Life Below Zero: First Alaskans

2022

Eligible

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Season 3 episodes (20)

1 How We Survive

5/12/23

Alaska Natives race the ticking clock of winter's arrival. The Apassingok family brave the Bering Sea's ice floes on the hunt for marine mammals. During the dark of night, Tig Strassburg travels frozen rivers in search of fur bearers. Marvin Agnot teaches his young nephew how to hunt around Kodiak Island. And Joel Jacko gets caught in a life-threatening storm.

2 The Great Hunter

12/12/23

3 Return of the Caribou

19/12/23

No matter the obstacles, the Alaska natives are up for the fight. Tig Strassburg and his daughter Hazel battle the elements in search of a bull moose. Joel Jacko scours the wilderness for elusive small game. Marvin Agnot builds an arctic entryway before the deep cold sets in. And Jody Potts-Joseph follows the returning caribou and sets traps for marten.

4 Survival Lessons

26/12/23

Alaska Natives adapt with the change of seasons. Joel Jacko builds a bridge across open water to expand his accessibility to native trails. Marvin Agnot and his nephew Justin Phillips hunt for winter fur on both the land and the sea. Jody Potts-Joseph trains her young dog team on the frozen Yukon River. And Tig Strassburg teaches his daughter Hazel to harvest fur-bearing animals.

5 Dead on Arrival

2/1/24

Sudden forces of nature challenge Indigenous Alaskans during a prolonged winter. Tig Strassburg's moose hunt is thwarted by a pack of wolves. Marvin Agnot races to repair his home in the face of a coming storm. Jody Potts-Joseph endures heavy snow while on the hunt for birds. John Pingayak makes the most of Typhoon Merbok, harvesting a new resource that's unexpectedly washed ashore.

6 Misery and Reward

9/1/24

Indigenous Alaskans use their connection to the land to showcase self-reliance, self-sustainability and self-determination. Joel Jacko hunts seals and ice fishes. Jody Potts-Joseph and Jamey Joseph set marten traps and harvest medicine. Tig Strassburg builds a woodshed with the help of his children. Marvin Agnot and Glyndaril White renovate their communal greenhouse.

7 Eyes in the Night

9/1/24

For Indigenous Peoples of Alaska, their ability to live off the land comes from their elders. Tig Strassburg confronts an encroaching wolf pack in order to protect his village and a crucial food source. Marvin Agnot shows his nieces how to search for octopus during an extreme low tide. And Joel Jacko fights against the thawing ice to source lumber for his dream house.

8 Lucky Bag

23/1/24

Alaska Natives look to secure essential resources from the land and the air utilizing traditional and modern methods. Joel Jacko installs a windmill to create clean energy for his remote home. Marvin Agnot braves the Aleutian tides to procure tanner crabs. John and Teresa Pingayak journey to the mud volcanoes for fish and ptarmigan. And Tig Strassburg teaches his daughter Sophie to snare for beaver.

9 Rite of Spring

30/1/24

Spring arrives in the arctic and brings about new challenges. John Pingayak and Sonna Boy scour the tundra in search of ptarmigans. Joel Jacko travels into the mountains for rare snowbirds. Tig Strassburg teaches Evan the ins and outs of goose hunting. And after the Yukon's yearly break-up, Jody Potts-Joseph and Jamey Joseph assess their family's land for a place to build out of the flood zone.

10 Precious Cargo

6/2/24

Indigenous Alaskans find balance with the nature right outside their door. Teresa Pingayak and her daughters return to their ancestral tundra for a bird hunt. Jody Potts-Joseph investigates the woods for a wounded and hungry bear. Tig Strassburg and Louise Moses turn a goose hunt into a date night. Joel concocts an unorthodox scheme to build his new boat dock in a frozen lake.

11 Sound the Drum

13/2/24

Summer days in Alaska grant its people the time to prepare for seasons ahead and rebuild from seasons past. The Pingayak family rebuild their fish camp after a devastating typhoon. Joel Jacko refurbishes a skin kayak and uses the vessel to hunt for seal. The Strassburg family builds a smokehouse and set nets for whitefish. And Jody Potts-Joseph and Jamey Joseph hunt for summer ducks.

