ABC Wednesday "I" for Ice When the ice melts....

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Last year I went to Leiden to the Museum for Cultural Anthropology, to see an exhibition about the Arctic regions.The residents of the Arctic live in Alaska, Siberia, Canada, Greenland, and Lapland. The people are called the Inuits ( Greenland), the Unangan ( Alaska), the Sámi (Lapland). They used to live from fishing and hunting. Everything of the animal was used either for food but also for clothing and the oil of course among other things for lamps.
The animals in these areas are the polar bear, the snow fox, sea lions, the seal, the walrus. Their skins, and intestines were used for clothes. Their bones were important for the production of tools. Nowadays many of these people live like we do with clothes of the same material we have. I found the clothes made of intestines of animals, very strange, but interesting .
These clothes were waterproof , because the seams were sewn with a waterproof stitch. Prepared intestines of sea lions, seals, walrus, otters, or bears were sewn in horizontal strips to each other. The kamleika has its strips in a vertical direction. It was worn by men as an outer layer of clothing while kayaking. In the village also a jacket made of intestine protected the fur or bird skin clothing underneath against snow and rain. Intestine kamleikas fell out of use in the early twentieth century

The Arctic is warming up quickly, faster than other places on Earth. People who live there have been noticing the change. Because their culture is adapted to the Arctic’s cold climate, global warming is making it difficult for them to continue their traditions.



ABC is created by Denise Nesbitt.For more lovely and interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar. This week we are looking for words beginning with "I".

We are changing the climate!

Rural estate "Huize Dordth"

We are changing the climate. That’s an action taken in the western world to make us realize that global warming is a severe danger to our planet. But what can we individuals do about it? Recently I ordered solar panels for the second time. My first 16 solar panels were destroyed by lightening. When I still had them the consumption of electricity was very low, so low that at one time the electricity company sent someone to check my meter, for they suspected me of cheating. I was very angry, especially after they sent me a bill that was extremely high, even higher than I ever had before. I took photos of the panels on my roof, copied all papers of my purchase and wrote many letters. At last one of the people of the electricity company helped me a lot and I got my money back. Now I shall have only 3 panels, which will make a difference of course, but not as much as my previous 16 panels.
In the meantime I use my bike instead of driving a car, if the distance is not too far. Other wise I have to travel by public transport.
Last weekend my sister, brother-in-law and I cycled to my nephew’s house, it was only 8 kilometres and there was no wind, the sun was shining and everything was peaceful and lovely.
Here are some photos of our trip.

Life in the arctic regions

Life near the North Pole...

The residents of the North Pole live in Alaska, Siberia, Canada, Greenland, and Lapland. The people are called the Inuits ( Greenland), the Unangan ( Alaska), the Sámi (Lapland). They used to live from fishing and hunting. Everything of the animal was used either for food but also for clothing and the oil of course among other things for lamps.
The animals in these areas are the polar bear, the snow fox, sea lions, the seal, the walrus. Their skins, and intestines were used for clothes. Their bones were important for the production of tools. Nowadays many of these people live like we do with clothes of the same material. I found the clothes made of intestines very strange, but interesting .
These clothes were waterproof , because the seams were sewn with a waterproof stitch. Prepared intestines of sea lions, seals, walrus, otters, or bears were sewn in horizontal strips to each other. The kamleika has its strips in a vertical direction. It was worn by men as an outer layer of clothing while kayaking. In the village also a jacket made of intestine protected the fur or bird skin clothing underneath against snow and rain. Intestine kamleikas fell out of use in the early twentieth century