Climate Change and Culture Change in Salluit, Quebec, Canada

• Main Author: Ginsburg, Alexander David
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Oregon 2011
• Subjects: Geography; Canadian studies; Climate change; Social sciences; Earth sciences; Canada; Culture change; Inuit; Nunavik; Salluit (Quebec); Climatic changes > Quebec (Province) > Salluit; Arctic; Salluit; inuit
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1794/12166

xiv, 143 p. The amplified effects of climate change in the Arctic are well known and, according to many commentators, endanger Inuit cultural integrity. However, the specific connections between climate change and cultural change are understudied. This thesis explores the relationship between climatic shifts and culture in the Inuit community of Salluit, Quebec, Canada. Although residents of Salluit are acutely aware of climate change in their region and have developed causal explanations for the phenomenon, most Salluit residents do not characterize climate change as a threat to Inuit culture. Instead, they highlight the damaging impacts of globalization and internal colonialism as a more serious problem. This counter-narrative suggests that focusing narrowly on climate change can obscure the broader and more immediate challenges facing Inuit communities. Such a realization demonstrates the need for researchers to locate climate change within a matrix of non-climatic challenges in order to mitigate threats to indigenous cultures. Committee in charge: Susan W. Hardwick, Chairperson; Alexander B. Murphy, Chairperson; Michael Hibbard, Member