America ReFramed
Children of the Arctic
S4 • E10 Apr 5, 2016 60m
For Samuel, Josiah, Flora, Ace and Maaya, growing up is more complicated than it was for their ancestors on the isolated tundra of Barrow, Alaska (originally named “Ukpiagvik” or “where we hunt snowy owls”). As descendants of Alaska’s Native people, they are inheritors of a centuries-old way of life that emphasizes traditional mores about community, the role of elders and the relationship to nature. Proud of their Native heritage, the teens are also modern Americans facing stark realities: a fast-changing culture and climate, modern consumer economies and the impact of oil-drilling; the teens think about life outside of Barrow and what they will make of their future.