La valeur d’existence du monde vivant selon les Inuits du Nunavik et les Occidentaux aux Kerguelen

• Published in: Annales de géographie
• Main Authors: Joliet, Fabienne, van Tilbeurgh, Véronique
• Other Authors: Espaces et Sociétés (ESO), Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-Le Mans Université (UM)-Université d'Angers (UA)-AGROCAMPUS OUEST-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Géographie et d'Aménagement Régional de l'Université de Nantes (IGARUN), Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN), Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: French
• Published: HAL CCSD 2020
• Subjects: [SHS.SOCIO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Sociology; Antarctic; Canada; Kerguelen; Kerguelen Islands; Nunavik; Antarc*; inuits; Subarctic
• Online Access: https://institut-agro-rennes-angers.hal.science/hal-03135074; https://doi.org/10.3917/ag.732.0031

International audience In the current context of international socio-ecological transition, the aim of this article is to investigate the relationship between humans and other living beings and natural things in the last areas of vast naturalness: the polar zones, northern and southern. It is through the notion of value of existence that this relationship analysed. More particularly, it is the nature of the link between this principle of assigning this value to non-human living and other natural things and the different forms taken by this value that is studied.In this perspective, fieldwork has been conducted in one Subarctic and one Subantarctic area: Nunavik (northern Quebec, Canada) and the Kerguelen Islands (French Southern and Antarctic lands). Our investigations show that what predominates is the fact that natural elements are given a value of existence according to something common to all, either a spiritual feeling or a carnal envelope of “being alive”. According to these principles, the ways followed for the attribution of the existence value of change: the humans conceiving themselves either as part of a set in the same way as the other living and natural things having a mind or conscience, or as masters and protectors of other living and natural things, having a dominant function within “living beings”. In this perspective, the territory plays a specific role favouring the very existence of this value beyond its current regulatory functions.