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Tied to the Land: Voices of Northwest Alaska- Episode- ADAPTING IN THE ARCTIC

Rural Northwest Alaskan people demonstrate strong resilience to the impacts of climate change. Adapting in the Arctic showcases how local people are seeking adaptive ways to continue their subsistence way of life.

  • Sarah Betcher
    Director
    Effects of Weather and Climate on Subsistence Communities
  • Sarah Betcher
    Editor
    Effects of Weather and Climate on Subsistence Communities
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Web / New Media
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 17 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 15, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Real Food Film Festival
    Fairbanks, Alaska
    April 23, 2015
  • Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference
    Bethel, Alaska
    April 15, 2015
  • Arctic Day: What is Hot in the Arctic
    Fairbanks, Alaska
    November 13, 2014
Director Biography - Sarah Betcher

Sarah Betcher spent several years traveling extensively around the world researching how indigenous cultures utilize local wild foods for their nutritional needs, while also working in Alaska as an environmental educator in remote wilderness areas. After receiving a masters degree in Cross-Cultural Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a focus on ethnographic film and Alaska Native Studies, she became the owner of Farthest North Films. Sarah specializes in creating media that communicates across cultures, especially showcasing Alaskan indigenous traditions.

In addition, Sarah has been awarded several contracts editing and filming for the Smithsonian Institution’s Arctic Studies Center; the University of Alaska Fairbanks, funded under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and The National Science Foundation; as well as the Athabascan Fiddle Association.

Recently, Sarah became an award-winning recipient of a Greenpeace documentary film competition with her work titled "Sea Ice Secure", exploring sea ice use in a changing Arctic landscape.

Through all the time Sarah has spent filming in rural Northwest Alaska, she is honored to have been given the Inupiaq name Miiyuk.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I am honored to have been embraced by several indigenous communities and allowing me to video record authentic life in rural northwest Alaska. I am also excited for the opportunity to share one of my video works to help shed more light on how people of arctic Alaska are being impacted by climate change.