Residents of Iqaluit finally have hopes of getting their water system fully operational with clean water. Iqaluit, population 7,700, is the capital of Nunavut, which is Canada’s largest territory, and is 84 percent…

Joaqlin Estus Indian Country Today Climate change impacts tribal nations and other people of color more than other communities, leaving them to face “systemic inequalities” without having a voice in discussions at the state and federal level. That…

A tribe on the Pribilof islands in the Bering Sea, 300 miles off the west coast of Alaska, is trying a new approach to co-management. St. Paul has submitted a marine sanctuary nomination for an area 100 nautical miles around its island. It's taking…

Indian Country Today Arctic Indigenous peoples – including Inuit, Inupiaq, Athabascan, Yup’ik, Chukchi and Sami – are resilient but will be increasingly challenged by climate change. That’s according to the United Nations Environmental Program. A…

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Grinding anxiety turns into fear for many Alaska Natives when storms hit. In dozens of villages, the ground is threatening to erode away from under homes, fuel tanks, water and sewer systems, buildings, bridges, roads and runways.…

Editor’s Note: This story is part of a Covering Climate Now reporting series on climate migration called “Flight for Their Lives.” CCNow is a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Dianna Hunt, Joaqlin Estus and…

Yukon River chum salmon, which make up 70 percent of the subsistence harvest in the region, didn’t turn up this year. Neighbors are helping out but people worry about hunger in the coming winter. It’s as if emergency food supplies had to be delivered…

This will be an Indigenous People’s Day to remember. The United Nations released its 6th Assessment on Climate Change on Aug. 9 calling this moment a “code red” for the planet. The report describes extreme weather events brought by climate change –…

Joaqlin Estus Indian Country Today In Oregon, Karuk tribal citizen Troy Hockaday Sr. watched helplessly last fall as a raging wildfire leveled the homes of five of his family members, swallowed acres of forest where his people hunt deer, elk and…

Joaqlin Estus Indian Country Today At the request of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and the state of Washington, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Tuesday issued a disaster declaration for a wildfire in north central…

Alaska Native elders with decades of experience in daily interactions with their environment saw changes in species that forage across a wide spectrum — near shore, far from shore and both on the surface and at ocean depth. Ilarion ‘Kuuyux’…

‘The Coast Guard is committed to protecting US sovereignty’ In a bid to boost U.S. presence in the Arctic, the heavy-duty icebreaker Polar Star is headed north this year instead of to Antarctica, its usual annual destination. The change in direction…