Module 1   Qanuq Ilitaavut (Way of Knowing)


Background


The Natives of the land must be considered its first explorers. Both the Inupiat and Yup’ik people of Alaska’s Beringia are Inuit peoples, and the ancestors of the Inuit are believed to have been the first immigrants coming to North America from Siberia, by way of Chukotka, across the Bering Land Bridge, a narrow strip of land between Russia and Alaska, exposed by low sea levels.


Inhabiting Beringia since ancient times, the Inupiat and their ancestors have survived by using their superior knowledge of hunting, navigation, and transportation specific to this region. Skin sewing, dogsledding, shelter building, and other highly specialized skills were necessary for survival in the challenging Arctic climate. Information about migration and weather patterns, hunting skills, safe travel routes, and much more has been passed down as traditional knowledge from generation to generation over thousands of years. Today, the Inupiat face the same challenge as all Arctic peoples: to keep their traditional values, culture, and knowledge alive and protect their own rights to this knowledge, while merging its use with the tools and technologies of the modern world.


It is also, however, a challenge brimming with opportunities. Traditional knowledge, today as in the past, has much to offer in terms of its approach and perspective, especially when it comes to sustainable development and understanding significant resulting challenges such as climate change. The Inuit have survived in the Arctic environment only because of their exceptional ability to adapt to its harsh conditions and by developing a cultural framework that makes responsible use of very limited natural resources. Sudden changes to climate present challenges that are just as extreme. The Arctic is now experiencing climate change at a rapid rate, and the demand for adaptation is immediate. To the Inupiat and all Arctic peoples, the challenge of climate change is not a matter of proving its existence, but of how to respond and adapt accordingly. And the rest of the world is watching—to learn.


On a different scale, Team GoNorth! and the GoNorth! adventure learning expeditions are dependent on and continue to learn from this knowledge of living and traveling on the land, both in the daily decisions as the team prepares for takeoff, and once the team is on the trail.


Much of the effort involved in any extended expedition comes before the actual adventure begins. During the planning stages, there are literally thousands of decisions to be made. Every choice— including what to have for dinner on night number 42, and the selection of team members—has a potential effect on the expedition’s outcome. Team members must make educated decisions after thoughtfully weighing every positive and negative factor.


The actual amassing and organizing of gear and supplies for the GoNorth! expedition is a monumental feat. If you were to look into the shop at the GoNorth! expedition base camp months prior to departure, you would see stacks of maps, piles of clothes, and bundles of rope. At times the expedition gear stretches from wall to wall. To locate, inventory, and organize the right kinds and amounts of equipment and food takes careful planning. Team members keep detailed records of every single item they use. Each year they evaluate the lists and make necessary corrections for the following years while taking into account the conditions and customs in the upcoming locale. This knowledge allows the team members to pack and use gear and equipment that will endure the rigors of the trail and the extreme weather conditions they encounter.


To survive unforgiving Arctic conditions, the traditional diet of the Inupiat is high in fats and proteins and very low in sugar. The traditional diet is primarily of the sea—fish and sea mammals— supplemented with berries, edible lichen, and even seaweed. This diet is also rich in n-3 fatty acids and selenium, which may explain the rarity of cancer and cardiovascular disease among Native peoples. Because Native fuels (primarily seal oil) were precious, traditional foods were often eaten raw, either frozen or aged.


PolarHusky.com © NOMADS Online Classroom Expeditions


GoNorth! Beringia 2011 Curriculum


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