Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Life in Alaska reality doc has hunting, rifles, and cursing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
First Alaskans
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
FIRST ALASKANS, a spinoff of Life Below Zero, follows indigenous Alaskans living according to their ancient traditions and negotiating the challenges of the 21st century. Jody Potts-Joseph is a member of the Han Gwich'in tribe and lives off the land in the Central Yukon while the Apassingok family, members of the Yup'ik tribe, live off the Bering Sea in the remote fishing village of Gambell. Athabaskan tribe member Joel Jacko and his family live in the woods in Pedro Bay, and Marvin Agnot is an Alutiiq tribesman from Akhiok who fishes the local bays according to the tides. Meanwhile, Koyukon Athabaskan tribe member Steven "Tig" Stressbert lives with his wife and seven children in Allakaket along the Koyukuk River. As they cope with the harsh Alaskan winter while securing resources from the land and sea for their families and their villages, they pass down their people's traditions to younger generations. But climate change is posing a threat to their ways of life, and has the potential of wiping out the way Alaskan Native peoples have lived for thousands of years. So they must rely heavily on their ancestors' teachings to develop ways to survive, flourish, and ensure the survival of their tribes.
Is It Any Good?
The interesting but stilted docuseries follows the lives of a diverse cast comprised of indigenous Alaskans working hard to survive the beautiful but unforgiving lands of their ancestors. They showcase how they hunt, fish, and perform routine tasks like collecting water and cutting wood to survive the winter. Throughout it all the cast notes that they have an obligation to their ancestors and the future generations of their tribes to preserve their culture. Each cast member, in their own way, also notes how climate change is affecting their native lands, and how the solutions to rebalancing them can be found in the ancient traditions and strategies that have allowed their peoples to adapt and survive in the area for thousands of years. Granted, like its sister series Life Below Zero, a lot of what's shown seems preplanned for the cameras, and the visual and audio effects used to help tell their stories are overproduced to create drama. But First Alaskans succeeds at highlighting the diversity among Native Alaskans, and the ways each tribe draws from the teachings of their ancestors and their tribal lands to survive whatever natural or manmade challenges they are forced to deal with.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it's like to live in Alaska during the winter. One cast member notes that outside of work, there's little to occupy people's time during Alaskan winters in remote areas. What are some of the consequences of this?
Did you know that Alaska Natives represent 11 different cultures? How does First Alaskans highlight the differences between some of them? Are there similarities between their cultural practices?
TV Details
- Premiere date : February 22, 2023
- Cast : Jody Potts-Joseph , Daniel Apassingok , Marvin Agnot , Joel Jacko , Steven “Tig” Stressbert
- Network : Disney+
- Genre : Reality TV
- Topics : STEM , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Humility , Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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