| Native Alaskans have seen many changes in the last | | | | such as motorized vehicles to get around, and |
| century. Many have been converted by Christian | | | | government assistance to augment their meager |
| missionaries. Their hand-made canoes have been | | | | existence. But they say global warming is changing the |
| replaced by motorboats. And their meager existence | | | | environment itself. Seventy-seven year-old James |
| has been supplemented by government assistance. | | | | Willie says even the snow is not the same. "It was a |
| Despite these outside influences, Alaskans have been | | | | different cold. Snow wasn't, you know, it's just like |
| able to maintain reliance on their traditional way of life. | | | | feather. When it got a little bit warm it melted away |
| But that could soon change. As VOA's Brian Padden | | | | fast." |
| reports, conditions attributed to global warming are | | | | Williams describes Katie Kernak as his wife's |
| now threatening the environment itself. | | | | grandmother. She says the biggest change brought on |
| Mike Williams has spent much of his life on the | | | | by the warmer, dryer climate has been forest fires in |
| Kushokwim River in the western region of sub-arctic | | | | recent years. "When she was growing up she never |
| Alaska. He says rising temperatures during the last | | | | used to hear about any fires at all. But now in the |
| decade have been melting the permafrost layer of | | | | summer it is smoky and there are all kinds of fires." |
| Earth, causing increased erosion. Bethel, Alaska and | | | | Williams says what may seem like small changes are |
| other towns have had to constantly reinforce their sea | | | | having a major impact. The forest fires threaten |
| walls. | | | | delicate ecosystems. The warmer snow and thinner |
| "Millions and millions of dollars have been spent on this | | | | ice are making crossing the river more dangerous. And |
| erosion control program for Bethel, Alaska." | | | | climate change is also affecting the wildlife, altering |
| Nipaciak and other smaller villages had to be totally | | | | migration routes and feeding habits. |
| relocated. Mr. Williams points out where the villages | | | | "It has a huge impact and little changes in climate |
| once stood. "This used to be a village here and | | | | makes a whole lot of difference on our lives. " |
| because of the erosion, it had wiped it out and people | | | | Williams says unless action is taken on a global scale, |
| are moving way back." | | | | this way of life in the Alaskan wilderness could end. |
| Williams is a leader of the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council, | | | | Note: Not all scientists agree that global warming is |
| which represents 229 native Alaskan tribes. He is a | | | | connected to the extreme weather changes we |
| Yupiaq Eskimo, a tribe of native Alaskans who have | | | | showed you in the story ... or that rising temperatures |
| survived here on the outskirts of the tundra for | | | | will have catastrophic effects. Some dispute the rate |
| thousands of years. Most still rely on hunting and fishing | | | | of rising temperatures and sea levels and say the |
| done in the summer months to sustain them during the | | | | scientific community should refrain from making |
| winter freeze. | | | | premature and alarmist predictions. See our other |
| The Elders of the tribes have witnessed many | | | | reports in this series. |
| changes to their traditional way of life over the years, | | | | |