DANIEL HAZEL JAMEY JAZMINE JODY LINDA LOUISE MARCELLA MARVIN NALU SOPHIE TIG UNCLE TIG We're kinda halfway through our moose hunting season We don't have a lot of time left but I've neglected all the teaching of my daughters for so many years trying to teach my two sons, but my daughters they know it's their time to step up All right, you girls ready? HAZEL STRASSBURG Yeah TIG I don't go to church I go out into the woods Being within four walls doesn't make me no closer to God or our ancestors as I would be out here in the woods When we are out here as native people, we don't leave a very big mark on the land We're not trying to control nature, we're not trying to change anything, you know We're just trying to live in sync with nature out here When we're dead and gone, you can barely tell that we were there before and that's how we want to keep it TIG There's the big rump Big fat belly And then this guy got real big horns We're gonna be moose hunting TIG My little girls, they're gonna be the gunners for me this year And you shoot him right there, right behind the ear TIG If not, you shoot him right here, right in the heart No No No But these girls they're, they're really toughening up this year I'm gonna start showing my daughters how to help out, feeding the family Put your pinky in there Feeling the bullet HAZEL STRASSBURG Yep TIG Clear it All right, there's no bullet in there You believe me? You're not supposed to believe me, you gotta check yourself LOUISE MOSES You see it? HAZEL STRASSBURG Yep! LOUISE MOSES Okay, going live LOUISE MOSES Go head Take it off safety LOUISE MOSES The moose is walking Whoa Holy cow TIG You shot him in the nose That's pretty close The moose is gonna be fifty times bigger than that target so That's, that's pretty darn close That's a good shot HAZEL STRASSBURG It did hurt my arm It made my arm like sore LOUISE MOSES Growing up I was always told, don't touch a gun Don't play with it, it's not to play with You're not allowed to step over it Nothing, it's all h?tlaanee, so He showed me how to properly use a gun and gave me one and I've been using it ever since I'm glad the girls get to experience that too TIG It's a big lake I guarantee you there's moose around Just gotta sit and wait JODY It's always been important for me to come home to my indigenous lands This place, the Yukon, the mountains My ancestors always bring me back here JODY Back down river JAMEY JOSEPH Babe, so the eddy is right JAMEY JOSEPH At that big spruce tree? JODY Yeah JODY Our family just moved to my anchestorial lands To Eagle Village, Alaska And we're headed out to set this net in the eddy my grandpa used his whole life JODY So, I'm just gonna tie off to a bunch of group of, of willows down here, huh? They're solid In the summer, we're normally busy processing salmon that we catch and usually it's always a lot of fish but times have changed We do have a white fish net, which is legal to fish with right now Just hoping that we're able to get a few white fish, you know, have some fresh food A lot of people on the Yukon River right now are just heart broken We don't have our normal purpose Babe, see there's already a drift wood JAMEY JOSEPH Let's get that log out right there, see it? JODY Yep, it's coming right for I'm about to catch that log There, problem solved Our net looks good, it's set really nicely Let's see if we can catch some luck JAMEY JOSEPH Think positive Think positive, all right MARVIN AGNOT When you're out in the water you see the wildlife You can hear the birds You start looking forward to subsisting and all the good things that come with it MARVIN AGNOT We'll find something good today, I hope LINDA AMODO Yeah, we should I'm always looking for the big one MARVIN AGNOT It's there, we're gonna get one LINDA AMODO Yes MARVIN AGNOT Today, we're gonna go halibut jig MARVIN AGNOT Summers upon us and we got three months to catch as much fish as we can MARVIN AGNOT Nice calm water Taking my sister Linda, her daughter Marcella and Jazmine who is Marcella's daughter MARCELLA Three generations of fisherwomen MARVIN AGNOT You guys excited? LINDA AMODO Oh, I'm really excited this LINDA AMODO This is what I do every summer, is go out halibut fishing When I started halibut fishing, I got addicted really quick My oldest son, he can tell you how miserable I made his summers