It’s Time For Movie Monday!
Movie Monday: Heartbeat of Our Ancestors
Each week, we share short films created through See Stories programs. These films highlight stories of place, culture, and community from across Alaska. Currently, we are featuring films from our See Stories professional development AHA! Intensive, where educators explored storytelling as a way to share culture, history, and place-based knowledge through film.
This week’s film, Where Ice Meets Change by educator Mark Jo Torrechiva from Brevig Mission, offers a powerful and grounded look at climate change through the voices of those living it every day. Centered on subsistence life, the film brings together reflections from community members and Elders who have witnessed major environmental changes over time.
Through firsthand accounts, we hear how thinning ice, shorter summers, and changes in animal health are reshaping not only the land, but daily life. What once felt predictable, like travel on thick ice or seasonal harvesting, has become more uncertain. At the same time, something constant remains. There is a strong connection to the land, to community, and to each other.
As Edward “Nanauruk” Tocktoo shares, adaptation is not a choice, it is a way of life. The message is clear. Even as conditions become more difficult, the strength of community, cooperation, and care for the land continues.
🎥 Watch the film,Where Ice Meets Change, and listen to these voices of resilience and renewal, or click on the still below:
Discussion Questions
- How does climate change show up in these films? How were these people experiencing it?
- How are communities in Alaska being impacted by climate change, especially young people?
- What are some solutions that Alaskan communities are working on to respond to climate change?
Check out our growing library of lesson plans on our Teacher Tools online community! Register today to access for educators who want to bring cultural storytelling into the classroom! If you’re an educator interested in integrating storytelling and cultural preservation into your classroom, check out Teacher Tools—our online community where educators can access free lesson plans, digital storytelling resources, and more.
Find our TeacherTools online community here: See Stories Teacher Tools Community