the wind is stronger now our ice is thinner the weather is getting warmer
we’ve all seen the images associated
we’ve all seen the images associated with climate change the melting glaciers
with climate change the melting glaciers
with climate change the melting glaciers the statistical tipping points the
the statistical tipping points the
the statistical tipping points the floods the surges so how come we’re not
floods the surges so how come we’re not
floods the surges so how come we’re not compelled or pushed move to do more to
compelled or pushed move to do more to
compelled or pushed move to do more to tackle that one single perhaps greatest
tackle that one single perhaps greatest
tackle that one single perhaps greatest challenge of our time
challenge of our time
challenge of our time as an anthropologist I would suggest
as an anthropologist I would suggest
as an anthropologist I would suggest it’s because we are missing the human
it’s because we are missing the human
it’s because we are missing the human face of climate change you see all the
face of climate change you see all the
face of climate change you see all the all the technology all our satellite
all the technology all our satellite
all the technology all our satellite imagery the high-resolution telemetry
imagery the high-resolution telemetry
imagery the high-resolution telemetry images all this is so recent when it
images all this is so recent when it
images all this is so recent when it comes to our history on this planet you
comes to our history on this planet you
comes to our history on this planet you see for the better part of humanity’s
see for the better part of humanity’s
see for the better part of humanity’s story of adapting to our world we have
story of adapting to our world we have
story of adapting to our world we have passed on our experiences by actually
passed on our experiences by actually
passed on our experiences by actually telling each other stories so let me
telling each other stories so let me
telling each other stories so let me tell you a couple of stories about the
tell you a couple of stories about the
tell you a couple of stories about the human face of climate change our story
human face of climate change our story
human face of climate change our story is set in the Arctic and the reason for
is set in the Arctic and the reason for
is set in the Arctic and the reason for that is of course because we know that
that is of course because we know that
that is of course because we know that the Arctic is considered the canary in
the Arctic is considered the canary in
the Arctic is considered the canary in humanity’s coal mine the changes that
humanity’s coal mine the changes that
humanity’s coal mine the changes that are coming and are happening will be
are coming and are happening will be
are coming and are happening will be first and foremost felt in the Arctic
first and foremost felt in the Arctic
first and foremost felt in the Arctic and so this is a story about a very
and so this is a story about a very
and so this is a story about a very unique group of people that I had the
unique group of people that I had the
unique group of people that I had the extreme privilege of working alongside
extreme privilege of working alongside
extreme privilege of working alongside for the better part of a year and it’s a
for the better part of a year and it’s a
for the better part of a year and it’s a story about their relationship to the
story about their relationship to the
story about their relationship to the environment so I lived in this place
environment so I lived in this place
environment so I lived in this place called covetous Rock it basically means
called covetous Rock it basically means
called covetous Rock it basically means the Big Island all right
the Big Island all right
the Big Island all right so it’s on the west coast of Greenland
so it’s on the west coast of Greenland
so it’s on the west coast of Greenland and you see like everything else in the
and you see like everything else in the
and you see like everything else in the Arctic it’s big
Arctic it’s big
Arctic it’s big in fact Greenland is so big that if you
in fact Greenland is so big that if you
in fact Greenland is so big that if you were to stand in chula and had to travel
were to stand in chula and had to travel
were to stand in chula and had to travel far far to the southern part of
far far to the southern part of
far far to the southern part of Greenland it’s a distance somewhere
Greenland it’s a distance somewhere
Greenland it’s a distance somewhere between Rome and Johannesburg massive
between Rome and Johannesburg massive
between Rome and Johannesburg massive you see for millennia the Inuit have
you see for millennia the Inuit have
you see for millennia the Inuit have perfected or mastered the art of safely
perfected or mastered the art of safely
perfected or mastered the art of safely navigating in one of our planet’s most
navigating in one of our planet’s most
navigating in one of our planet’s most hostile inhospitable rapidly changing
hostile inhospitable rapidly changing
hostile inhospitable rapidly changing environments in fact they have geared
environments in fact they have geared
environments in fact they have geared their entire way of life and their
their entire way of life and their
their entire way of life and their culture to this place so I suspect they
culture to this place so I suspect they
culture to this place so I suspect they might have a story and a lesson for us
might have a story and a lesson for us
might have a story and a lesson for us to learn when it comes to dealing with
to learn when it comes to dealing with
to learn when it comes to dealing with climate change the Inuit have a name for
climate change the Inuit have a name for
climate change the Inuit have a name for the ice they call it sicko in fact it
the ice they call it sicko in fact it
the ice they call it sicko in fact it has more than a name because they
has more than a name because they
has more than a name because they believed it to be endowed with a kind of
believed it to be endowed with a kind of
