Whale hunting in Alaska: Point Hope, the village caught between tradition and climate change

Alaska had its hottest year on record in 2014, and for villagers in Point Hope who have hunted and foraged their meals for generations, climate change threatens their way of life: 'It's about more than just meat'

Gallery: Alaska spring whaling festival blends culture with traditional eats

For the Inupiat villagers who have made their homes on this finger of land in the Chukchi Sea for generations, nothing is more important than the bowhead whale.

The calendar revolves around seasons for hunting, fishing and gathering. It's a lifestyle Alaskans call "subsistence", which is as much cultural tradition as economic necessity in one of the state's most northern villages.