I'm still waiting for the 150 pounder , at least I'm still waiting for that size MARCELLA Coming up on the buoy MARVIN AGNOT I feel very excited and happy to be doing things together with the family We're secured I'll get you guys set up You can fish this one piece of bait all day LINDA AMODO Take it down to the bottom waves, and then pull it back up a couple feet My brother, Marvin He is energetic and outgoing MARVIN AGNOT Well, there you go You got one in the water LINDA AMODO My mom babied him That was her only son, so he was not our favorite, our favorite sibling This is the spot MARVIN AGNOT Yeah, this is fun If we catch one, it's more fun It's all a matter of patience Nothing exciting yet? LINDA AMODO Don't feel nothing yet MARVIN AGNOT Don't feel nothing yet, either Just a waiting game for here for halibut to come and what we're gonna get down there There's plenty of good bait down there for whatever critters in the bottom to want to gnaw The reward is great come wintertime when you want fish, you got it in your freezer and it's priceless Come on fishy fishy TIG Everything that I've been taught, I want to be able to pass it down to my children I'm just a stepping stone for culture and tradition I don't want none of this to ever end on me TIG Hazel, come grab this extra ammo for your pocket LOUISE MOSES You're gonna be carrying a gun TIG Right here Hazel TIG This is the first year that Hazel's having to pack around a rifle Come on my girls The girls, I've seen a lot of change in them They're taking this more serious They're learning to be a lot more quiet, you know, we need dead silence when we're sitting there trying to listen for these moose's TIG This is Dosennaughten Lake If you guys hear a moose, you're just gonna barley hear it This is the time of the year the moose make all their babies TIG Wanna try cow call? TIG It'll make a bull moose want to come to it Perfect, perfect Good job I'll show you a bull moose now Try Sophie TIG A little bull Little itty bitty horns, that's all they got They don't wanna be a big bull SOPHIE STRASSBURG Dad, I'll funs TIG Shh, shh, shh TIG Get down! TIG He's coming from that way TIG The wind is going straight towards him TIG Feel it? HAZEL STRASSBURG I gotta check the wind and it was blowing towards the moose It probably caught the scent, uh, he said it ran away TIG You guys get a little excitement hearing the moose, huh? HAZEL STRASSBURG Yeah TIG You girls get excited? SOPHIE STRASSBURG Yeah TIG We'll try again, this is just day one of a long season DANIEL APASSINGOK It's a joy to see your kids and family members, uh, try to follow along in our footsteps The only way to keep our generations going, I guess NALU Oh wow, they have the real word on there DANIEL APASSINGOK Uh-huh NALU [speaking Yup'ik] Qavalghak NALU Where's your favorite hunting spot DANIEL APASSINGOK My favorite hunting spot used to be way over here I'm gonna, uh, take my daughter out hunting today DANIEL APASSINGOK Can't believe that, uh, my daughter's interested in hunting Not too many women hunt in the village We can go to our camp first, check it out, see how it is NALU If I go hunting by myself, what do I need to do? DANIEL APASSINGOK You gotta have a seal hook, knife Check shot your rifle too NALU Don't you guys, uh, put the whole seal on the Honda? DANIEL APASSINGOK Uh-hmm Sometimes you can cut it up, if it's too big NALU But I don't know how to butcher yet Not many people take out their daughters My dad sees me as an equal and is willing to teach me how to hunt and provide for the family Should I clean this too? DANIEL APASSINGOK If you want You gotta lift, uh, a little bit Yeah, right there and pull it It's gonna be a little bit stick NALU Because it's rusty DANIEL APASSINGOK Eskimo camouflage As long as you keep the barrel clean and your action clean, you'll have a real good rifle One of these days yeah, ya know, she might be, uh, our provider NALU Front? DANIEL APASSINGOK Go ahead and strap it up Go ahead and, uh, tie down that reel with rope NALU I would really like to catch my first seal on land with my dad I think that would be really awesome Can I drive? DANIEL APASSINGOK Huh? NALU Can I drive? DANIEL APASSINGOK Really? I guess you can I've been out with my boys out hunting all the time, you know I have a real good bond with them out there You know, my