Raised in Kivalina, Replogle Swan, Sr. comes from a family of 19. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Swan Sr. had 11 children of their own, of which Replogle was the youngest. His parents had six more children by cultural adoption.

Replogle is married to Dolly Helen. They have seven children, the youngest by adoption. They live in Kivalina and provide for their family through subsistence activities, hunting caribou, bearded seals, and seining for trout. They teach their children how to safely survive from the land, sea, and air. This way of life sustains them because jobs are still scarce in rural areas.

Replogle and Dolly provide for their elderly parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Swan Sr. and Mr. and Mrs. Willard Adams Sr., and many other family members including brothers, sisters, and cousins. Replogle has been a surrogate father to many of his nephews, teaching them how to care for themselves and their families. Most importantly he has taught them about safety while out in the country and how to be a successful hunter. Nothing is more important to Replogle than safety while out gathering food or traveling.

All his nephews provide for their families today using these lessons. Both Replogle and Dolly come from whaling families. Recently, their fathers passed the responsibility of the family whaling crews to them. With the changing climate, they must be even more aware of the dangers of being on the ice during whaling season.

Replogle serves as the president of the Kivalina Volunteer Search and Rescue program, is a Field Officer for the First Responders Team, is the Fire Chief of the Volunteer Fire Department, and is the property manager for the Episcopal Church Committee. He’s served on the Alaska Beluga Commission and is a member of the Kivalina IRA Council.