Cultural Responses to Natural Changes such as Climate Change

• Published in: Espace populations sociétés
• Main Author: Thomas Heyd
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; French
• Published: Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille 2008
• Subjects: adaptation; cultural responses; culture; natural change; values; vulnerability; Geography. Anthropology. Recreation; G; Social sciences (General); H1-99; Yukon; First Nations; tlingit; Alaska
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.4000/eps.2397; https://doaj.org/article/95706bad03db44d391bda7bf3289b272

Research is steadily progressing on human responses to natural changes such as climate change, both with regard to such changes in historical as in prehistoric periods. We are, moreover, coming to a better understanding about the role of vulnerability and of institutional structures in relation to appropriate coping behaviours in the face of such environmental changes. The question concerning the cultural factors in vulnerability due to such natural changes has been little considered to date. Specifically, it is imperative to clarify how beliefs, values, practices and habits interact with the behaviour of individuals and collectivities that have to confront drastic natural changes. Ultimately, it is necessary to come to a better understanding of those values that have inter-cultural validity and may be useful in generating the necessary conditions to so that marginalised groups in our own and other societies my obtain the support which they need to adapt to such changes. In the following I discuss a case of particular cultural responses to natural changes drawn from the experience of the Alaska Tlingit and the Yukon First Nations.