12 Pass the Torch

20/2/24

For the Indigenous Peoples of Alaska, preserving their land for future generations is vital. Nalu and Daniel Apassingok go seal hunting as they cope with a heavy loss. Tig Strassburg takes his sons duck hunting on their ancestral land. Marvin Agnot goes halibut fishing with his nephews. And Joel Jacko repairs the roof of his winter cabin.

13 We Got an Opener

27/2/24

Alaska Natives celebrate the bounties of summer. After a lifetime as a crew member, Marvin Agnot partakes in his first salmon opener as a commercial fisherman. Tig Strassburg and his son Terrance build a bunkhouse for the teens of the family. Joel Jacko hunts duck ahead of his family's return to Pedro Bay. And Daniel Apassingok and his grown children fish for salmon in the Bering Sea.

14 Old Ways New

5/3/24

Alaska's Indigenous Peoples maximize summer days to prepare for the seasons ahead. Gage and Avery Hoffman travel the river in pursuit of beaver. Tig Strassburg revives his family's fish camp to capitalize on a narrow window of opportunity. Marvin Agnot assists his niece's family in building a chicken coop. And while breaking ground on moose camp, Jamey Joseph has a chainsaw accident.

15 Salmon People

12/3/24

Alaska Natives strive to continue their way of life in evolving environments. Tig Strassburg takes his son on his first sheep hunt. The Hoffman family work round the clock to salmon fish during a limited window. Daniel and Nalu Apassingok set out across the tundra in search of reindeer. And Joel Jacko and his family gather seagull eggs from the islands around their home.

16 Veins of Alaska

19/3/24

For Indigenous Alaskans, the challenge to secure crucial resources along the rivers of the homelands is heightened by external threats. The Pingayak family hunts for seal along the Kashunuk River. Tig and Evan Strassburg travel the Kanuti River in search of black bear. The Jacko family harvests salmon in Pedro Bay. And Jody Potts-Joseph and Jamey Joseph look for fish along the Yukon River.

17 Look Good Shoot Good

26/3/24

For Alaska Natives, the only way to protect their way of life is by being on the land and continuing their traditions. Tig Strassburg and Louise Moses break trail for the upcoming moose season. Marvin Agnot and Justin Phillips search for elusive reindeer outside of their village. Joel Jacko builds a root cellar under his house. And Gage and Avery Hoffman travel long distances for an important hunt.

18 Stealth Mode

2/4/24

Alaska Natives prepare for winter by scouring for resources essential to surviving the looming subzero temperatures. Avery and Gage Hoffman hit the river at dawn in pursuit of moose. Marvin Agnot and Justin Phillips build a smokehouse and procure salmon. Jody Potts-Joseph and Jamey Joseph travel the highlands for berries and birds. And Tig and Evan Strassburg build a raft to transport firewood.

19 A Moose Can Feed a Family

9/4/24

Alaska Natives must use the teachings of their elders to find resources for the long winter. The Pingayak family travels ancestral land in search of a moose. Gage and Avery Hoffman challenge each other to secure fish and fowl. Joel Jacko and his daughter Anzlie use homemade spears to fish for salmon. Tig Strassburg enlists his daughters in a search for essential protein.

20 A Story of Survival

16/4/24

Alaska Natives make their final push of the fall. Tig and Louise look to secure enough protein to feed their large family through the winter. While at river camp, the Pingayaks are blessed with a surprise harvest. Marvin races to catch as many salmon as he can when a rare end-of-season window opens. And the Hoffmans bring a native custom to moose camp by building a traditional steam bath.

About this show

Indigenous Alaskans walk in two worlds: one of traditional ways and one of twenty-first century challenges. Jody Potts and family live off the land on the Yukon River. Marvin Agnot's days are dictated by the tides. The Apassingok family live from what the Bering Sea provides. Joel and family live a life of self-reliance. John and Teresa Pingayaq pass on Cup'ik traditions to their grandchildren. And Steven Strassberg teaches his seven children ancient methods of survival.

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