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Kaur 1 Shaya Kaur Ms. Radcliff Reading & Written Composition 21…
Kaur 1 Shaya Kaur Ms. Radcliff Reading & Written Composition 21 April 2023 Climate Change & the Alaskan Inuit “Climate change is so real up here. It’s my life,” says Natasha, a member of the Alaskan Inuit community (Baranuik). The Inuit are a group of indigenous people residing on the Arctic coasts of Alaska (“Alaskan People: Alaska Inuit Indians”). For generations, Inuit have lived off the land, and the wildlife and environment around them have been vital to their culture, well-being, and economy (“Government of Canada supports Inuit-led climate change strategy”). Climate change, or long-term alterations in temperature and weather patterns, is producing a slew of issues onto the Inuit (“What Is Climate Change? | United Nations”). Within the state of Alaska, the Inuit indigenous people are impacted by climate change through land disappearance, dangerous travel, and impracticable culturally significant activities. Inuit communities are faced with the issue of their land disappearing. Highlighting the reduction of Inuit land, UN Chronicle writer, Duane Smith states that “communities are contending with vanishing historical sites, gravesite erosions, and community disruption and relocation. Inuit are as adaptable as others, but only to a certain degree” (Smith). The disappearance of Inuit land in Alaska is an urgent issue because it threatens the survival of these communities and their culture. Melting of ice caps in the Arctic has led to rising sea levels and shoreline erosion, making it increasingly difficult for the Inuit to maintain their communities and livelihoods. The Inuit have been living in the Arctic for centuries and have developed a unique way of life that is inextricably linked to their environment. Demonstrating the melting of Inuit Kaur 2 territory, indigenous journalist Terri Hansen says that “arctic permafrost is also disappearing at unprecedented rates, and the center reported that sea ice set a record low of 2.9 million square miles in July, a loss the size of South Carolina from the previous low record set in July 2012. Scientists forecast that Arctic sea ice could vanish in the summer by the 2040s” (Hansen). The Arctic is one of the world’s most important ecosystems, and changes in the region have far-reaching ramifications. As ice caps continue to melt, the Arctic is becoming more accessible for oil and gas exploration, shipping, and other commercial activities. This puts the fragile ecosystem at risk and threatens the livelihoods of the Inuit and other indigenous peoples who rely on the environment for their subsistence. Dangerous travel is a sad reality for the Inuit people. According to Natasha Simonee, “thinning sea ice and slushy rivers make traveling across land using traditional methods more dangerous for people in her community. The skills involved for safe navigation, tracking and hunting are still passed on – but opportunities to do these things are increasingly threatened” (Baranuik). Thinning ice can cause ice roads and trails to break and disappear, which can be a significant challenge for communities that rely on them for transportation. Additionally, thinning ice can make it more difficult to navigate by boat, as there are more obstacles and unpredictable ice conditions. The importance of the issue of thinning ice for travel among the Alaskan Inuit revolves around the fact that these communities rely on traditional methods of transportation for subsistence and cultural practices (“Inuit culture”). The changing climate and thinning ice are making it increasingly difficult for the Inuit to undertake traveling safely, thereby threatening their way of life and cultural practices. Indicating the risks of travel, indigenous journalist Terri Hansen says that “some hunters in Alaska have gone back to using traditional dog sleds. The dogs are better at foreseeing dangers and won’t try to cross thin ice. But dogs won’t be enough to Kaur 3 ensure safe travel for too much longer. In June a scientific expedition found that permafrost in the Canadian Arctic is thawing 70 years earlier than predicted” (Hansen). Prior to climate change, traditional methods of travel and hunting, such as dog sleds, were safe and effective. However, the changing climate has resulted in thinner ice, which makes it difficult for dog sleds to travel over. Additionally, weather patterns have become more unpredictable, which makes it more dangerous to travel long distances. The importance of the issue revolves around the Inuit’s traditional way of life, which is closely tied to the land, hunting, and travel. Culturally significant activities are beginning to become impracticable. Revealing how cultural herding is disappearing, Klemetti Näkkäläjärvi, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oulu states that “while it is possible to adapt