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Our Living Lands is a collaboration of the Mountain West News Bureau, Koahnic Broadcast Corporation and Native Public Media.

The fight to preserve Indigenous culture in the face of climate change

The Udax̂tan archaeological dig site sits along the Bering Sea coast in Unalaska.
Sofia Stuart-Rasi
/
Our Living Lands
The Udax̂tan archaeological dig site sits along the Bering Sea coast in Unalaska.

Editor's note: This story was produced for Our Living Lands, a collaboration of the Mountain West News Bureau, Koahnic Broadcast Corporation, and Native Public Media focusing on the impact of climate change on Indigenous communities across the country.

Archeologists at the Udax̂tan archaeological site in Unalaska are racing to protect its historical artifacts before it is destroyed by storms and rising seas. This historical hotspot in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands sits on the Bering Sea coast, exposed to erosion and intense weather.

Scientists expect climate change will make these storms even stronger, putting thousands of similar sites across the country at risk. Protecting these sites is especially important for Indigenous communities looking to preserve their culture and history.

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