Life Below Zero: First Alaskans

Through hard days and seasons, Alaska Natives rely on centuries-tested traditions. Daniel and Chris Apassingok brave the Bering Sea’s shifting ice in hopes of procuring a walrus to feed the people of Gambell. Jody Potts-Joseph tries her hand at rabbit snaring. Marvin Agnot trolls the bay for fish. And Tig Strassburg and his sons work together to take down the largest tree in the woodyard.

Changing weather patterns and animal migrations challenge the survival of those who live off the land. Jody Potts-Joseph turns to the Yukon River to fill her freezer with burbot. Tig Strassburg and his sons set out to provide food for the elders. Daniel and Chase Apassingok scour the Bering Sea for walrus. Joel Jacko searches for moose. And Marvin Agnot builds a community greenhouse.

Winter presents both challenges and opportunities for Alaska’s Indigenous Peoples. Daniel and Chris Apassingok scour St. Lawrence Island for any food source. Joel Jacko encounters a predator near his homestead. Jody Potts-Joseph sets traps in hopes of sourcing warm fur for the winter. And Tig Strassburg and Louise Moses set out on the hunt for small game.

Alaska Natives know that their land always provides. Tig Strassburg teaches his three young daughters how to ice fish. Chris Apassingok traverses the tundra on a quest to feed his family. Jody Pott-Joseph breaks an emergency trail with her dog team. And Marvin Agnot sources much-needed wood for his community.

During an extremely harsh winter, Indigenous Peoples of Alaska work hard to endure. Marvin collects sea urchins during a minus tide. Daniel and Chase search for driftwood along the coast to provide heat for their new garage. Jody combats the severe winter weather in order to complete her daily chores. And Tig and Louise are on the hunt for a bull moose to fill their freezer and feed their family.

Alaska Natives persevere through the harsh elements to carry forth their ancient culture. Steven Strassburg and Louise Moses teach their kids how to harvest the lands of the arctic. The Apassingoks build a garage to protect their vehicles from the Bering Sea winds. Jody Potts-Joseph harvests trees to build a woodshed. And Joel Jacko traverses land and sea to access his father’s trapping cabin.

In Alaska, Native peoples have long secured resources from the land and sea for their survival. The Apassingoks take to the Bering Sea in search of marine animals to feed their village. Jody Potts-Joseph and her son Denali traverse the mountains on the hunt for caribou. The Jackos teach their daughter her first lessons in hunting. And Marvin Agnot takes his nephew Glyn on a hunt for ptarmigan.

On the lands of their ancestors, Alaska Natives carry on tradition in a rapidly changing environment. Jody Potts-Joseph relies on the land to provide food, water, and warmth for her family. The Apassingnok family take any opportunity to gather food from the Bering Sea. Joel Jacko builds a cache to protect his winter food supply from the bears his family lives among. And Marvin Agnot relies on the tides to gather food for the people of his remote village.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Alaska Natives stockpile food and resources ahead of winter.

Alaska Natives prepare for fall hunting and harvest.

Alaska Natives travel the rivers of their homelands.

Alaska Natives fight to continue traditional practices.

On the rivers, Alaska Natives subsist and thrive.

Alaska Natives must seek the bounty of the sea.

Traditional knowledge gives hope to future generations.

Preparing for the future means revisiting the past.

Teresa and her daughters return to their ancestral tundra.

Alaska Natives prepare for spring challenges.

Alaska Natives look to the water and wind.

Alaska Natives use traditional skills and modern tools to confront challenges.

Alaska Natives strive to maintain Indigenous traditions in their homelands.

The unpredictability of the arctic in winter challenges Alaska natives.

As winter hits, Indigenous Peoples of Alaska rely on their ancestral knowledge of the land to survive and thrive in arctic conditions.

Alaska Natives battle the seas of the arctic as winter looms.

Alaska Natives battle the seas of the arctic as winter looms.

Alaska Natives battle the seas of the arctic as winter looms.