Every family is different, and that’s what makes them unique. However, the Brown family is by far the most unique family we’ve ever encountered. You might know them a bit better as the Alaskan Bush People. The Browns are far removed from civilization in a way that the vast majority of us could never imagine. There has been some insinuation that perhaps the family has not actually lived for decades in the Alaskan wilderness as their hit reality show claims they have, but they have lived here and there across the states for many years.
Regardless, this is a family that lives off the radar. They typically don’t see people for months at a time. They are real bush people in that they live off the land, off the grid and pay no mind to the modern amenities that the rest of us take for granted on a regular basis. Billy and Ami Brown have seven adult children, and they all live in a small cabin in the wilderness. They spend so little time in the real world that they have their own language and even their own accents; and they do not leave even when the temperature is far, far below zero.
Recent news that Billy Brown and Joshua Brown are currently spending a month in jail for lying to Alaskan authorities regarding their main residence in order to receive government funding really changed the way people view the family. Billy and Ami brown and their five boys and two girls, Gabe Brown, Noah Brown, Bam Bam Brown, Matt Brown, Bear Brown, Rain Brown and Snowbird Brown might not be exactly who they claim to be, but they are not like the rest of us.
When a question was posed on the official Alaskan Bush People twitter page asking fans to pose any question they want to the family, it inspired us to ask a few of our own. These people live such vastly different lives and if we had just five questions, we’d ask the ones that seem most obvious in our minds.
If you could ask the any of the Browns a question, what would you ask? #AlaskanBushPeople pic.twitter.com/1v4s4HUqs6
– Alaskan Bush People (@AlaskanBushPPL) February 24, 2016
Why? Why do you choose to live life in this manner when there are so many other ways to live life that are far less…cold and dangerous?
Why did you, Ami and Billy, choose your kids’ names the way you did? You have Matt and Noah and Gabe, all popular names that have been around for centuries; and then you have Rain and Snowbird and Bam Bam and Bear. Why? Are they nicknames?
Speaking of Billy and Josh’s jail time; what do you even need money for? You live off the grid, shouldn’t that be obsolete?
Do you ever wish you could lead a more civilized existence?
Several of your children wear prescription glasses, some wear jewelry and have piercings. If you’re really people from the bush who rarely leave, how is this even possible? I find it difficult to believe you have internet access or a FedEx delivery man.
Photo by DISC
Unfortunately, your research on this family is lacking. They do not, nor have they ever, lived in the Bush. They have lived in rural areas of Alaska, which would be akin to living in the country in the Lower 48. All their children were born in hospitals and 3 were out of State.
Billy has been pitching this wilderness idea for a long time and at one point, their bleach blonde hair era, they traveled across the country in an RV. The “kids” have had internet access for a very long time and if you look at YouTube and search Alaska Gabe or Alaska Bam you will see videos dating back to 2008.
Public records reveal quite a bit about the Browns. “Browntown” belongs to a Hoonah family who has leased it to Discovery. The cabin was built by a local construction company. According to a popular FB page about Hoonah life, the Browns and construction crew live in local lodging and head out to Browntown only for filming.
Public court records also reveal a troubled criminal history for the Browns which include more than one fraud conviction, welfare fraud, DUI, destruction of public property and fishing without licenses – we Alaskans value our natural resources and don’t take kindly to people who feel entitled to our fish. There is also the sticky matter of Billy’s first wife and 2 daughters who are not given so much as a nod.
My partner and I have made a good life living in the bush and off the land. We have raised intelligent, capable and independent children who lead their own lives. We have a trap line which helps us with our minimal expenses. We only had to watch one episode of this comedy to know that the Browns have absolutely no wilderness skills. It is unfortunate that so many are being duped and that any shred of integrity Discovery once had, is now gone.