daughters, uh, now going out hunting with us Makes me happy inside that she wants to experience the same thing DANIEL APASSINGOK High tide NALU Ah My dad, he loves teaching and he loves to hunt and he still dresses me up like an Oompa Lumpa out there Hopefully, I can catch one with him out here Come on seals! JODY There's so many people up and down the Yukon River grieving the loss of the salmon It's like grieving the loss of our relatives JAMEY JOSEPH A lot more drift again JODY Holy We just got a lot of drift wood JODY So, hopefully they'll be a fish in here somewhere JODY I wonder if I toss this over there, should I try it? JAMEY JOSEPH Uh, go ahead, try it JODY It's heavy but We'll see where it goes, probably right back into my net Actually, I don't know if I've ever tipped in a canoe on accident JAMEY JOSEPH Not yet JODY Not yet JAMEY JOSEPH No fish JODY No fish Oof There's that stump JAMEY JOSEPH Stuck pretty good? JODY Yeah We got a lot of drift Including one piece of huge heavy drift that, it's so heavy that I just feel like we're gonna flip the canoe JAMEY JOSEPH I mean, I could pick the anchor, drag it all the way to shore and yank it out like that but we'll probably end up tearing the net JODY Yeah JAMEY JOSEPH Just gonna have to get Ben and his boat That's just too much weight JODY Hi Unc! UNCLE BEN Hey! JODY Uncle Ben and Denali, we found them Uncle Ben is an elder here in Eagle So we're gonna go get that stump out with this boat Working together as a family is really important, especially when it comes time to getting things done The water's not normally this high this time of year, I think that's climate change This is like spring time high Need your help, Denali JAMEY JOSEPH See if you can grab the log out, just undo it if you can Pick the whole thing up Just try to get it off and let it spin out Oh, yeah JODY No, let's get it in Holy JAMEY JOSEPH Babe, you're standing on the net JODY What do I do with the log? JAMEY JOSEPH Just drop it, I guess JODY Well, it's not tangled so, hopefully more fish Check it tomorrow JAMEY JOSEPH Holy moly, look at all this drift Got a beaver dam here JODY Take me over there, mister Oh, I got a fish! JAMEY JOSEPH Hey, I caught a root JODY Cool, we got a white fish Look babe That's it It's a beautiful day, got one fish JAMEY JOSEPH Hey we got one, look at that A live one We got a live one JODY I hope it's caught well Oh, yeah, it is So, two fish now JAMEY JOSEPH One for you and one for me JODY Pot a rice and gardens greens It'll be a meal fit for a Han-Athabaskan MARVIN AGNOT Watching and learning carries quite a bit out here The elders have knowledge, but we have to be wide open to learn it MARVIN AGNOT Anything? LINDA AMODO Nah MARVIN AGNOT Not even a cod? LINDA AMODO Uh-uh Not even a bullhead LINDA AMODO Our goal is to get fish We need fish in the freezer LINDA AMODO And that last all winter long MARCELLA It's fishing roulette MARVIN AGNOT Pretty quiet? LINDA AMODO Yep Let's go try move now MARVIN AGNOT We got a perfect, we got the incoming tide LINDA AMODO Yep MARVIN AGNOT Fish are moving MARVIN AGNOT We used to get some very big halibut and, 320 some pounder MARVIN AGNOT You know, big as a barn door Well, they're down there waiting for us We got hope You guys ready? MARCELLA Yeah, we are ready LINDA AMODO Okay MARVIN AGNOT I don't see halibut around very much anymore You know, the average size I see is maybe twenty-five to forty pounds Back when I'm still young, we catch a very big halibut, you know, there was no problem catching them JAZMINE Holy cow, it's kinda deep over here MARVIN AGNOT It is Yeah, it is deeper here A handline is, uh, you know, just a spool of mending twine and we use that cause, uh, you have more control because of the less movement of the fishing poll And cause it's quicker and easier to pull up and you're not fighting so much MARCELLA I see something! MARVIN AGNOT Oh gee, that's the sign MARCELLA Yeah, there you go MARVIN AGNOT And oh Careful, yeah Something exciting I hope MARCELLA There it is MARVIN AGNOT You got a skate Some people eat it, but we don't You don't go out and take what you don't need Come on fishy fishy The basis for fishing requires a lot of patience, you know, sometimes it takes really longer but it's gonna come Yeah! MARCELLA It's a fighter MARVIN AGNOT Woo! Is it winding