Presenter(s): Nick Hawes − Biology
Faculty Mentor(s): Mark Carey
Poster 157
Research Area: Social Science
The purpose of this research is to identify how melting sea ice affects the indigenous people of the arctic. The indigenous people of the arctic, or Inuit, are very susceptible to changes in their environment due to their strong connections with the land and ice. Over many years the Inuit have adapted special techniques to survive in the harsh conditions of the arctic environment. As the natural environment gets disrupted due to climate change, the sea ice melts, changing their cultures. Melting sea ice affects the Inuit both physically and spiritually and has an impact on how they travel and interact with the environment. The other major problem produced from melting sea ice is the effect it has on the migration patterns of native species such as whales and seals. The effect on whales and seal is a problem since the changing migrations patterns force changes and adaptations of the Inuit hunting techniques, as well as representing increased vulnerability of the Inuit people to climate changes. The effect melting sea ice has on the Inuit people was determined through case studies of communities, studies on the migration of whales and seal, as well as other readings.