"ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Residents of a Native village threatened by erosion were thankful Wednesday for President Barack Obama's attention to their plight, saying they hope his visit to Alaska will help them secure funding to build a critical evacuation road to drier ground.

Even with a protective ocean rock wall, the impoverished Inupiat Eskimo community of Kivalina has no more than a decade left before erosion begins to force people from their homes, said Millie Hawley, president of Kivalina's tribal council.

Villagers say a couple homes near the village lagoon are already threatened by erosion, which has come within 3 feet of the foundation of one dwelling."

Rachel D'Oro reports for the Associated Press September 2, 2015. [2]