Essential Question: VI

How are the Earth, atmosphere and cultures all connected?

In my reading from the TD, goggle earth resources, and experiences with Inupiat people I see how we are connected to the Earth in many ways. One of the ways that we have damaged our atmosphere is by the toxins and gases that we release into the Earth atmosphere daily.

Another way we damage the Earth is by polluting our landfills with waste that cannot be recycled and reused. We are also affecting our environment by diminishing forests that are supposed to provide a healthy level of Oxygen for our atmosphere. (The upper Kobuk River frozen.)

Living in the Northwest Arctic, people live off of the land; hunt caribou, seal, whale, moose, and fish. They then pack the meat themselves and prepare the meat naturally to feed their families. Natives use their fish camps to prepare for long winters by smoking fish and canning it.

This is very different than others in the United States who buy meat from farms where animals have been injected with hormones to grow to their full potential.                                                               

People are then consuming hormones that their bodies don’t need. People who consume the fat and meat of contaminated animals are at risk from exposure to high concentrations of toxins.
 

Elders talk about worshiping the Earth for all the resources that it is provided to them; they believe they are connected to the Earth in a spiritual way. Many Native cultures believe that animals give themselves to the Natives so that they can use them for food. (Shungnak drying out caribou skins to make clothing.)
The Inupiat culture also uses animal skin to protect them from the harsh cold and severe weather.  So on the plus side of everything almost every animal part is being used for a good reason. 

After the animal’s skin and meat are used for cold weather gear and food, the Natives will put the carcass of the animal back where they found it as a way of saying thank you and showing respect.

Another spiritual connection to the Earth is shown by the Native Alaskans when they pray over the fish and rivers where they get their best catches. This type of ritual is also a way to express hope for another successful hunt. They also perform Eskimos dances and potlatch to celebrate their successful hunting trips, fishing, and even the passing of another Elder.  

In the Native villages, the weather controls the amount of travel and transportation that people can do. In more civilized areas, people have many modes of transportation and aren’t so limited with their options; however, Native cultures try to keep their tradition by staying secluded, and as a result, their traveling privileges rely on the Earth’s temperatures.

As I have traveled through many Native villages throughout Alaska, I have only seen one-village use windmills for energy. I think that if other villages could incorporate wind power into their daily lives, a more sustainable lifestyle could be given to Native Alaskans. 


I think more people need to use the Earth’s natural energy as a power source to be a greener environment. (The Rainbow Bridge in Selawik--means of travel doing break-up.)

In conclusion, one can see that out in the bush of Alaska the Earth’s resources and atmosphere dictate citizen’s survival. It is important for Native Alaskans to keep their traditions and perform their spiritual rituals to the Earth in order to have a better chance of survival and a plentiful life. In their eyes if you respect the Earth and its resources, and use it wisely, it will give you what you need in life.