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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.