in? LINDA AMODO Mm-hm MARVIN AGNOT Okay You see it? LINDA AMODO Yeah Oh MARVIN AGNOT Just keep tension on it all the time otherwise it will come right out Got a good grip on it? LINDA AMODO Oh, my goodness MARVIN AGNOT Oh, it's a halibut Hold it, hold it right there LINDA AMODO Oh, careful MARCELLA Get away Jazz MARVIN AGNOT Yeah That's what we set up to do LINDA AMODO I love the adrenalin rush when you feel that halibut pulling on your line I haven't pulled one up on a pole, pole like this in a long time Oh, my gosh, you just get all excited That put up a good fight MARVIN AGNOT Well, we know your pole works LINDA AMODO Yup MARVIN AGNOT Linda, my sister, she's always a happy person Oh, I got one, I got one LINDA AMODO Oh, good MARVIN AGNOT And to be a part of doing what she loves to do helps me find happiness that is still out there Yeah! We got one right there! MARCELLA Good one, Marv MARVIN AGNOT You respect what you get and eat and try not to waste it because of how hard it is to get Yeah, I think we can just close up our operation here MARCELLA Sweet cool MARVIN AGNOT Yeah JODY There's all kinds of things that the land provides We'll be ready for whatever the land decides to offer you JODY We're looking for poles we could use for our wall tent JAMEY JOSEPH Have a whole selection right here You just go through and usually pick out seven or eight poles JODY Babe, look What? No? JAMEY JOSEPH No JODY In order to get re-established here in Eagle, we're setting up a wall tent on our family's land So here we are at the wood pile at the point of this island JODY The upriver point of an island usually has big piles of drift wood Whoa, ah, ah Ah, no Whoa These poles in the drift pile are already pretty smooth No branches but also they're dead and dry so we don't have to worry about sap getting all over our tent It's looking pretty good JAMEY JOSEPH Now I gotta make a raft My God Well, we'll see JODY I grew up right on the banks of the Yukon River It was just a small little humble log cabin It was just the best childhood ever JAMEY JOSEPH Okay And we're, and we're ready JODY So, in 2009, there was a massive flood on the Yukon River during Spring Break up The flood and ice took all of our beautiful trees All of our buildings, our house, and everything that we had built up over the years Okay I'll bring the canoe Setting up this wall tent is really important so we can get started on re-establishing ourselves on our family's land JAMEY JOSEPH Yeah, yeah, it's floating JODY Feels really good to have Jamey here on my traditional lands with me I'm just super happy and thankful The fam is here Hi, Q Hi, poops All right, guys, these are the poles we cut today I guess let's just unload so we can, oh You guys, I grew up swimming in that creek but it's so icy cold 'cause it's all snow melt I would just like jump in and then immediately jump back out and try to get warm Welcome home JAMEY JOSEPH Get to work TIG I like hearing ravens around when I'm hunting Let's me know that the game is out there TIG [speaking Denaakk'e] SOPHIE STRASSBURG [speaking Denaakk'e] TIG [speaking Denaakk'e] SOPHIE STRASSBURG [speaking Denaakk'e] TIG [speaking Denaakk'e] Great grandfather, bring us luck! TIG [speaking Denaakk'e] Great grandfather, bring us luck! [speaking English] And that's how you pray to the raven TIG Great, great grandma Alda taught me "Grandma, I have bad luck, I can't get moose" She told me, "Pray to the raven then" And so, I would pray to the raven, I got a moose after that LOUISE MOSES I feel really good about my girls future LOUISE MOSES Ten, fifteen years from now, they're gonna have their own families And they're gonna be bringing their kids out and showing them different views, landmarks, hills, and creeks LOUISE MOSES It doesn't look it, but there's a lot of water all throughout here LOUISE MOSES It's just really tall grass, you can't tell TIG Oh! He's right there TIG Wait TIG I think he's coming around TIG Hazel, let me see those sticks TIG Don't move now TIG He's gonna come closer TIG He's gone! LOUISE MOSES I can still hear him calling TIG Trying, trying, I'm trying to get this bull to walk towards us It's not an everyday opportunity out here to shoot a moose It'll feed a lot of people Most of times when I call out moose like this, they'll come directly to the call So, I'm not sure if he