How Indigenous Peoples Adapted to the Arctic's Harsh Climate
A new exhibition at the British Museum spotlights an ingenious way of life threatened by global warming
By Isis Davis-Marks
SMITHSONIANMAG.COM
OCTOBER 23, 2020
Imagine an icy winter with temperatures below -30 degrees Fahrenheit. Animals migrate south en masse, the days grow dark as the sun hangs low on the horizon and snow lingers on the ground for months.
For the 400,000 Indigenous people living in the Arctic, this scenario reflects the reality of life in one of the worlds harshest climates. To survive in this environment, residents have had to get creativea fact exemplified by the British Museums latest exhibition, Arctic: Climate and Culture.
Per the London museums website, the showcreated in direct collaboration with Arctic communitieshighlights Indigenous peoples ingenuity through artifacts including a centuries-old sealskin whaling suit, brightly beaded snow goggles and a wolverine furlined parka. In addition to presenting examples of Arctic cultures resilience, the exhibition places a stark focus on ice loss, erratic weather and other effects of climate change that threaten Indigenous communities way of life.
As Jonathan Jones writes for the
Guardian, one of the around 280 items featured in Arctic: Climate and Culture is a 16th-century drawing of a warmly dressed Inuit woman holding her baby, who peeks out through a small opening in the hood. A nearby video shows how Arctic women use similar parka hoods to carry children today. The juxtaposition is striking, helping viewers understand why such objects have a prevailing usefulness
More:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/british-museum-hosts-exhibition-indigenous-arctic-artifacts-180976125/