Sky People

Sky People, or Skaikru  (Trigedasleng)  is a term used by the Grounders to describe a person who came from The Ark. They are also commonly known as Arkers. The Sky People are descendants of humans who survived the Nuclear Apocalypse 97 years prior because they were already living in space or managed to escape in shuttles.

With almost a century since the Apocalypse, the Ark merely needed to survive another two hundred years to ensure that the ground is viable for life. Little did most of the Ark population know that oxygen was running out, and soon enough, they would be forced to take their very homes through reentry, and begin life on the ground.

History
The first Sky People were referred to as 'Grounders', which was the name used to indicate a person born on Earth rather than in space. The 400-odd humans escaped the apocalypse on 12 space stations, that were combined into the Ark. Those original survivors all have their names recorded in a metal remembrance book kept on the Ark.

The first page of the metal book listing everyone who’s ever lived on the Ark, starting with the last generation of Grounders. Several members of the Ark's Grounders seem to share a last name, indicating a possible family connection. Clarke and Abigail Griffin are the only main characters from the Ark whose last name is not shown on the list.

In addition to the list above, the following Grounder names were purportedly mentioned by Jason Rothenberg.


 * Jacob Mertans
 * Erin Mortson
 * Amanda Reyes
 * Simon Shumway


 * Oscar Smith
 * Anna Swervatise
 * Emma Turner
 * Emily White

Population
Chancellor Jaha mentioned in Contents Under Pressure that there were 2237 people on The Ark but they only have enough Exodus ships for 700 to get to earth. In Unity Day, Diana Sydney's drop ship escape costs the lives of hundreds of Arkers as well as everyone on board her drop ship. It is estimated in The Calm that there were no more than 1,000 survivors and at least 1,500 dead as a result.

Project Exodus then took place and the Ark was brought to the ground. An estimate of how many survivors of the Ark made it to the ground in We Are Grounders (Part 2) is unknown since there are still several missing stations as of the Season Two finale. So far, Mecha Station, Alpha Station, and Factory Station are the only three stations with known survivors with Factory Station having only one survivor, Mel.

In Wanheda (Part 2), it is discovered that Farm Station survived the landing with no casualties, however, after four months trapped within Ice Nation territory, only 63 Sky People survived from three times that many. In Watch the Thrones, 49 Sky People are killed when Mount Weather's self-destruct sequence is initiated by an Ice Nation assassin.

Throughout the Series
After the Ark's resources began dwindling faster than projected, 100 delinquents were sent to earth to see if it was survivable. Chancellor Jaha mentioned in Contents Under Pressure that there were 2237 people on The Ark but they only have enough Exodus ships for 700 to get to earth. In Unity Day, Diana Sydney's drop ship escape costs the lives of hundreds of Arkers as well as everyone on board her drop ship. It is estimated in The Calm that there were no more than 1,000 survivors and at least 1,500 dead as a result.

Project Exodus took place and the Ark was brought to the ground. An estimate of how many survivors of the Ark made it to the ground in We Are Grounders (Part 2) is unknown since there are still several missing stations as of the Season Two finale. So far, Mecha Station, Alpha Station, and Farm Station are the only three stations with a substantial number of survivors; Factory Station has one survivor, Mel. Farm Station was discovered to have landed in Azgeda territory, but is united with the rest of the Sky People in Season Three where a Farm Station survivor named Pike becomes Chancellor.

Society
Life on the Ark was not easy, as every resource was valuable and wasting resources was a Crime unto itself. Medical supplies were carefully tracked, food and water was rationed, and even the oxygen breathed was closely monitored. Families were permitted one child only to reduce population, and giving birth to additional children born was a capital crime for both parents.

There was a small, but noticeable stratification within the social hierarchy on the Ark, with workers at the bottom tier and scientists and guards at the higher tiers. It was almost impossible to move up in the social hierarchy unless you were chosen to train as a guard, and that selection process was very stringent.

Sky People are able to metabolize high amounts of radiation as a result of advanced genetic engineering and exposure to solar radiation from living in space. This ability to filter radiation with no effects on their health makes them essentially immune to the current levels of radiation on Earth, much like the Grounders.

The people of the Ark believed that they are just a transitional generation who will live and die on the Ark, with the understanding that in another hundred years their descendants will be able to go down and live on the planet once the radiation levels have decreased. During that time they adapted many rules and regulations to survive on the limited resources of the Ark. There was never enough food, water, air, medicine etc supplies these were rationed and regulated. Everyone on the Ark was engineered to be a universal donor. To control population, a single child policy was enacted. Women on the Ark received birth control implants when they hit puberty. Births were planned by removing birth control implants to allow conception and then re-implanting the birth control after the baby was born.

