Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Fighting for traditions in Unalakleet, Alaska


Last month I and a team from Our Children's Trust visited teenage climate change plaintiff Summer in her village of Unalakleet, Alaska on the Norton Sound of the Bering Sea in northwest Alaska. Summer is a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by 16 youth against the state of Alaska. Learn more about Summer's ground breaking lawsuit here.

Summer comes from a line of strong women. Summer's mom is a commercial fisherman and Summer's aunt Rhoda, left, is teaching Summer to subsistence hunt in the forests, and on the tundra of northwest Alaska. 



Summer is an accomplished athlete. Below she practices the One Armed Reach in her high school gym before competing in the Native Youth Olympics last month in Anchorage.

Gathering wild blueberries and salmon berries on the tundra is a tradition in Summer's family.




Summer sits with co-plaintiff Esau at the attorney table during a hearing on her case in Anchorage last month.
Summer is a plaintiff in an important climate change lawsuit, but she's also a fun loving teenager.

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