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By 2050, 200 Million People Will Be Displaced Because Of Climate Change. their only choice will be to stay on the island and ride out the storm. Once the storm arrives, the road out of the island will be flooded. “It takes a lot of prayer to live down here,” Theresa Handon, Chris Brunet’s sister, said. “I think, ‘Please God, no more storms,’ but I know it’s going to come.” With every storm that hits the island comes a chance that another home will be destroyed. Louisiana contains 40 percent of the nation’s wetlands, but each year an amount of land larger than the size of Manhattan is sapped from the state’s coastline. The water has now overtaken many structures that were once a part of the community. Sea level rise, shifting soils, and several hurricanes have led to the abandonment and eventual demise of what once were people’s homes. “Climate change didn’t happen overnight, so we can’t fix it overnight,” Comardelle said. “What we can do is make the best of what we’ve been given and adapt.” Many of the tribal members who remain on the island despite the rising waters are those who can’t afford any other option. Most of those who have left the island remain in the tribe but are spread throughout Louisiana. “The tribe has physically and culturally been torn apart with the scattering of members,” the resettlement proposal submitted to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s National Disaster Resilience Competition states. “A new settlement offers an opportunity for the tribe to rebuild their homes and secure their culture on safe ground.” “We know we aren’t the only ones,” Comardelle says. “If we can do this, not only for our people, but to be a beacon of hope for other communities is important. This is not just about us.” The resettlement proposal argues that Isle de Jean Charles “is ideally positioned to develop and test resettlement adaptive methodologies,” something that is badly needed around the world. As such, the plan aims to move families to a historically contextual and culturally appropriate community. As hurricane season looms, the tribe hopes to be spared long enough to have time for relocation; however, with questions from the state about how to allocate the money, the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw culture hangs in the balance. “To stay here would have been my first choice, but common sense tells me that if I don’t take advantage now and a hurricane comes and destroys everything, then where will I go?” said the Reverend Roch Naquin, a resident who grew up on the island and was a trapper until going to seminary school. “This is not just about resettling the community on the island,” Comardelle said. “It’s reuniting the community that is left.” Having already lost so much of their land and their tribal heritage to the water, relocation is not just crucial for their personal safety but also for the longevity of their culture and traditions. “At one time, water was our life and now it’s almost our enemy because it is driving us out, but it still gives us life,” Comardelle said. “It’s a double-edged sword. It’s our life and our death.” Story and Photos by Carolyn Van Houten An aerial image reveals Island Road, which used to be surrounded by dry land but is now nearly washed out. 34 CURRENT FALL 2017
Feature Only a handful of structures remain intact on the island, but residents fear it’s only a matter of time before those crumble, too. An abandoned boat in front of the home of Marq Naquin and Ochxia Naquin, who say they plan to stay on the island. The location of the new community has not yet been chosen, and moving is voluntary. FALL 2017 CURRENT 35
Page 1: THE GROWTH OF KARACHI A rural town
Page 10 and 11: EDITOR’S NOTE 2017 Tokyo 38.8 M N
Page 12 and 13: CONTENTS 29 37 FEATURES 29 37 THE F
Page 14 and 15: A CONVERSATION WITH: Printed Doors
Page 16 and 17: A DAY IN THE LIFE: BY AZAD MAJUMDER
Page 18 and 19: Indian women collect water from a b
Page 20 and 21: 20 CURRENT FALL 2017
Page 22 and 23: The middle class neighborhood of Do
Page 26 and 27: “The dream that you hoped for, th
Page 28 and 29: A Native American Tribe Struggles T
Page 30 and 31: Kenya LaMeroux wanders along Island
Page 32 and 33: Keyondre Authement, 15, throwing ro
Page 38 and 39: China Plans To Move 70% Of The Coun
Page 40 and 41: Chen Hua, 50, moving to her new hom
Page 42 and 43: of the Institute of World Economics
Page 44 and 45: Ran Shunbi, 75, plays mah-jongg whi
Page 46 and 47: UPWARD AND OUTWARD 46 CURRENT FALL
Page 48 and 49: People cool off near a damaged wate
Page 50 and 51: The residents of Benazir Colony eit
Page 52 and 53: Karachi’s business and financial
Page 56 and 57: THE D.C.-BASED SOCIAL VENTURE, UBEL
Page 58 and 59: JUAN, 72 (left), telling the story
Page 60 and 61: AMERICA LIBERTAD, 80 (left), and he
Page 62 and 63: JUAN CASANOVA, 47 (left), showing h
Page 64 and 65: Book Review Jason De Leon’s The L
Page 66 and 67: ESSAY Refugees Get Their Own Flag F
Page 72: FALL 2017 CURRENT 72

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