Governor General on Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change

This past spring, we were able to sit down and interview Michaëlle Jean, Canada's current Governor General, about her thoughts on the Arctic, Inuit and climate change. Zacharias and her had an amazing exchange about elders, countryfood, northern communities, and the future of this cold albeit changing landscape. Arguably, the GG hit our snow ball out of the park, and said some very important and thoughtful things about climate change and its impact on northern people.

Michaëlle Jean is a humanitarian. She was principally concerned about the human dimension of climate change and its impacts on communities, especially youth. She is a vocal advocate for indigenous people and their rights. As you may remember, during this spring trip, the GG ate seal meat with elders in Rankin Inlet, an action that garnered international news and the ire of animal rights activists everywhere:

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/640978

By eating the heart of a seal, the GG entered the heart of Inuit people, and showed that she is a true Canadian. Indeed, in our interview, Michaëlle Jean displayed her true understanding and compassion for Inuit life on the land in a changing world. Watch the video to see and hear how Zacharias and the GG interacted on the topic of Inuit knowledge and climate change.