seen us Maybe he spotted us up here on this little hill LOUISE MOSES It was looking pretty promising TIG We should have been up there on that edge TIG We could've took a shot over this way, you know? He must keep his cow in that back lake back there He's just pushing us away maybe Don't even want to fight LOUISE MOSES Come close TIG Yeah, 'cause he's coming in close but doesn't want to fight Just like he's protecting his cow You definitely need a lot of patience to be successful in this country You think we should come back to this lake? SOPHIE STRASSBURG Yeah HAZEL STRASSBURG Yeah TIG Seems pretty promising Oh, yeah JODY Things change but you always have home to come back to This river will always be here These mountains will always be here JAMEY JOSEPH You guys can let that back down towards me so I can tie it About right there, huh? JODY Looking like it's gonna be a good home on the banks of the Yukon River JODY All right Come here, poopers Feel like we have a good start here JAMEY JOSEPH [inaudible] Looks good JODY Yeah Had a really good childhood here We had a really nice, comfortable home You know, we fished every summer and had our smokehouse right on the river here It was always full of fish Ha, little nuisances JAMEY JOSEPH That's it Prettiest I ever saw Jody has a lot of fond childhood memories of this area JODY We have a lot of work to do This is just the beginning of Jamey and I getting re-established here on our family's native land DANIEL APASSINGOK As a family, we always have love no matter what Home is where the heart is DANIEL APASSINGOK Slow waves DANIEL APASSINGOK Real nice day like this DANIEL APASSINGOK [speaking Yup'ik] No seals popping up DANIEL APASSINGOK [speaking Yup'ik] The tide is going out NALU Where's the binoc? DANIEL APASSINGOK [speaking Yup'ik] Oh, boy! It's favorable! Favorable! NALU My family has always been providers and I think it's important for me to keep it going DANIEL APASSINGOK Hey, longneck coming NALU Do I shoot it? DANIEL APASSINGOK Oh, grandpa [speaking Yup'ik] It's an old one NALU Now what do I do? DANIEL APASSINGOK Just put it on safe The button My daughter, when she was young, she didn't have any real interest in hunting at all Next time we see a bird, if it's a young one, try to whack it NALU Whack it? DANIEL APASSINGOK Kill it Kill it DANIEL APASSINGOK Experiencing something that's new to her, it's making the family closer Have you shot at a seal with me before? NALU Nuh-uh DANIEL APASSINGOK Not yet? Only Bodie? NALU Yup DANIEL APASSINGOK [speaking Yup'ik] Young cormorant Oh, oh NALU Should I shoot it? DANIEL APASSINGOK Uh-huh Ah! NALU [speaking Yup'ik] Missed DANIEL APASSINGOK Almost I'm gonna call you almost NALU Hey, on a Honda? DANIEL APASSINGOK Think it might be another hunter NALU Oh, is it Agra? DANIEL APASSINGOK Ooh NALU [speaking Yup'ik] NALU My brother showed up with some pretty bad news One of his closest friends passed away so DANIEL APASSINGOK Chris was pretty close to his friend there Being a close-knit community in a small village, you know, it affects everybody Hunt is over He's a family member He's a community leader and he was a father, you know, that's shocking You hear something like that happen, you know, everything goes to a halt You go home and be with family members NALU My brother needs my dad more than anything 'Cause that's his best friend TIG We just have a strong connection to nature out here It's part of who we are Part of who we've been and I'm hoping it's part of who we'll always be TIG Sound like really pretty mooses LOUISE MOSES Oh, right there! See that, there's over there brown TIG Oh, yeah! LOUISE MOSES There's a moose coming out! There's a moose coming out! LOUISE MOSES It's got antlers LOUISE MOSES I heart it, then I just see it coming! TIG He's coming TIG You see him? TIG He's right there walking! TIG He's in about two feet of water TIG Gotta go this way! TIG Grab that other gun! TIG Right now, I'm trying to get him called away from that water TIG I don't want to shoot him in any water TIG It's too late in the evening to shoot a moose in the water TIG I'm hoping he starts walking this way TIG I don't know TIG I think he's walking closer slowly TIG No, no, no, no Couple years ago, me and your mother, we shot a moose out here and it was in the water It ended up taking two days to work