Ben Payenna News Today

King Islanders fear threats to their food security and cultural resources.

King Islanders fear threats to their food security and cultural resources.

Members of the King Island Native Community see potential threats to their food security and cultural resources.

Residents wonder if a proposed port expansion will help or hinder efforts to address chronic social problems

Large industrial ships can travel through the Arctic waters by Nome faster — shaving days off transit times that would otherwise take them through the Panama Canal.

By 2050, ships traveling through the Arctic’s Northwest Passage may not need an icebreaker to escort them for the journey. In Nome, residents are wondering whether a new port will help or hinder efforts to address a myriad of chronic social problems. Some are also concerned that an onslaught of industrial marine traffic may impact Indigenous people, who have thrived along the coastline here for generations.

During its October meeting in Anchorage, Indigenous People's Council for Marine Mammals members said that they're missing basic population research that could help better manage subsistence resources.