On Thursday, August 1, join us at the New Bedford Whaling Museum for a screening of One with the Whale, the first in a film series of Native Stories from the Pacific to the Arctic.

About the Film
“Hunting whales is a matter of life or death for the residents of St. Lawrence, a tiny island in the Bering Sea. So, when Chris Agra Apassingok becomes the youngest person to ever harpoon a whale for his Alaskan village, his mother proudly shares the news on Facebook. To her surprise, thousands of keyboard activists brutally attack Chris without fully understanding the scope of his accomplishment and the importance of the hunt to his community’s well-being.

One With the Whale chronicles the obstacles Chris and his family face, amidst larger currents of food security, environmental justice, climate change, cultural genocide, and social media. The livelihood of the Apassingoks and their village are threatened as they search for a balance between modernity and a traditional subsistence lifestyle.”

The Filmmakers
Jim Wickens is a leading storyteller on the frontline of environmental conflicts. His work has screened on Channel 4 News, Animal Planet, CNN, and ITV. His uncompromising style has earned him numerous awards, including the RTS Independent Filmmaker of the Year and the Wincott Foundation Award for Journalism. This is his first feature documentary.

Pete Chelkowski is a producer and director of long- and short-form content. His debut feature film was Carnival Roots and his other works include Life Below Zero: First Alaskans, Who Runs the World, Ocean Warriors, Fighting Tuna, and I Learn America. He regularly works undercover for Ecostorm, an environmental detective agency

Yaari Walker is a spiritual healer who was born and raised in the village of Savoonga located on St. Lawrence Island. Her clan is Aymaaramka and Qiwaghmii clan. She is the Indigenous Consultant at Alaska Pacific University, assisting their transformation into a Tribal College. Previously, she ran the Unguwat Program at the Alaska Native Heritage Center

This film series is presented in conversation with The Wider World & Scrimshaw exhibition on view at the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s June 14, 2024 through November 11, 2024.