on it and a lot of that meat had gone bad while I was working on it, trying to get it out of this lake and out of the water And that's just a valuable lesson for you girls right there Would've been an easy shot for you but I just don't want to ever have to waste meat like that again Did your little heart take off going? SOPHIE STRASSBURG I was excited TIG You're smiles from ear to ear HAZEL STRASSBURG I want to grow up and be a hunter Helping out my community, my family NALU Yesterday was pretty unexpected I just need to clear my mind, get away from the village and give myself time to think and to heal I forgot my binoculars I'm hunting alone without my dad My dad has to be with my brother right now When there's waves like this, the seals bounce up and down in the water And you have to aim at the right angle I'm still learning a lot of things that my dad still needs to teach me I'm kind of clueless It'd be better with him here Growing up too fast and doing things on my own When I'm out there with my dad, I just, I feel content More myself I see birds in the water Maybe the seals ran away We're gonna call it for today I'm pretty sure my dad would call it a day as well Growing up, I came to the beach a lot Growing up was hard When I was about 16, I came out to my parents and, my dad was there for me when I was at my lowest Our relationship grew stronger, and we just got closer and closer over the years He's one of my favorite people I am super thankful for him MARVIN AGNOT Uh-hmm Oh, yeah There's quite a bit of meals on this right here Look at how thick it is Over an inch thick of meat LINDA AMODO I'm looking for salmon berries What we're usually after are about this big in diameter MARCELLA This big LINDA AMODO That's a nice one there JAZMINE Here, Mom MARVIN AGNOT To see what Marcella does with her family, how united they are, that is very big for me MARCELLA We are gonna make some jelly MARVIN AGNOT What they instill on their kids how we gotta live out here Eventually, their kids will be a big part of this to pass it on MARCELLA This is liquid gold MARVIN AGNOT It's very meaningful for the people here in the village QUANNAH This is a dull knife JODY Uh-hmm We have indigenous species like the salmon that return to their birth place to continue that salmon cycle that's so important to the cycle of life In my future house, I hope that the view will be a lot like the view that I saw from our house When I grew up looking out over the Yukon River with mountains and trees on top I just want to have a home there for our family, the next generation, and also for our grandchildren Future grandchildren, there we go LOUISE MOSES My girls love these long hikes with their dad It's showing them they can do a lot more than they think they can LOUISE MOSES We're really strong people We're showing our kids, just keep moving forward You have to keep trying Life goes on You just have to live life the best you can, I guess Take care of those you love Appreciate everything you have while you have it [SNAP-IN] TIG Two years ago, I was sitting in this tree and I called out two bulls One bull spotted me The second bull, I got him to walk and I shot him This time I got three little gunners I just gotta sit up here and try and call one out for them LOUISE MOSES This whole fall has been about teaching these girls patience Try to be quiet, listen Teaching them to be outdoors and survive out here LOUISE MOSES You see this stuff? LOUISE MOSES My Great Grandma use to say that used to chew it like gum LOUISE MOSES Cleaned their gums, their teeth LOUISE MOSES When I got a cut LOUISE MOSES This finger LOUISE MOSES Right there LOUISE MOSES It got really infected LOUISE MOSES Your dad put really clear LOUISE MOSES Sap on this one LOUISE MOSES And the next day after we took the Band-Aid off LOUISE MOSES It took all the infection out LOUISE MOSES Healed my hand up really fast HAZEL STRASSBURG Cool! I want to be like my mom when I grow up A good hunter like her A good mom like her It's important to be strong as a little girl out here Ah, jeez, what the Good, you climbed this tree, Dad TIG This is their playground When I see my kids going out there and enjoying this land, brings me back to when I was a kid LOUISE MOSES Careful, we're a long ways from home TIG I'm very proud of my little girls They're doing good