Independent Lens

S25E15 One With the Whale

In the remote village of St. Lawrence, whale hunting is crucial for survival. When a reserved Alaska Native teenager achieves the remarkable feat of becoming the youngest member to successfully harpoon a whale for his community, his family is shocked to face a wave of harsh criticism online from numerous activists who fail to understand the significance of this tradition for their way of life. The backlash forces them to confront the complexities of cultural practices in the modern age.