Thawing Traditions

Within the atmospheric science field, many investigate climate change's effects in a way that rarely focuses on Indigenous communities. Many discussions happen on the long-term global impacts of climate change and their effects on the ecological well-being of this planet. Still, there are communities on this earth that have closer ties to this natural environment. While others are looking at the causes of climate change, I want to research the possible effects on Indigenous culture. This research within the Utqiagvik community of the North Slope region of Alaska hopes to demonstrate what is at risk as climate change continues to ravage our planet. The voices of Utqiagvik will have the most significant effect on this research because, without community input in direct connection with that community, any result will be only conjecture. By talking with community members, this project hopes to hear fully how traditional practices in many people's day-to-day lives have been altered or are at risk of being so by climate change. However, a sizable minority of the research will come from the scientific effects of climate change on the region. By doing so, we hope to honestly and thoroughly portray what is at stake of being lost and, quite possibly, what has already been lost to climate change within this specific Indigenous community. This research will help show how hard of an impact the cultures that have built themselves around their local environments will feel regarding this oppressing outside force.