For more than 25,000 years, the Arctic has been home to indigenous people who have transformed this inhospitable region of the world into thriving homelands based on ice, overcoming the harshest weather conditions and seasonal fluctuations through ingenious innovations and strong community spirit. Now, for the first time in their long history, they are facing the very real possibility that sea ice and permafrost - key to their way of life - will soon disappear.
Published to coincide with a major exhibition at the British Museum, this book presents the history of the Arctic through the lens of climate and weather. It explores the origins of Arctic peoples, the waves of migration and early trade relationships of different cultural groups, highlighting indigenous perspectives of newcomers seeking precious resources, trade routes and religious converts. It also highlights the strategies of resilience that Arctic peoples have used to deal with the rapid transformations brought about by European exploration of the Arctic. The final section shows how Arctic indigenous communities and organizations are using these same strategies of resilience to raise awareness of and to mitigate the negative effects of global climate change. This book includes a wide variety of objects, from garments made out of sea mammal guts, animal-skin kayaks and magic drums used by Sami shamans, to murals, sculptures and frozen art installations.
