Carrying Home With Us: What Climate Displacement Teaches Us About Belonging

By Pannhapor Sim 

Displacement is not the loss of home."

It is the reminder that we carry home within us, like seeds waiting for the right soil,” it honestly made me stop and think. I’ve always imagined displacement as something that takes everything away including your house, your land, your sense of belonging. But this quote made me see displacement differently. It shows that even when people are forced to leave their homes because of things like floods, rising seas, or storms, they don’t lose who they are. Instead, they carry their identity with them like a seed that can grow again somewhere new wherever it travels. 

Climate displacement is becoming a huge issue and a lot of the people affected are Indigenous communities who have lived on their lands for generations. Their experiences show us that “home” isn’t just a physical space. It’s culture, memories, and connection. 

A story that really connects to this idea comes from Louisiana. I came across and recently read an ABC News article by Dorany Pineda about the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe and it honestly hit me harder than I expected. Their land has been disappearing for decades because of sea level rise, stronger hurricanes, and erosion. Elders remember when the bayou was narrow and protected by thick trees. Now those trees are dead and the water keeps rising; some nearby tribes have already had to relocate after losing almost all their land. 

But what inspired me was how the Pointe-au-Chien Tribe is responding to all of this and showing their resilience. Instead of just accepting defeat, they’re working with nonprofits to build oyster-shell reefs to slow down erosion. They’re rebuilding homes to survive stronger storms and raising electrical equipment to protect from floods. These aren’t small fixes but a huge community effort. 

What stands out the most is their reason for staying. One tribal elder said that leaving would feel like “abandoning their ancestors.” That line really connects back to the quote about carrying home with us. For them, home isn’t just the ground they walk on but it’s their heritage, their traditions, and their relationship with the land. Even if climate change takes away the physical space they still try their best to keep home alive by visiting sacred sites, fishing like generations before them, and maintaining close community ties. Their memories, culture, and daily practices carry home with them, like seeds that can grow wherever they are planted. 

I can relate to that as an international student. Even though I’m far from Cambodia, I carry home with me through the things I do every day. I speak my language, eat the foods I grew up with, celebrate holidays, and follow the traditions that shaped me. Those practices keep my culture and identity alive, just like the tribe carries theirs. It shows me that home isn’t only a place but everything that makes us who we are, and we can bring it with us wherever we go. 

One way we can support communities like the Pointe-au-Chien Tribe is by supporting Indigenous-led climate resilience organizations. Groups like the Lowlander Center mentioned in the article help rebuild homes safely and protect cultural sites. Supporting these organizations through donations, volunteering, or even just raising awareness helps ensure those communities have what they need to protect their heritage and adapt to changing environments. 
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Climate displacement doesn’t take away who we are. It reminds us that our roots are strong, and no matter where we go, the seeds of home we carry can grow again. 


Reference 

• DORANY, PINEDA. “Louisiana Is Shrinking. Some Tribes Are Fighting to Protect What’s Left of Their Communities.” ABC News, ABC News Network, abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/louisiana-shrinking-tribes-fighting-protect-left-communities-128170781. Accessed 6 Dec. 2025.