Report on ”Life and Climate Change on the Arctic Island of Greenland“
Reported by Alyne Delaney (Tohoku University)
Related Research Program: Human Society
“Life and Climate Change in the Arctic Island of Greenland” was held as an outreach activity of the ArCS II Research Program on Human Society at Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (日本科学未来館). Dr. Alyne Delaney of Tohoku University’s Center for Northeast Asian Studies organized the event which focused on the impact of climate change on local people’s way of life. It also connected the changes that people are facing (such as climate change and economic conditions), with a focus on the sea and marine resources of Greenland. The “icy sea” was the connecting thread between the speakers.
The event opened with three original songs by Qaanaaq hunter and musician Aleqatsiaq Peary. Mr. Peary was featured National Geographic’s The Last Ice (2020) and served as a guide for Dr. Delaney during her fieldwork. While Mr. Peary’s songs played, a slideshow of the speakers and photos of Greenland’s nature and people played. Dr. Delaney then officially opened the event with a brief introduction of the speakers, as well as to Greenlandic society. Mr. Jacob Isbosethsen, Head Representative of the Government of Greenland to Asia, then gave a welcome speech to the audience. These talks were followed by four speakers. Mr. Takaaki Shimoda, Managing Director of Royal Greenland Japan, and University of Hokkaido Assistant professor Makoto Tomiyasu next spoke about the fisheries and sustainability.
The fisheries related talks were followed with a slideshow and talk by Tsutomu Endo, a professional photographer, who has spent years documenting the life of Arctic peoples. For this day he focused on, visual documentation of climate change from the perspective of hunting. The final speaker was Ms. Pipaluk Lykke, who joined us from Greenland to speak about her role in a project to teach water safety to young people. Greenland has a high rate of drowning at sea and this was one activity to combat this trend. The event ended with an open Question & Answer session, giving the audience an opportunity to speak directly with the event’s speakers.
Overall, the speakers explored the intricate relationship between the inhabitants of Greenland and their marine surroundings, delving into the realms of fishing, hunting, daily routines, traditional customs, and contemporary society. The challenges of changes to sea ice cover and climate change were also presented and discussed.
The event was organized by the Center for Northeast Asian Studies (Tohoku University) as a part of ArCS II Research Program on Human Society, with co-sponsorship by the Royal Danish Embassy (Japan) and Royal Greenland Japan. With 90 guests officially registered, plus the organizer, speakers, special guests, and student helpers, the event was felt to be a great success. Afterwards, Jacob Isbosethsen (Government of Greenland) even asked when the next event would be held, and if there would be another one this year.
