I am a resident and former Tribal Administrator for the Native Village of Nunapicuaq (Nunapitchuk), located on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in Alaska. Our village is home to Alaska Native people of the central Yup’ik culture—a people who, since time immemorial, were nomadic.
My Yup’ik name is “Chigusuk,” which means ice, similar to the ice that stabilizes my community.
I first joined Permafrost Pathways in 2022 as a Tribal Liaison, helping to coordinate between permafrost scientists, community leaders, and state and federal government agencies to identify and implement solutions to permafrost thaw, erosion, and flooding in my community.
I recently transitioned into the role of Community Engagement Specialist, expanding my guidance and coordination with each of the Permafrost Pathways Tribal Liaisons from our 10 partner communities.
In 2023, the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights visited Nunapicuaq to meet with our community about environmental hazards unfolding in our village due to climate change. In May 2024, I testified before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Manaus, Brazil, as part of the Public Hearing on the Advisory Opinion on Climate Emergency and Human Rights. I have also been featured in several media stories, including CNN, KYUK, Alaska Public Media, and New Orleans Public Radio/NPR.
