Life Below Zero: First Alaskans Episode Rating Graph

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 look to the water and wind.

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 prepare for spring challenges.

Alaska Natives strive to maintain Indigenous traditions in their homelands.

Teresa and her daughters return to their ancestral tundra.

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

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.

Alaska Natives prepare for fall hunting and harvest.

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.

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.

On the rivers, Alaska Natives subsist and thrive.

Traditional knowledge gives hope to future generations.

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 stockpile food and resources ahead of winter.

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.

Preparing for the future means revisiting the past.

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.

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

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.

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.

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 fight to continue traditional practices.