America ReFramed Season 4 Episode 23 Kivalina

In this episode of America ReFramed, we explore the remote Alaskan community of Kivalina, located on a narrow barrier island between the Chukchi Sea and Kivalina River. For centuries, the Inupiaq people of Kivalina have relied on hunting and fishing for their subsistence, but now they face a new threat – climate change.

As temperatures rise and sea ice melts, Kivalina is increasingly vulnerable to coastal erosion and flooding. Homes and infrastructure are slowly being washed away, forcing the community to consider relocation. But relocation is not a simple or easy solution. It would mean leaving behind the land and sea that are not just the basis of their livelihoods, but also central to their cultural identity and spiritual beliefs.

Through interviews with community members and stunning, evocative footage of the natural beauty of the Arctic landscape, this episode gives viewers a window into the experiences and perspectives of the Inupiaq people of Kivalina. We witness the daily challenges of life in a remote location where every supply, from food to fuel to building materials, must be brought in by barge or plane. We see how the community works together to maintain its traditional hunting and fishing practices, even as they face dwindling resources and changing ecosystems.

Perhaps most strikingly, we witness the ways in which the community members are taking action to address the existential threat of climate change. From advocating for federal funding and support to strengthen their shoreline defenses to pursuing innovative renewable energy projects, the Inupiaq people of Kivalina are fiercely determined to protect and preserve their way of life.

Overall, Kivalina is a powerful and moving meditation on the complex and interwoven challenges of climate change, environmental justice, and cultural identity. It offers a unique and intimate glimpse into a community grappling not only with concrete threats to their physical safety and survival, but also with questions of belonging, connection, and meaning in a rapidly changing world.