The rich lands and waters of the Western Arctic have supported communities for time immemorial. Some of the longest-inhabited communities in North America are found on Alaska’s northwestern coast. Today, these villages honor a traditional subsistence way of life that has been passed down from generation to generation. Village elders have experienced a tremendous cultural shift, from possibly being born in traditional sod homes to today where they stay connected on social media - all while balancing the traditional way of life by  living off the land and ocean.

Alaska Native communities in and around the Western Arctic have long subsisted and thrived in the Arctic environment and continue to do so today. What’s more, there are dozens of villages that depend on the wildlife that spend their lives in the Western Arctic region and migrate hundreds of miles across Western Alaska. Alaska’s Arctic is not “untouched,” rather the Iñupiat people were the first great conservationists, living in harmony with the lands and animals. Humans have long called the Arctic their home and will continue to thrive here for generations to come.