Storm Surge Devours Priceless Yup’ik Heritage in Alaska—What Is Washington Doing?

When the remnants of Typhoon Halong struck western Alaska, neighboring communities bore the brunt of nature’s wrath. Quinhagak, a small Yup’ik village on the edge of the Bering Sea, escaped the widespread devastation. Yet it suffered a blow that may prove equally devastating—not from collapsing buildings or flooded homes, but from waves erasing centuries-old connections to America’s indigenous heritage. How Did Climate Neglect Endanger Our Nation’s Past? The violent storm surge tore away dozens of feet of shoreline at the Nunalleq archaeological site, long preserved beneath permafrost. What emerged were thousands of invaluable wooden masks, tools, toys, and fishing lures...