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Water is Rising: Pacific Islands, Art, and Climate Change

A large group of dancers from the island of Tokelau dance during fiafia, evening entertainment)
(Danee Hazama)

"This World of Ours, Does not feel steady, We keep rotating, Oi! What will happen to us?" This is one of the questions that a group of performers from the Pacific island of Tuvalu is posed to audiences across the United States in 2011. With the Water is Rising project, they hoped to draw attention to threats associated with climate change, including sea-level rise, through dance, song, and poetry. The performers hail from Tuvalu, Kirbati, and Tokelau, which are low-lying countries composed of coral atolls. With many of the residents living in close proximity to the ocean, changes in sea level will have a very real impact on their lives. Take a moment to explore their online educational resources.

Tags: Art