Module V

Essential Question: How are climate, cultures and oceans all connected?

Explain:
It is intriguing to me how those of us that grew up on the coast often times forget that there is a very large population of people that have no concept of how the oceans are directly related to our climate patterns and how dependent our region’s culture is on the interaction of both. This is knowledge that I take for granted. Through this module, I have become aware of how this cultural and scientific knowledge is ingrained in my way of life. I often forget that not all people have this understanding. I have learned about this interconnectedness through my formal studies at the university, through my life experience while growing up here in Southeast Alaska, and lastly through my experiences as an educator in Alaska.
Through all of my experiences I have learned that the ocean dictates the success and survival of the indigenous ways of life. Whether it be the people that depend on the “red fish”, the people that provide for their families with the seal meat, the people that wait to harvest the seaweed, or the people that depend on the white fish to help them through the winter. All of these resources are used to help families have enough throughout the year, and all of these resources are dependent on the temperature, density and flow of the oceans.
The climate has a direct correlation to altering these important components of the ocean (temperature, density, flow). Any changes in climate can be directly measured through changes within the ocean. Without consistency within our regional climates we will see changes that can effect the oceans and in turn will cause changes within the dependency that the indigenous people have on the their surroundings. Whether or not these changes will adversely effect the ecosystem depends on the viewpoint of the people being affected. In the video, “A Subsistence Culture Impacted by Climate Change” by Arctic Athabascan Council, the connection between climate, ocean and culture is very clear that impacts due to changes in climate are causing the Athabaskan people to struggle and adapt to their ever-changing environment. This is just one example of the interconnectedness of the climate, oceans and different cultures around the globe and how these changes can alter the success and survival of a people.

Extend:
After watching the video, “A Subsistence Culture Impacted by Climate Change” by Arctic Athabaskan Council, I began to think about some of the changes that have been recognized and documented by my regional indigenous people: the Tlingit and Haida.. After searching online for any hint of documentation of indigenous stories or any mention of documentation about climate change, it became very obvious that no stories have been written down. Although, I have personally heard stories from Elders in Southeast about the changes they have seen: how the red fish don’t swim up the warm rivers, or how the salmonberry patches have become less dense and the berries themselves have become small. Even though I know these observations have happened and the knowledge has been shared orally, I find myself disappointed to find no documentation of these changes. I feel grateful that this documentation is becoming more prevalent, and I look forward to the Southeast culture being represented within this array of knowledge.

Evaluate:
With the use of the videos from Teachers Domain it was refreshing to have the information represented by an assortment of points-of-view. I appreciated the video on Dolly Garza and her research. It is important to recognize the connections between the climate, oceans, and culture and their impacts on particular species. Yet, the video, “Warmer Oceans Affect Food Web” by WGBH Educational Foundation, provides us with a perspective that makes us consider the effects of human impacts and how this may amplify the effects of naturally occurring changes. This ties in the idea that although we have to consider all the connections, it is imperative that we recognize why these changes are occurring. Ultimately, we must consider our choices and how immediate or long term the effects of our current decisions may be. I believe this is best summarized by the Native American Proverb, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”


Image by: Alaska in pictures