Arctic Aboriginals would rather stick with the tundra

[Che Guava]

Just a little piece I found interesting...

Arctic aboriginals still tied to tundra, study reveals

EDMONTON -- One foot on the shop floor and one foot on the tundra -- that's how aboriginal people in the Arctic prefer to live, an international study says.

Researchers used to predict that the coming of the wage economy to the North would eventually replace the old ways of subsistence hunting and trapping.

But a study conducted in seven countries, including Canada, and released today has found that's not what's happening.

Arctic aboriginals still feed their families largely with fish and wild game, even if they've got good jobs. In fact, the study suggests that the more people earn, the more they can afford to spend time on the land.

Researchers say policy makers and businesses hoping to work in the Arctic have to keep in mind that northerners aren't going to completely swap their attachment to the land for 9-to-5 jobs any time soon.

I always find it fascinating when people chose a way of life over modern conviniences. I find it even more interesting when the manage to blend the two. Godspeed, arctic peoples! We'll try to stop the melting for you....

 

[Bozo Erectus]

What happens when they have to leave where they are now, because of the melting, and go somewhere else? I think it takes alot more than hunting to make a culture. So they wont be able to hunt anymore, so what? That doesnt mean their culture will dissapear.

 

[Che Guava]

Sorry, I didn't mean to reduce thier culture to simply hunting. What I will say is that northern aboriginal culture is very much tied to the land, and i find it great that inuit can still have a job, but live a more traditional life to keep thier culture alive.

 

[Leifmk]

I always find it fascinating when people chose a way of life over modern conviniences. I find it even more interesting when the manage to blend the two.

It is a blend that they choose, make no mistake about that. Same thing with the Sami up in northern Scandinavia. They'll want to keep some chosen bits of the old way of life, but anyone who thinks they'll generally want to give up stuff like snowmobiles, modern hospitals, internet porn and so on will be righteously mocked.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Sorry, I didn't mean to reduce thier culture to simply hunting. What I will say is that northern aboriginal culture is very much tied to the land, and i find it great that inuit can still have a job, but live a more traditional life to keep thier culture alive.

No its not you per se, thats just the general perception out there. The cultures of billions and billions of people are doing just fine, long after they gave up hunting. Even if there was no global warming, its way past time they stopped clinging to the past and embraced the future, or at least, the present.

 

[Che Guava]

It is a blend that they choose, make no mistake about that. Same thing with the Sami up in northern Scandinavia. They'll want to keep some chosen bits of the old way of life, but anyone who thinks they'll generally want to give up stuff like snowmobiles, modern hospitals, internet porn and so on will be righteously mocked.

And why not? I feel like i can still participate in certain aspect of canadian culture that my ancestors laid down, and still live in modern convinience. I ust feel as if some northern cultures have to commit that much more. Eg, I can feel a connection to my culture simply by enjoying good maple syrup (I know that's a really dorky sterotpe, but my family actually had about 4 generations of maple sugar production in eastern quebec), playing traditional acadian music, or learning french, but that's hardly the commitment of feeding myself by directly from the land, whether I use snowmobiles, rifles, or whatever.

 

[Stevenpfo]

I just returned from the Canadian Arctic. I'm no expert (no one here really is) but if I had to guess as to why they keep doing these things i'd say it was for two reasons. One: Modern food is really expensive up there. Like 3-4 times as much. Two: Boredom. It also has a nice side benefit of keeping their culture going. In my opinion, if everything was easily available, affordable and nearby then their small numbers would be assimilated quickly.

 

[Masquerouge]

Researchers say policy makers and businesses hoping to work in the Arctic have to keep in mind that northerners aren't going to completely swap their attachment to the land for 9-to-5 jobs any time soon.

Policy makers and businesses hoping to work in the Artic? Who in his right mind would want to open a business up there? Wal-Mart?

 

[CartesianFart]

Did you know that the Eskimos have not one but many words for snow?

Just an off-topic comment.

 

[Masquerouge]

Did you know that the Eskimos have not one but many words for snow?

Just an off-topic comment.

I think there is a law somewhere stating that it is mandatory to tell that fact in any discussion about Eskimos

 

[CartesianFart]

I think there is a law somewhere stating that it is mandatory to tell that fact in any discussion about Eskimos

Gotta love extra post counts.

 

[El_Machinae]

And why not? I feel like i can still participate in certain aspect of canadian culture that my ancestors laid down, and still live in modern convinience.

Except that maintaining their modern convenience is very, very expensive on the taxpayer. I know it's a complicated issue, but their lifestyle is an expensive burden on everyone else. If they'd come down, and travel up there on vacation, it would be much cheaper.

 

[Masquerouge]

Except that maintaining their modern convenience is very, very expensive on the taxpayer. I know it's a complicated issue, but their lifestyle is an expensive burden on everyone else. If they'd come down, and travel up there on vacation, it would be much cheaper.

I don't get it. Is their lifestyle of fishing and hunting expensive? Or is trying to bring them all modern amenities such as electricity and hospitals expensive?

 

[Che Guava]

I don't get it. Is their lifestyle of fishing and hunting expensive? Or is trying to bring them all modern amenities such as electricity and hospitals expensive?

The latter. I beleive, however, that it's worth preserving the culture at some cost for now until we figure out better ways to mee those services in thier environment.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Every language has multiple words for snow. And as there are dozens of Inuit languages, of course each one will have different words.

 

[CartesianFart]

Every language has multiple words for snow. And as there are dozens of Inuit languages, of course each one will have different words.

Hmm.Having some thoughts of becoming a linguist someday?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Yes, actually; I intend to study Arabic in grad school.

 

[Che Guava]

Hmm.Having some thoughts of becoming a linguist someday?

If you want to be an inuit linguist, you better start honing your Inuktitut alphbet:

 

[CartesianFart]

If you want to be an inuit linguist, you better start honing your Inuktitut alphbet:

I'll pass on that unless someone can persuade me that Inuit chicks are hot,then I might reconsider.

Yes, actually; I intend to study Arabic in grad school.

I am contemplating on that as well but have shifted my interest to German(i am curious of their compound words).Want to master that first since alot of literature in German strikes me as important.Arabic still looms over my head if I can get down with the German language first.

 

[Masquerouge]

Every language has multiple words for snow. And as there are dozens of Inuit languages, of course each one will have different words.

Actually it goes a bit further than that. It's not because they have lots of languages than the Inuits have lots of words for snow, it's because they constantly live in it and every change in snow can mean a difference between life and death. You need to know if the snow is fresh, frozen, thick, thin, fluffy, slushy, etc. And since they talk about that all the time, they have specific words for it to make the conversation easier.