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.