Life Below Zero: First Alaskans

Springtime brings new opportunities and hazards for Indigenous Alaskans. Marvin Agnot takes his nephew Justin across the bay to hunt for goats among the cliffs. John Pingayak imparts survival skills to his grandson. “Tig” Strassburg, eager to bring his seven kids to their ancestral fish camp, builds an arctic mini-van. Joel Jacko travels across melting ice to hunt for small game.

In an ever-changing climate, Alaska natives utilize the resources of the arctic to sustain their lives. The Apassingok family navigates the Bering Sea to harvest food after a slow winter season. Jody Potts-Joseph and family attempt to secure a winter moose. Tig Strassburg and his sons pursue a wolverine. And John Pingayak and his grandson travel the tundra in search of opportunity for food.

A need to sustain cultural practice drives Indigenous Peoples of Alaska to carry on tradition. John Pingayak shares knowledge his people have acquired over millennia with his family. Joel Jacko builds a traditional smokehouse. Tig Strassburg and his family set a beaver snare in hopes to bring home some meat. Jody Potts-Joseph and her son Denali, hunt for caribou to feed her village.

As the land thaws, Indigenous Peoples of Alaska pursue outdoor opportunities. The Apassingoks and a family friend, travel to their camp 70 miles away to hunt for birds and beach comb for ivory. Marvin Agnot and his nephew Glyndarial White set a halibut skate in search of fresh fish. Tig Strassburg and his children build an arctic entryway to prevent bears from entering the family cabin.

Spring has sprung in Alaska, giving Indigenous Peoples the opportunity to switch up their routines. While seal hunting, Daniel passes the torch to his sons as captain and striker of the boat. Joel treks deep into the wilderness to rebuild his father’s old cabin. John and Teresa take their grandson hunting on the river. And Marvin battles the tides to collect clams from the shore.

When the sun doesn’t set, rural Alaskans forgo sleep to seize the midnight sun. Tig Strassburg takes his three oldest children on a river hunt. Marcella White and her family mastermind the food chain for subsistence. Joel Jacko constructs a log cabin. And Jody Potts-Joseph grapples with dismaying reality of decreasing fish populations on the Yukon.

Alaskan Natives carry on tradition and build strength through community. Jody Potts-Joseph and her husband Jamey hunt for waterfowl and break frybread with family. Marcella Amodo-White and her family fish for salmon in the bays of Kodiak Island. Tig Strassburg builds a memorial fence for a departed friend. And the Apassingok siblings share an adventure at their camp for the first time as adults.

Alaska Natives provide for their community as their ancestors did on the same lands. Chris and Nalu Apassingok battle the rough seas to harvest birds. Marvin Agnot repairs his father’s grave with the help of his niece and her children. John and Teresa Pingayak build the foundation for their family cabin. And Joel Jacko helps his adopted grandma catch fish.

The younger generation of the Indigenous Peoples of Alaska step up to the challenges of their subsistence lifestyle. Daniel Apassingok’s children go off on their own for a salmon fishing trip. Jody Potts-Joseph is joined by her daughter Quannah on their ancestral lands. Joel Jacko goes out in search of salmon for the winter. And Tig Strassburg takes his son Evan and nephew Guno on a moose hunt.

Working with their families, Indigenous Peoples of Alaska thrive and survive in the lands of their ancestors. Tig Strassburg trains his daughters to hunt for moose. Jody Potts-Joseph returns home to her native village of Eagle. Along with his sister, niece, and great-niece, Marvin Agnot fishes for halibut. And Daniel Apassingok works with his daughter as she pursues her first seal.

Indigenous Alaskans pass on traditional values to their children and share their connection to the land they have always inhabited. John and Teresa Pingayak join their grown daughters on a seal hunt. Tig Strassburg and Louise Moses show their daughters how to set a fish net. Joel Jacko upgrades the sustainability of his home. And Marvin Agnot teaches his grand-niece how to harvest a deer.

Alaska Natives work to rebuild after an unprecedented storm surge flooded and devastated coastal villages.

As dark winter approaches, Alaska natives use the waning daylight to hunt for subsistence, keeping vigilant that they’re not being hunted themselves.

On the cusp of winter, Indigenous Peoples of Alaska work to secure food and safety for the brutal season ahead.