Bering Sea
Author: Natalie S.
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The Bering Sea is
located between the coast of Alaska and the Coast of Russia. The sea is home to
an ecosystem that includes many different marine wildlife. Many indigenous
tribes in Alaska for generations have lived off the land and sea. Global
Warming and changes in the environment continue to invade on many tribes in
this regions way of life. Because of the many issues occuring the elders of 39
tribes in the region have banded together to try to preserve their way of life
and culture. “Bering Sea Elders Group is an association of elders appointed by
39 Tribes in the Yukon-Kuskokwim and Bering Strait regions. The mission of
Bering Sea Elders Group is to speak and work together as one voice to protect
and respect our traditional ways of life, the ocean web of life that supports
the resources we rely on, and our children’s future” (Waqaa. 2019). The Elders
have explained that because of a warming climate many sea animals have been
leaving the region. Certain species of fish have also been moving north to
cooler climates. The movement of fish will also affect many tribes commercially
as well. “Late ice formation exposes villages to storm surges, resulting in
dangerous coastal erosion that may force relocation, in some recent years, the
retreating ice has drifted north so fast that walrus hunters have been
completely unsuccessful, and local hunters report that sea ice has been
thinner, making traveling on the ice more dangerous”(Waqaa. 2019). Not only is
hunting becoming dangerous for tribe members, but the late formation of ice is
creating issues that could force those who live along the coast to move. The
elders also discuss the issue of increased ship traffic. The ships disrupt
marine life and can create oil spills. The many tribes affected by climate
change and global warming have taken great efforts to preserve their way of
life and their homes. Fishing and hunting to the indigenous peoples of Alaska
is a way of life for them. Many of their customs are intertwined with the land
and sea. They hope to preserve their land to also preserve their culture so
that future generations can still live on and protect the same land they have
now. Tribe members have explained that the source of food they get from hunting
is vital to their survival, the nutrients they receive from the marine animals
is what allows their body to acclimate to the climate they live in.
The Elders group has been persistent in
protecting their ways of life and in 2016 they had a breakthrough. “President
Obama signed an executive order creating the 112,300 square mile Northern
Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area. The executive order provides a pathway for
Alaskan tribes to exercise our self-determination and a greater role in
decision-making over the northern Bering Sea and Bering Strait region. This is
the first time a President has required that indigenous knowledge and expertise
be applied to federal management decisions, answering a decades-long drum beat
of Native peoples” ( Waqaa. 2019).
Though the executive order is extremely helpful to the elder’s cause, it
does not fix the whole issue of climate change. The Bering Sea Elders group
still stands to their current mission to “safeguard the ocean ecosystem,
sustain the marine resources that provide for our way of life, and protect our
children’s cultural inheritance”(Waqaa. 2019).
Author Bio: Natalie S., student at IUPUI
Sources:
“Waqaa.” Bering Sea Elders Group, www.beringseaelders.org/.
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