believed it to be endowed with a kind of spirit an entity that has intention and
spirit an entity that has intention and
spirit an entity that has intention and they call that
they call that
they call that Saku ánewá and they are always quick
Saku ánewá and they are always quick
Saku ánewá and they are always quick to make the association with another
to make the association with another
to make the association with another great entity that they call sila it’s
great entity that they call sila it’s
great entity that they call sila it’s the sky spirit the weather personified
the sky spirit the weather personified
the sky spirit the weather personified in the wind so the Inuit know that
in the wind so the Inuit know that
in the wind so the Inuit know that there’s always a connection between the
there’s always a connection between the
there’s always a connection between the condition of the ice and the moods of
condition of the ice and the moods of
condition of the ice and the moods of and they can make that connection they
and they can make that connection they
and they can make that connection they learn that very very early on in life
learn that very very early on in life
learn that very very early on in life how different wind conditions are
how different wind conditions are
how different wind conditions are associated to the ice they can travel
associated to the ice they can travel
associated to the ice they can travel the ice and read it reading the weather
the ice and read it reading the weather
the ice and read it reading the weather this is the Alpha and Omega to finding
this is the Alpha and Omega to finding
this is the Alpha and Omega to finding the food and thereby the life creating a
the food and thereby the life creating a
the food and thereby the life creating a life in the Arctic environment one of
life in the Arctic environment one of
life in the Arctic environment one of the one of the earliest stories that I
the one of the earliest stories that I
the one of the earliest stories that I heard when I was traveling out one day
heard when I was traveling out one day
heard when I was traveling out one day with a good friend of mine is one that
with a good friend of mine is one that
with a good friend of mine is one that he told me that you know the wind is
he told me that you know the wind is
he told me that you know the wind is stronger now and this of course affects
stronger now and this of course affects
stronger now and this of course affects the conditions of the ice because when
the conditions of the ice because when
the conditions of the ice because when the ice tries to form we need quiet
the ice tries to form we need quiet
the ice tries to form we need quiet winds but when winds are blowing
winds but when winds are blowing
winds but when winds are blowing stronger and stronger and fiercer and
stronger and stronger and fiercer and
stronger and stronger and fiercer and fiercer it continues to break our rise
fiercer it continues to break our rise
fiercer it continues to break our rise the wind is stronger now there is
the wind is stronger now there is
the wind is stronger now there is another story that I would like to tell
another story that I would like to tell
another story that I would like to tell you not so much the wind being stronger
you not so much the wind being stronger
you not so much the wind being stronger but while out traveling one day with a
but while out traveling one day with a
but while out traveling one day with a hunting friend you know he tells me the
hunting friend you know he tells me the
hunting friend you know he tells me the ice back in the day used to be so much
ice back in the day used to be so much
ice back in the day used to be so much thicker we used to have to cut stairs in
thicker we used to have to cut stairs in
thicker we used to have to cut stairs in that ice to get to the water where the
that ice to get to the water where the
that ice to get to the water where the life and the animals are our food
life and the animals are our food
life and the animals are our food nowadays we just poke it once or twice
nowadays we just poke it once or twice
nowadays we just poke it once or twice and we’re at the water so if we listen
and we’re at the water so if we listen
and we’re at the water so if we listen to the stories of the old hunters they
to the stories of the old hunters they
to the stories of the old hunters they tell us that you know back in the good
tell us that you know back in the good
tell us that you know back in the good old days they always talk about the old
old days they always talk about the old
old days they always talk about the old days see you know the sea ice would
days see you know the sea ice would
days see you know the sea ice would would come in late December and stay
would come in late December and stay
would come in late December and stay around until summer maybe five or six
around until summer maybe five or six
around until summer maybe five or six months nowadays
months nowadays
months nowadays it might only last a couple of months
it might only last a couple of months
it might only last a couple of months one or two months maybe a couple of
one or two months maybe a couple of
one or two months maybe a couple of weeks one or two days but you know
weeks one or two days but you know
weeks one or two days but you know despite this loss of that natural
despite this loss of that natural
despite this loss of that natural phenomenon upon which they have built
phenomenon upon which they have built
phenomenon upon which they have built their entire existence the internet
their entire existence the internet
their entire existence the internet whether with a kind of usual pragmatic
whether with a kind of usual pragmatic
whether with a kind of usual pragmatic optimism will always tell me that we’ve
optimism will always tell me that we’ve
optimism will always tell me that we’ve always lived here and will continue to
always lived here and will continue to
always lived here and will continue to live here late at night when you’ve been
live here late at night when you’ve been