reindeer herding as a livelihood or source of income to overcome the challenges posed by climate change, herding as a cultural form – a practice unchanged for a very long time – is vulnerable” (Baranuik). The near extinction of herding as a cultural form is due to the greening process. The greening process is described as the “specific actions that allow reducing the environmental impacts among all the processes involved in the manufacturing activities of a product” (Rice and Galbraith).The warming Arctic climate is causing the melting of permafrost and changing the landscape for reindeer. This leads to the fragmentation of the herd and migration of the reindeers in different directions, making it difficult for herders to keep track of them. Moreover, while some areas that were once habitable for reindeer become too wet or too dry, other areas become overgrown with shrubs and trees, making it harder for reindeer to find food. It complicates the process of navigating, searching for, and herding reindeer (Baranuik). Exhibiting the diminishment of cultural hunting techniques, BBC writer Chris Baranuik states that “increasingly warm waters affect the kind of fish that are available for fishing, too. Some old words are falling out of use because the conditions or events Kaur 4 to which they refer don’t occur any more” (Baranuik). Inuit communities have developed specialized fishing techniques and tools that are adapted to the harsh Arctic environment, and modern fishing practices can negatively impact the cultural heritage and practices that have developed over generations. The incorporation of traditional knowledge and practices into modern management frameworks can provide a basis for sustainable fishing practices and support the cultural practices of Inuit communities (“Inuit culture”). Despite the challenges posed by climate change, some Inuit communities are working to create sustainable fishing practices that balance conservation with the use of marine resources. This has affected the implementation of their traditional fishing techniques, resulting in the lessening of Inuit cultural significant activities. The Inuit indigenous people are not significant contributors to climate change. Through the National Inuit Climate Change Strategy, Inuit are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase the resilience of their communities, and address the impacts of climate change on Inuit cultural heritage and practices (“Government of Canada supports Inuit-led climate change strategy”). They have been living in harmony with their environment for centuries and have an intimate knowledge of their surroundings. However, they are among the most vulnerable communities to climate change impacts, including land disappearance, dangerous travel, and impracticable culturally significant activities. It is important to recognize the unique challenges that these communities face and work together to mitigate the impacts of climate change on their traditional way of life.
Answer these 11 question
RECORD YOUR RESPONSES TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS EITHER IN THE SPACES BELOW OR ON SEPARATE
SHEET(S) OF PAPER.
Read the paper through once, rather quickly, without pausing to write comments. Then put the paper aside and
answer the following questions without looking back. (If you can’t answer the question, write “I don’t know.”)
1. What single feature of the paper stands out to you as a reader?
2. What do you think is the writer’s main point?
3. Was there anything in the paper that seemed confusing to you? (If so, explain briefly).
Now reread the paper, making any comments in the margins you feel would be helpful. Try to com-ment on
development and organization of ideas: Do you understand the points the writer is trying to make? Do ideas
seem well-connected? Remember, you are not being asked to evaluate the paper; you are being asked to
respond to it with an eye toward helping the writer improve it.
4. Underline the thesis statement. Is it clearly stated? If not, what seems confusing?
5. Is there any place where the writer needs to support an idea with more concrete detail or explanation? If so,
where?
6. How well does the writer make transitions between his/her main ideas? Identify places that need better
transitions.
7. How well does the writer use quotations or citations of ideas form the sources. Are source(s) referenced
appropriately? If a citation is missing state where.
8. List at least two ways in which the essay could be improved.
9. List at least two things you like about the paper.
10. What would you like to know more about? What questions do you still have?
11. Ask of the essay “so what?” after you finish reading. Write sentence or two paraphrasing the point of the
paper, answering the question, “in what way(s) is this interesting, surprising, intriguing, etc.?” If the paper lacks
a “so what,” point that out and discuss the possibilities.
