Documentary backdrop image for Over Thin Ice (2023)

202344 minGdocumentary

climate-adaptation indigenous-histories

Over Thin Ice

202344 minGdocumentary

In Alaska's harsh winter, the next generation learns to maximize the limited sunlight to navigate the challenges of survival in extreme conditions.

climate-adaptation indigenous-histories

Genres

Channel: National Geographic

Over Thin Ice

2023• 44 minG

Synopsis

In Alaska's harsh winter, the next generation learns to maximize the limited sunlight to navigate the challenges of survival in extreme conditions.

Synopsis

In Alaska's harsh winter, the next generation faces the challenges of survival amid extreme cold and limited daylight. Utilizing the diminishing winter sun, young Alaskans adapt their traditional skills and modern techniques to navigate the frozen landscape. The episode highlights the resilience and resourcefulness of these individuals as they engage with their environment, emphasizing the importance of cultural heritage and innovation in overcoming the difficulties posed by the Alaskan winter.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Alaska's Vanishing Native Villages (2025)

Alaska's Vanishing Native Villages

2025•28m•★8.0TMDB

Alaska Native villages face existential threats from climate change, prompting relocation efforts and urgent discussions on preserving their cultural traditions.

Alaska's Vanishing Native Villages

Sea of Ice (2023)

Sea of Ice

Indigenous Peoples of Alaska navigate the challenges of winter's short days to secure food for their families and communities.

Declaration of Independence (2022)

Declaration of Independence

Michael Manzo, a 37-year-old mcmack Indian, faces the challenge of filling his moose permit before winter in the Alaskan wilderness.

Declaration of Independence

Death Stroll in Alaska's Winter (2023)

Death Stroll in Alaska's Winter

Indigenous Peoples of Alaska prepare for the harsh winter by securing food and safety in the challenging environment of the Alaskan bush.

Death Stroll in Alaska's Winter

Of the Land (2022)

Of the Land

A 50-mile round trip is required to catch king crab in Alaska's remote waters, where traditional practices guide survival amid environmental changes.

Surviving with Fear (2024)

Surviving with Fear

Six meals from a single caribou provide sustenance for Alaskans as they rely on traditional methods to survive in a harsh winter environment.

Surviving with Fear

Unforeseen Dangers (2024)

Unforeseen Dangers

Seven children accompany their father on a challenging spring trip to teach them traditional hunting practices in Alaska's changing environment.

Unforeseen Dangers

Living on the Edge (2022)

Living on the Edge

60 meals must be packed by Chris and Jesse Morse as they prepare to live off the grid during Alaska's harsh winter conditions.

Living on the Edge

It Takes a Village (2023)

It Takes a Village

Families gather food together in Alaska's wilderness, relying on traditional practices passed down through generations to sustain their community.

It Takes a Village

Trail Breakers: Unforgiving Winter (2023)

Trail Breakers: Unforgiving Winter

In Alaska's harsh winter, the next generation of residents navigates extreme conditions to secure essential resources for survival.

Trail Breakers: Unforgiving Winter

How Asia Is Designing Floor-Proof Cities In Earth's Most Seismic Region (2025)

How Asia Is Designing Floor-Proof Cities In Earth's Most Seismic Region

Changing Ocean Asia highlights urban challenges and solutions in Singapore's sinking cities.

How Asia Is Designing Floor-Proof Cities In Earth's Most Seismic Region

Green Heroes: Technology vs Climate Change (2024)

Green Heroes: Technology vs Climate Change

Up to 10 tons of raw sand can be extracted from a single wind turbine blade through a new recycling process.

Green Heroes: Technology vs Climate Change

Explore Over Thin Ice

Browse more like this

Alaska's Vanishing Native Villages (2025)

Alaska's Vanishing Native Villages

2025•28m•★8.0TMDB

Alaska Native villages face existential threats from climate change, prompting relocation efforts and urgent discussions on preserving their cultural traditions.

Alaska's Vanishing Native Villages

No digital watch option in your country

Sea of Ice (2023)

Sea of Ice

Indigenous Peoples of Alaska navigate the challenges of winter's short days to secure food for their families and communities.

No digital watch option in your country

Declaration of Independence (2022)

Declaration of Independence

Michael Manzo, a 37-year-old mcmack Indian, faces the challenge of filling his moose permit before winter in the Alaskan wilderness.

Declaration of Independence

No digital watch option in your country

Death Stroll in Alaska's Winter (2023)

Death Stroll in Alaska's Winter

Indigenous Peoples of Alaska prepare for the harsh winter by securing food and safety in the challenging environment of the Alaskan bush.

Death Stroll in Alaska's Winter

No digital watch option in your country

Of the Land (2022)

Of the Land

A 50-mile round trip is required to catch king crab in Alaska's remote waters, where traditional practices guide survival amid environmental changes.