live here late at night when you’ve been listening to those many stories about
listening to those many stories about
listening to those many stories about traveling out in the ice
traveling out in the ice
traveling out in the ice you always often hear them end on the
you always often hear them end on the
you always often hear them end on the saying that Selah is our master
saying that Selah is our master
saying that Selah is our master in other words nature carries on
in other words nature carries on
in other words nature carries on regardless all we can do is to try and
regardless all we can do is to try and
regardless all we can do is to try and keep up and it is in in that trying to
keep up and it is in in that trying to
keep up and it is in in that trying to keep up that the Inuit are simply doing
keep up that the Inuit are simply doing
keep up that the Inuit are simply doing what they have always done which is to
what they have always done which is to
what they have always done which is to maintain you could say this is the
maintain you could say this is the
maintain you could say this is the crudeness of English language but a
crudeness of English language but a
crudeness of English language but a dialogue with our surroundings with our
dialogue with our surroundings with our
dialogue with our surroundings with our environment understanding the conditions
environment understanding the conditions
environment understanding the conditions the connection between the weather and
the connection between the weather and
the connection between the weather and the ice to finally find out where those
the ice to finally find out where those
the ice to finally find out where those animals are early one morning in the
animals are early one morning in the
animals are early one morning in the depth of the Arctic winter I’m out
depth of the Arctic winter I’m out
depth of the Arctic winter I’m out crossing the ice trying to keep up with
crossing the ice trying to keep up with
crossing the ice trying to keep up with a good friend of mine as we’re walking
a good friend of mine as we’re walking
a good friend of mine as we’re walking out and see ku is dead calm and sila is
out and see ku is dead calm and sila is
out and see ku is dead calm and sila is smiling from a sky above
smiling from a sky above
smiling from a sky above when suddenly my hunting companions
when suddenly my hunting companions
when suddenly my hunting companions turns around to me and says you know
turns around to me and says you know
turns around to me and says you know when I hear that sound of my own
when I hear that sound of my own
when I hear that sound of my own footsteps
footsteps
footsteps as I walk across the ice it truly
as I walk across the ice it truly
as I walk across the ice it truly reminds me of Who I am
think when it comes to adaptation on the
think when it comes to adaptation on the planet our own survival it’s about
planet our own survival it’s about
planet our own survival it’s about taking a view not off the world like
taking a view not off the world like
taking a view not off the world like that big satellite out in space looking
that big satellite out in space looking
that big satellite out in space looking down but within it part and parcel to
down but within it part and parcel to
down but within it part and parcel to begin with through our experiences
begin with through our experiences
begin with through our experiences dialogue and the stories that we pass on
dialogue and the stories that we pass on
dialogue and the stories that we pass on my last story tonight is it’s actually
my last story tonight is it’s actually
my last story tonight is it’s actually not from the Arctic but it does have to
not from the Arctic but it does have to
not from the Arctic but it does have to do with ice and it comes from a
do with ice and it comes from a
do with ice and it comes from a colleague of mine works in the Andes and
colleague of mine works in the Andes and
colleague of mine works in the Andes and he’s telling me a story about how
he’s telling me a story about how
he’s telling me a story about how there’s an indigenous group of people in
there’s an indigenous group of people in
there’s an indigenous group of people in the Andes now who are mourning the loss
the Andes now who are mourning the loss
the Andes now who are mourning the loss of their God
of their God
of their God you see they believe their God a nearby
you see they believe their God a nearby
you see they believe their God a nearby glacier to be their God but that now
glacier to be their God but that now
glacier to be their God but that now because of global warming this God is
because of global warming this God is
because of global warming this God is dying melting away very very quickly but
dying melting away very very quickly but
dying melting away very very quickly but you know instead of mourning these
you know instead of mourning these
you know instead of mourning these people have started to take ice from
people have started to take ice from
people have started to take ice from nearby glaciers new ones to carry them
nearby glaciers new ones to carry them
nearby glaciers new ones to carry them on these mountain roads to their dying
on these mountain roads to their dying
on these mountain roads to their dying God placing them at the foot of it to
God placing them at the foot of it to
God placing them at the foot of it to read rekindle his life so what’s left
read rekindle his life so what’s left
read rekindle his life so what’s left well maybe you can tell me
well maybe you can tell me
well maybe you can tell me did you hear the stories listen yeah do
did you hear the stories listen yeah do
did you hear the stories listen yeah do you have a dialogue with your
you have a dialogue with your
you have a dialogue with your environment and finally how much ice
environment and finally how much ice
environment and finally how much ice would you be willing to carry thank you
would you be willing to carry thank you
would you be willing to carry thank you [Applause]
”
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