Have high-speed internet? Switch to High-Speed
Videos load too SLOW? Switch to Low-Speed
George Wenzel, Cultural Ecologist, on Inuit Adaptation and Change
About
Cultural Ecologist, George Wenzel, PhD, talks about the difficulty of the Inuit to adapt in the same ways as they have in the past. He discusses the danger of accidents in open water environments and how risky it is to get around in summer. He talks about how things are adapted and absorbed into Inuit traditional knowledge. He discusses how Inuit adapted the snowmobile to their needs and as well as the implementation of devices such as GPS and Google Earth. He speaks about the loss of traditional food over time and the recurrence of this trend almost as a cycle. The use of wage employment in Inuit economy is discussed in terms of individualism and how that differs from the way that seal meat is used in a community. Currency, money, wages and massive changes in the North are discussed. He marvels at the Inuit capacity for problem solving. He thinks developing governmental strategies from the ground up rather than the top down and involving the communities is a smarter process than the way things have worked in the past. Each community is different and the Inuit need to be involved. He would also like to be king of Nunavut.
