One of the best things about Alaska is the fact that it’s so rugged and remote. This is a state where you can still find a few communities who live completely off the land. Here’s one little village where the people live a subsistence lifestyle.

The tiny village of Shishmaref sits on Sarichef Island and has just 150 homes. About 600 people live there.
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve/Wikimedia
Shishmaref is very isolated. It's about five miles from the mainland, but it's also 100 miles from the mainland of Russia - which you can actually see from the island. Located on the Bering Strait, it sits at an elevation of just 16 feet.
Angela/flickr
Subsistence living is the way of life here. While the town does have a small grocery store, the people here largely rely on hunting and gathering.
Angela/flickr
Fishing is one of the main food sources here, along with seals and birds.
Angela/flickr
Other bounties come from the land as well.
Angela/flickr

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Residents also boat to the mainland, where they hunt caribou, moose and other animals for their meat and hides.
Angela/flickr
While some homes here have indoor plumbing, many do not. Residents collect water from the mainland, and use bucket toilets.
Angela/flickr
Shishmaref is a close-knit community. Many of the Iñupiaq people who live here have never known another home. The community gathers at the school (which houses kindergarten through 12th grade) for parties and holiday celebrations.
Alaska National Guard/flickr
Sled dogs are a vital part of the community as well. In fact, Shishmaref was home to a local celebrity, Herbie Nayokpuk, a famous dog musher who completed the Iditarod many times.
Angela/flickr
The beauty of Shishmaref is undeniable. This place may be isolated, but it's definitely breathtaking.
Angela/flickr

Sadly, the little village of Shishmaref may not be around much longer. Due to global warming, the town may be under water within a decade. Residents voted to move their village to the mainland last year, but haven’t yet done so. The cost is prohibitive, and they worry that they’ll lose the heritage they’ve always known.

Here are 17 more tiny Alaska towns that you should check out.

 

 

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