Shishmaref, AK

Shishmaref is a small Iñupiat village of about 470 people, situated on Sarichef Island in the Chukchi Sea just five miles off Alaska's coast. With no roads linking the island to the mainland, travel in and out relies on scheduled flights through Nome. Daily life here revolves around the seasons, with families relying heavily on subsistence fishing, seal hunting, and gathering across the surrounding waters and tundra. It is a remote, quiet settlement shaped directly by Arctic weather, sea ice, and deep cultural roots.

ATTROregon State University / CC BY-SA 2.0

Day-to-day services are anchored by a K-12 school, a local clinic, and stores carrying groceries and hardware. At the same time, living in Shishmaref involves dealing with severe coastal erosion and melting permafrost, which have steadily washed away the shoreline and sparked decades of discussions about moving to the mainland. Everyday life on the island balances these environmental challenges with the steady routine of community events, school activities, and traditional harvests.