Newtok, AK

Newtok is the original Ninglick River site of a Central Yup'ik village whose future has been determined by erosion, permafrost degradation, and seasonal flooding. After nearly two decades of planning, 21 households moved nine miles to Mertarvik in 2019, where gravel roads, power, water systems, a temporary clinic, and a school in the Mertarvik Evacuation Center formed the new settlement. By late 2024, the original site had been abandoned and the community's school had shifted to Mertarvik; a permanent K–12 school was planned there. Teachers who moved from Newtok included Yugtun speakers, preserving educational continuity as residents rebuilt their village on more stable ground.