by joe indvik
"One must respect and sometimes fear ice. It is the giver of life for us."
Aqqaluk Lynge, president of the Greenland chapter of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, said these words during his keynote address in Loew Auditorium Wednesday.
The speech commemorated "Thin Ice: Inuit Traditions in a Changing Environment," an exhibit that opened at the Hood Museum of Art last week.
The show is a joint project between the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding, the Institute of Arctic Studies at Dartmouth and the Hood Museum.
"Thin Ice" displays Inuit artifacts from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that portray that culture's connection to the environment through its hunting techniques, social organization, religion and technologies. The exhibit is intended to show that all of these aspects, deeply interconnected in the Inuit way of life, are changing because of global warming.
"Scientific knowledge and political knowledge are not enough in daily life," curator Nicole Stuckenberger said. "Humans are more comprehensive than that. They are not only a scientific or political subject; they are local and have daily lives."
The mastermind behind the exhibit, Stuckenberger lived among the Inuit in the Canadian territory of Nunavut for 14 months. She argued that Westerners like to keep a distance between the individual and knowledge.
"We value knowledge when we're outside of it," she said, adding that for the Inuit, "It is very important who gives knowledge."
"Thin Ice" explores that gap in perception and tries to prove that simple scientific studies do not suffice to understand the impact of environmental change on the Inuit. The Inuit must be understood on a personal, all-inclusive basis to truly grasp the effects that climate change is having on their society.
"There is no longer any doubt that climate change is upon us and that it is real, that it is dramatic and life-altering for Inuit [people]," Lynge said.
All of the objects in the exhibit were selected because they represent the multifaceted culture that contributed to their creation. Included are harpoons, model kayaks, shamanic masks, clothing, drills and sculptures.
According to Stuckenberger, the ice scratcher, a small, three-pronged tool, is the object most representative of the exhibition. It appears simple and straightforward. Inuit hunters used scratchers like this when seal hunting to mimic the footsteps of their prey and sneak in unnoticed for the kill. Upon closer examination, though, it becomes apparent that the tool is carefully made, reflective of a culture that values perfection in its art and its tools.
"If you're sloppy with your things ... you die," Stuckenberger said.
The attention to detail is a show of respect for the hunted animals. The Inuit believe that a hunter who is imprecise and unprepared will not establish rapport with the prey and will not be rewarded with a kill. The tool also illustrates the skill and knowledge required of hunters: They must be familiar with the seals' behavior and patterns of movement in order to use it successfully.
Ultimately, this one object represents the philosophy, artistry, religion, society and animal relationships of the Inuit. Stuckenberger feels that all pieces in the exhibit provide such a microcosmic illustration of the culture.
"Hunting is a core element of Inuit culture and identity. We took that as a way of structuring the exhibit," Stuckenberger said.
"Thin Ice" is set up like a hunting story in four chapters. "Knowing when" deals with preparation and weather considerations; "Being hunter -- being game" examines the predator-prey relationship; "Being social" explores how the game is handled and distributed when the hunter returns; and "Knowing how" concerns refining hunting techniques and passing them on.
The exhibit also includes an introductory video at its entrance that gives visitors an overview of the situation in the arctic, a collection of video interviews with Inuit comments on climate change and an interactive computer program about arctic navigation techniques.
"It is connected to very deep human feelings and experiences," Stuckenberger said of the exhibit. People who come to the exhibit, she added, will "see themselves more in connection to where they live, how they feel and how they think."
