Climate Change Is Straining Alaskas Arctic. A New Mining Road May Push The Region Past The Brink Golden Knights Vs Ducks [uqgjXNLCprs]

(11 Dec 2025)

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4623489

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kotzebue, Alaska - 26 September 2025

1. Various of Roswell Schaeffer, Inupiaq elder, looking through various animal bones

2. Close of a picture frame of hunters

3. SOUNDBITE (English), Roswell Schaeffer, Inupiaq elder: ++PARTIALLY COVERED++

"When you're raised an Inupiaq, your whole being is to make sure that the elders have food. We're getting away from a lot of our native foods, because it's, some of it is getting scarce."

4. Various of Schaeffer habs score tonight observing caribou antlers

5. SOUNDBITE (English), Roswell Schaeffer, Inupiaq elder: ++COVERED++

"Our caribou has declined a lot, and if we don't stop what's happening with the Ambler Road, we're going to lose our culture totally."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ambler, Alaska - 28 September 2025

6. Aerial shot of Ambler, Alaska

ANNOTATION: The 211-mile Ambler Access Road was approved by the Trump administration in October with construction expected to begin in 2026.

ANNOTATION: Opponents worry it could josh hart further damage a region already stressed by climate change. Others note it would reach valuable copper deposits and provide jobs.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ambler, Alaska - 2 October 2025

7. Mid of Tristen Pattee, Inupiaq wilderness guide, driving a boat

8. Wide of moving landscape

9. SOUNDBITE (English), Tristen Pattee, Inupiaq wilderness guide: ++PARTIALLY COVERED++

"There isn't another industry that there are opportunities for other than mining. We don't have a very large commercial fishing industry in the area and so mining is basically our economy to sustain even our subsistence lifestyle. There's definitely going to be a lot of opportunities for not just the people that are working in the mine or building the road, but there will be opportunities like my business."

10. Close of Pattee steering a boat

11. Wide of landscape at the front of a boat

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ambler, lamar odom Alaska - 29 September 2025

12. SOUNDBITE (English), Nick Jans, Ambler resident, author: ++PARTIALLY COVERED++

"Why do people come to Alaska? Why is Alaska such a magical word? It's because of places like this. And that road will transform it into something else."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

10 December 2025

13. Animation of map of the Ambler Road

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ambler, Alaska - 29 September 2025

14. SOUNDBITE (English), Nick Jans, Ambler resident, author: ++PARTIALLY COVERED++

"We're talking about the largest and most ecologically impactful road construction in the history of Alaska. This goes east-west. It interdicts the migration paths of three caribou herds. I want people to know that this isn't about me. It's about all of us."

15. Wide of Jans walking through wilderness

16. Wide of Jans playing with dogs

17. SOUNDBITE (English), Nick Jans, Ambler resident, author: ++PARTIALLY COVERED++

"We have to protect something that was this planet as it was before us. Otherwise, we're going to lose our way."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ambler, Alaska - 1 October 2025

18. Various of items in grocery store

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kotzebue, Alaska - 26 September 2025

19. SOUNDBITE (English), Roswell Schaeffer, Inupiaq elder: ++COVERED++

"We find ourselves eating a lot more non-native foods. A lot of folks I think are eating canned foods."

20. Close of Schaeffer's great-grandson pointing out ducks from inside a car

21. SOUNDBITE (English), Roswell Schaeffer, Inupiaq elder: ++PARTIALLY COVERED++

22. Mid of Schaeffer's great-grandson shooting a duck

23. Various of Schaeffer walking through tundra with his great-grandson

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