Week Two Module

How does knowledge of natural systems inform our understanding of cultural systems?

Alaska’s landscape has changed in many ways over the years. Sea levels have risen and fallen, and they continue to do so.  This change has made it possible for cultures to access different regions that would normally be covered by water.  Years ago you could travel from Alaska to Asia on dry land.  On the flipside people at one time were able to walk across miles upon miles of ice, and today they are unable to.  Now this change limits regions that cultures can inhibit easily.  The change in the landscape brought a change to wildlife populations too, meaning throughout the world people have followed animals for a food source.  

As more people come to an area one change they bring that directly effects natural systems is the amount of carbon dioxide that is produced.  Some areas rely heavily on industrial technologies (increased carbon dioxide production) like Anchorage, whereas some areas rely heavily on agriculture practices (decreased carbon dioxide production) like Fairbanks.  Carbon dioxide production also varies differently in regions that depend on snow machines more than automobiles, or even ships.  With cultures producing more carbon dioxide as the years go the earth’s temperature continues to rise resulting from the greenhouse effect.  This change is seen through physical changes in the landscape.

Cultures that rely on nature for their existence notice change quicker than others who are not so directly submerged in nature.  The people who live in the village of Shishmaref are affected from global warming directly.  For example the sea ice is melting.  This leaves the village more susceptible to strong winds and a rise in water levels.  Violent weather can hit the village because of this.  The sea ice is also important because villagers need to be able to travel miles on this ice to hunt for subsistence during winter months.

What are some differences between traditional Native knowledge and Western science?

Traditional Native knowledge has a holistic view.  For example people, community, nature and spirituality are all interconnected.  So if someone is sick it could be viewed as a result of disharmony between the different sources of life.  In Western Science people take a part to whole view.  If someone was to break their leg you would treat that injured part of the body and wouldn’t think about treating something else inside that person’s life. 

How information is shared varies from culture to culture.  Traditional Native stories can’t be just retold.  The young person who was told the story by an elder couldn’t go out and just retell the story.  They had to hear the story over and over again.  Then the young person had to retell the story to the elder who had told the story to them. Being able to “tell” a story was granted by the elders.  This is an example of oral traditions were handed down in a structured way.  Western Science has thrived on passing down information or taking in information that is written down and can be seen.

www.akhistorycourse.org

Native Alaskans have stories that have been passed down from generation to generation explaining why different things exist.  One explanation of how the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights were created was to provide light for lost travelers.  Where Western Science would say you see the Northern Lights because collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun enter the earth's atmosphere. As a result these lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres.  

Evaluation

I am excited to learn more about the Alaskan Native culture in more detail.  The last portion of the module when we were able to research about specific climate change and human migration gave a small glimpse of the lifestyle people have created in this region of the world.  I want to learn more about how they continue to use old traditions and immerse them with new technologies.