The past has a way of shaping the future of a community.
PAST
The Past- Shishmaref
Cross & the Past
That is a mass grave. I think these were the ones that they took from the Smithsonian institute. It was a really gloomy day, and I seen that cross and I was like, yeah, let’s take it.
Mrs. Butterworth
I saw that and I was just learning my camera, but it was so much of an awesome picture. Something about it: the sand, the bottle that’s weathered, the wood that’s weathered. Both are washed up from the ocean. Yeah, everything about it is just really awesome. What came the farthest – was it the bottle, was it the wood? Which is oldest?
What Comes Back
​That one sucks. The past is coming to haunt you. Because that trash is from the 70s and 80s, maybe even farther back than that. But you just see how much sod just grew over the top; and you don’t know what’s underneath there. This is the old dump site that’s now eroding and washing into the ocean. You just never know what’s underneath your feet.
Past - Isle de Jean Charles
The Canal
Men are seen here traveling to the Isle by pirogue. The major way to travel to and from the Island was by boat. The marsh prairies were plentiful and lush surrounding the Isle providing food, protection, and sustenance.
Stories
Photo Credit: Chantel Comardelle
Tribal elders share stories of the past at a Native American Culture Day. Demonstrations of the past are a stark reminder of present changes.
Discovery
Photo Credit: Pete Muller
The worn article from 1940s depicts the change of era for the Island. The beginning of oil exploration and arguably the end of the simple life.