Movie Monday: Echoes of the Sea

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, Echoes of the Sea by Russell Espina, takes us to Brevig Mission along the icy Bering Sea, where seal hunting is not only about providing food, but about carrying forward a way of life. We hear from community members like Theresa Rock, who learned from her family and now shares that knowledge with others. Her story reflects a larger truth: traditions stay alive because people continue to teach, learn, and practice them together.

Echoes of the Sea is a story of resilience, responsibility, and deep connection to place. It reminds us that subsistence is how identity, resilience, and belonging are passed from one generation to the next.

🎥 Watch the film,Echoes of the Sea, and listen to these voices of resilience and renewal, or click on the still below:

 

 

Discussion Questions

1. How does the ocean play an important role in our families’ lives?
2. Why is the sea important to our culture and community?
3. Why is it important to share and respect different family connections to the sea?

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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