WSTalk Fall Winter 2023 - Flipbook - Page 39
The most striking sight in Ketchikan is its totem poles—some of them still painted in rich, contrasting colors, while others have surrendered some
of that color to the weather. Contrary to one popular belief, they are not religious symbols and were never worshipped. Instead, totem poles were
carved to honor important people, record noteworthy events, and proclaim the lineage and history of the people who owned them.
Both Bald and Golden Eagles (and their feathers) are
highly revered and considered sacred within American
Indian traditions, culture and religion.
They are honored with great care and shown the
deepest respect. They represent honesty, truth, majesty,
strength, courage, wisdom, power and
freedom.
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Alaska is at the forefront of climate change. Because of its northern latitude and seasonal changes in sea ice, the state is warming at two to three
times the rate of the global average. Rising temperatures can be tied to most of the e昀昀ects of climate change in Alaska. Reduced ice coverage,
including shrinking glaciers, retreating sea ice, and thawing permafrost, are all serious impacts of rapid warming. Meanwhile, much of Alaska has
seen increases in precipitation, with more of that precipitation falling as rain than snow. However, portions of the Cook Inlet and eastern Interior
Alaska are experiencing a long-term decrease in precipitation. These changes to temperature, precipitation, and ice have a diverse range of e昀昀ects,
including extreme droughts, reduced snowpack, changes in sea level, ocean warming and acidi昀椀cation, large wild昀椀res,
and more impactful heatwaves.
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