Kivalina, AK

Kivalina is a small, tight-knit Iñupiat village perched on the tip of a narrow barrier island in northwest Alaska, about 80 miles above the Arctic Circle. With the Chukchi Sea on one side and a calm lagoon on the other, the community has no road connection to the outside world. Getting in and out requires a small bush plane from Kotzebue, or a boat or snowmachine depending on the season. Daily life here stays closely tied to the land and water, with families gathering for seasonal hunting, fishing, and activities centered around the local school.

ATTRNational Centers for Coastal Ocean Science / Public domain

Living in Kivalina also means adapting to a changing Arctic environment. Decades of severe fall storms, wave surges, and thawing permafrost have steadily worn away the island's shoreline, making coastal erosion an ongoing challenge for homes and roads. In response, local leaders and state agencies built an access road to safer ground inland at K-Hill, which now hosts a new school and emergency evacuation route. It is an isolated, close-knit place that demands practical self-reliance and a strong respect for long-standing Native traditions.