Diomede, AK

Sitting on the steep, rocky slopes of Little Diomede Island in the Bering Strait, Diomede is just over two miles from Russia and the International Date Line. Everyday life is rugged and close-knit in this small Inupiat community, where stilt houses hug the hillsides above the water. With no roads or regular runway, locals depend on helicopters, seasonal boats, and winter sea ice for travel and supplies. Most residents balance subsistence hunting and fishing with ivory carving and jobs at the local school or city office.