New documentary on Alaska’s native villages shows impact of climate change

For years, Alaska’s native villages have been dealing with rising temperatures, land erosion and flooding. They’re seeking ways to fortify their villages against the impacts of climate change, and in some cases, they’re confronting the difficult prospect of relocation.

These communities are facing the threats of rising sea levels and the melting of the permafrost, or frozen ground, in the area. That struggle for survival is the subject of a new documentary called “Alaska’s Vanishing Native Villages.”

The film, from “Frontline” and the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University, looks at how those communities are fighting to preserve their way of life. Their survival relies on harvesting foods from the sea and the land. And it’s not easy to get food. They hunt for the entire year.

The team behind the film traveled to different villages and towns near the Bering Sea and the Arctic Circle. The team spoke to residents and local leaders about the tough decisions they’re having to make and the prospect of relocation.

Patty Talahongva, who is the writer, director and producer of “Alaska’s Vanishing Native Villages,” joined “Arizona Horizon” alongside Lauren Mucciolo, who is also a producer, to discuss the documentary.

“It’s been happening for a long time, and between the rising sea levels and the warming of the Earth, so the thawing of the permafrost, is creating a perfect storm, if you will,” Talahongva said about the changing climate in Alaska.

The documentary premiered on PBS and online on Earth Day, April 22, 2025.

Watch “Alaska’s Vanishing Native Villages” online.