Unity Day
The Sky People like to celebrate the holiday called Unity Day in which they give thanks to the people of the 12 space stations that were still active during and after the nuclear apocalypse. These 12 stations came together in the year 2054, two years after the nuclear apocalypse because they "realized life would be better together."

The Last Tree
The Last Tree was a tree brought from Earth to The Ark before the apocalypse. It was cultivated and cared for by citizens of the Ark who donated some of their rationed water to keep it alive. Vera Kane maintained the Last Tree until her death in the Unity Day Bombing. After the Sky People returned to earth, Marcus Kane took the tree out to the forest and replanted it into the soil, honoring Vera's last request of him

Wells damaged the Eden Tree to get himself arrested, in order to be sent to Earth with Clarke.

Crime and Punishment
All crimes on The Ark were treated as capital crimes, breaking one of the many laws led to swift execution. With the exception of minors, they are were sent to the "SkyBox", a holding detention center where they await turning 18. Once they reach the age of 18 when they were given a trial and, where it was decided if they should be "floated" or returned to the Ark’s main population. One hundred of these delinquents were sent to Earth to see if it was habitable enough for humans to survive and were promised that their crimes would be pardoned.

Council
The Council is the governing institution that made executive decisions for The Ark, and currently Arkadia. It is headed by the Chancellor. Through Project Exodus, the Council planned for the eventual return of the Sky People to earth via Exodus ships. They also created the Exodus Charter, which contains the new laws for governing once the Sky People returned to the ground.

Officers
An Officer is a high rank in the bureaucracy of the Ark. Above the general officers is the Ark's governing Council which is led by the current Chancellor. The Ark's officers have information not accessible to most of the Ark's residents. Certain key knowledge is further restricted to just the Council itself.

Guard
The Guard was a group that was employed to maintained security on the Ark and later at Arkadia once they arrived on Earth. On the Ark, the Guard was in charge of surprise inspections of the Sky People's living quarters and were commonly seen working in law enforcement and providing protection. They also performed the duties of executioner when pushing the button to float Sky People charged with capital crimes. During Council meetings, Ark Guards stand watch and await orders by Council members. Guard Cadets are responsible for chaperoning public gatherings such as dances. On the Ground, the Guard goes out on scouting missions and accompanies Sky People outside the safety of Arkadia. Once the alliance between the Grounders and Sky People was established, the Guard worked alongside the Grounder Warriors, providing technology they lacked such as medicine, firearms, and tone generators.

Delinquents
The delinquents are a faction of Sky People. One hundred were sent to Earth to see if it was habitable as the Ark was dying. They were promised that their crimes would be pardoned if they survived. They were the first group of Sky People to reach Earth. Upon landing they were attacked by the Woods Clan under the orders of Commander Lexa.

Members
As well as Other survivors from the Ark landing on Earth
 * Alive

As well as many Unnamed individuals
 * Deceased

Notes and Trivia

 * The first generation of Sky People who escaped the apocalypse on earth are known as Grounders.
 * The 100 and the former citizens of The Ark are all Sky People.
 * Clarke mentions in Coup de Grâce that the Sky People were genetically engineered.
 * Although called "Sky People" by the Grounders, the Delinquents rarely refer to themselves as Sky People and the survivors of the Ark have only recently begun doing so.
 * In The 48, Lincoln teaches Octavia how to say: "I am Octavia of the Sky People. I seek safe passage" in Trigedasleng.
 * In Bodyguard of Lies, a member of Jaha's party referred to the Sky People as "Arkers" seconds before his death while crossing The Dead Zone.
 * According to Wells, possessions on Ark were shared based on need. When a person died his things were taken to the redistribution center, as was with Charlotte's parents.
 * Formerly known as Camp Jaha, Arkadia is the current home base on Earth for the Sky People.
 * The previous home base was the Delinquents' Camp.
 * It is made out of the remnants of Alpha Station.
 * The Sky People have been at war with the Woods Clan since the 100 landed in the Pilot.
 * The Grounder clans view the Sky People as invaders rather than refugees.
 * The 100 were attacked by the Woods Clan within days of landing on Earth, and many were killed in the following weeks.
 * The Sky People and the Grounder Coalition were temporarily allied against Mount Weather. This alliance was broken by Lexa and the Sky People were left to die.
 * The Sky People joined the Coalition in Ye Who Enter Here with Kane receiving the brand of the Coalition on his forearm, against the majority of the Coalition's wishes. This did, however, allow Lexa to remain in power and bought temporary protection from attack for the Sky People.
 * The status of the Coalition is uncertain after the death of Lexa.
 * The relationship between the Sky People and the Coalition is uncertain.