Chugach Region: Generations of Change StoryMap

Decades of Climate Change in the Chugach Region

Climate change is causing shifts in precipitation, ecology, and temperature in Alaska’s Chugach region, the traditional homelands of the Sugpiaq and dAXunhyuu peoples. Seven tribes in Suungaaciq (Prince William Sound) and Cungaaciq (lower Cook Inlet) make up the Chugach Regional Resources Commission, an intertribal fish and wildlife commission focused on
supporting the resiliency and self-determination for the communities it serves. The Chugach is remote, with most residents living away from Alaska’s road system. Thus, communities are
closely tied to their traditional homelands, relying on fish and wildlife for both the subsistence
way of life and economic opportunities.

In recent years, Suungaaciq and Cungaaciq have experienced erratic shifts between snow
and rain, die offs of seabirds and salmon, and destructive landslides – all clear signs that climate
change is impacting the coastal region. However, previous generations of tribes, families, and
hunters also experienced the earliest impacts of climate change. Traditional knowledge,
community solidarity, and scientific inquiry allowed previous generations to adapt to previous
climate impacts – the same skills and way of knowing that will help the Chugach region thrive as
we enter a future climate.

The Chugach Regional Resources Commission presents a StoryMap encompassing the
experience of seven generations in southcentral Alaska – the three that preceded us, our current
generation, and the three that will follow. The StoryMap includes data on recent challenges and
changes in the region, but also stories of adaptation and resilience among Chugach tribes.
Ultimately, this resilience, built into adaptation plans and actions by local communities will
mitigate climate change effects and safeguard our environment for our relatives, whether they be
human, fish, or animal, who will walk this land after us.