In Inupiaq tradition, glaciers carry memories from the past and communicate them in song. The climate crisis has become a terrifying reality that includes seeing the end of glaciers—the end of these sung histories—happen before our eyes. Glacial time, once was slow, is now fast. By telling the story of the life journey of glacier ice along with the life of a girl, the film makes this human-nature timescale tangible and warns the audience that the consequences of climate change are within our lifetimes. "Once a Glacier" shows a gesture of nurturing, and whether the girl’s efforts are successful or not, the work suggests a poignant level of grace and humility for moving forward into the future.