Log in to hire Katie

Katie Orlinsky

Visual Storyteller & Contributing Photographer
    
Media News
on NatGeo: Climate change has finally caught up to this Alaska village
katie orlinsky
Oct 24, 2019
After 20 years of flooding, erosion and thawing permafrost, the Yup'ik residents of Newtok are moving to a new village as we speak! This past May I traveled to Newtok, Alaska and the story is now online!

READ STORY

I think it is important to note right away that this is not the first time Newtok has had to relocate. In 1949 the Bureau for Indian Affairs (BIA) built schools in all Alaska Native communities after decades of forcing children to leave home to attend boarding schools. The BIA chose the precarious site that became Newtok without input from the community. As early as 1994, the people of Newtok began planning to eventually relocate again due to erosion and flooding. Then, with climate change, the situation became urgent. It has taken nearly 25 years for Newtok to finally receive the funding and support to complete the process.

Newtok is home to some of the kindest people I have ever met. Their strength, positivity, and humor in the face of so many changes and challenges was truly inspiring. They also have the world’s cutest population of eclectic dogs.

Thank you Lisa Charles, Martha Kasaiuli, Walter Queenie, Lala, Arnie Jay Tee, Katie Basile, and everyone in Alaska who helped make this story possible. I also want to thank Sadie Quarrier for EVERYTHING, Craig Welch for writing such a thoughtful article and Dominique Hildebrand for your awesome editing.
6,361

Also by Katie Orlinsky —

News Spotlight

The Alexia Foundation is pleased to announce the winner of The Alexia 2019 Professional Grant is Katie Orlinsky of New York, New York for Chasing..

Katie Orlinsky
News Spotlight

24 HOURS OF REALITY

Katie Orlinsky
Media News Spotlight

on NatGeo: Arctic permafrost is thawing fast. That affects us all.

Katie Orlinsky
Environment News Spotlight

on NatGeo: Exclusive: Some Arctic Ground No Longer Freezing"Even in Winter

Katie Orlinsky / Siberia
Helpful Hints Journals News Spotlight v_features

Katie Orlinsky, Photographer. An Interview with Josh Haftel | Adobe Creative Cloud

Katie Orlinsky
News

Defend the Arctic Refuge from Oil Drilling

Katie Orlinsky
News

Photographing a Story That Changes Before Your Eyes

Katie Orlinsky
News

The Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists

Katie Orlinsky
News

Katie Orlinsky featured on WIRED

Katie Orlinsky
News

Katie Orlinsky featured in New York Times

Katie Orlinsky
News

Katie Orlinsky on Assignment for National Geographic News

Katie Orlinsky
on NatGeo: Climate change has finally caught up to this Alaska village by Katie Orlinsky
Sign-up for
For more access