Life Below Zero: First Alaskans

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.