I was born and raised in Gambell, where I’ve lived all my 27 years. I plan to live in Gambell until I die. What I have witnessed of summer 2019 was very peculiar, a summer to remember but not in a good way.
The temperatures were the hottest I have ever felt. While camping south side of our island, I witnessed humpies — pink salmon — dying without spawning. I’ve seen on social media that these fish die-offs were also happening all over Alaska! They were dying from heat, water temperatures too hot to sustain life. This is alarming to our people. Our fish are sacred.
The salmonberries and crowberries were ready for picking weeks before they’re usually ready to be picked. This was very odd. I do not like these changes. These changes are affecting my people, our way of life as we have known for thousands of years. We must to stop the heating of our Earth.
I ask Sen. Lisa Murkowski, if she cares for us, our way of life, our fish, seal, walrus, whale, marine birds, the sea and the land we depend on, to invite us to talk together on climate change and include us in finding solutions that affect our daily lives.
— Kristi Apongalook
Gambell
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