No digital watch option in your country

Surviving with Fear (2024)

Surviving with Fear

Six meals from a single caribou provide sustenance for Alaskans as they rely on traditional methods to survive in a harsh winter environment.

Surviving with Fear

No digital watch option in your country

Unforeseen Dangers (2024)

Unforeseen Dangers

Seven children accompany their father on a challenging spring trip to teach them traditional hunting practices in Alaska's changing environment.

Unforeseen Dangers

No digital watch option in your country

Living on the Edge (2022)

Living on the Edge

60 meals must be packed by Chris and Jesse Morse as they prepare to live off the grid during Alaska's harsh winter conditions.

Living on the Edge

No digital watch option in your country

It Takes a Village (2023)

It Takes a Village

Families gather food together in Alaska's wilderness, relying on traditional practices passed down through generations to sustain their community.

It Takes a Village

No digital watch option in your country

Trail Breakers: Unforgiving Winter (2023)

Trail Breakers: Unforgiving Winter

In Alaska's harsh winter, the next generation of residents navigates extreme conditions to secure essential resources for survival.

Trail Breakers: Unforgiving Winter

No digital watch option in your country

How Asia Is Designing Floor-Proof Cities In Earth's Most Seismic Region (2025)

How Asia Is Designing Floor-Proof Cities In Earth's Most Seismic Region

Changing Ocean Asia highlights urban challenges and solutions in Singapore's sinking cities.

How Asia Is Designing Floor-Proof Cities In Earth's Most Seismic Region

No digital watch option in your country

Green Heroes: Technology vs Climate Change (2024)

Green Heroes: Technology vs Climate Change

Up to 10 tons of raw sand can be extracted from a single wind turbine blade through a new recycling process.

Green Heroes: Technology vs Climate Change

No digital watch option in your country

The Last Ice (2020)

The Last Ice

2020•1h23m•★8.6TMDB

Over 100,000 Inuit face threats to their traditional way of life as climate change accelerates the melting of sea ice between Canada and Greenland.

Alaska: Earth's Frozen Kingdom (2015)

Alaska: Earth's Frozen Kingdom

2015•50m•★5.8TMDB

The three-part series reveals the lives of Alaskans, both human and animal, as they confront harsh conditions and benefit from seasonal changes.

Alaska: Earth's Frozen Kingdom

Children of the Arctic (2014)

Children of the Arctic

2014•1h32m•★9.0TMDB

Five Native Alaskan teenagers in Barrow confront climate change and cultural shifts while balancing modern life with their traditional heritage.

Children of the Arctic

The Last Igloo (2019)

The Last Igloo

2019•1h28m•★7.7TMDB

Zacharias Kunuk constructs an igloo in the Arctic, highlighting traditional hunting methods and the impact of climate change on indigenous communities.

Between Earth and Sky: Climate Change on the Last Frontier (2016)

Between Earth and Sky: Climate Change on the Last Frontier

2016•1h20m•★8.5TMDB

Rising temperatures in Alaska threaten the history and culture of native peoples, along with the natural landscapes and wildlife habitats of the region.

Between Earth and Sky: Climate Change on the Last Frontier

Guest (2019)

Guest

2019•2h6m•★6.0TMDB

Inuit and Sámi communities in Greenland and northern Canada navigate extreme cold and ice while preserving their traditions and community ties.

Winter's Hidden Wonders (2020)

Winter's Hidden Wonders

2020•44m•★7.8TMDB

Bears enter hibernation for up to six months, conserving energy as they wait for spring in the harsh winter landscapes of the Arctic.

Winter's Hidden Wonders

Life on Ice (1986)

Life on Ice

1986•27m•★9.0TMDB

Over 20 species, including narwhals, polar bears, and walruses, inhabit the harsh Arctic climates at the edge of the ice.

Big Alaska: Modern Day Pioneers (2010)

Big Alaska: Modern Day Pioneers

2010•55m•★6.0TMDB

Four bush families in Alaska face the challenges of living off the grid while building shelters and sourcing food in a harsh wilderness.

Big Alaska: Modern Day Pioneers

Lima grita (2018)

Lima grita

2018•1h20m•★8.0TMDB

In Lima's vibrant neighborhoods, artists like Lorena Tulini shape the city's experimental music culture through a dynamic underground scene.

On Thin Ice (2020)

On Thin Ice

2020•52m•★7.8TMDB

Thawing permafrost in the Russian Arctic reveals massive craters that expose dangerous viruses and bacteria, threatening the indigenous Nenets people's way of life.

A Streetcar on Broadway (2006)

A Streetcar on Broadway

2006•20m•★6.5TMDB

Twenty minutes of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews reveal the creative process behind the adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire from stage to screen.

A Streetcar on Broadway

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →