Explore Topic: Indigenous Peoples

For thousands of years, the Arctic has been home to many different peoples. The Alaska Canada Barrenlands Traverse will travel through the lands and villages of the Gwich’in, the Dene, and the Inuit. Among the fascinations of the Arctic are the adaptations that its peoples have made to living in a cold climate. How do you stay warm through the winter? How do you provide food? What do you need to know to be able to live and raise a family in the different environments of the Arctic? What are the challenges that people living in the North face today?

Students can also explore the cultures, languages, histories, and traditions of Arctic peoples, both along our route and elsewhere. Did you know that the Dene speak a language closely related to the Navajo of the southwestern United States? What are the games played by different Arctic peoples? Why do you think Arctic peoples place such high value on sharing of food?

Try these websites to see pictures of Northern people, cultures, villages, and activities:

www.catg.org (Council of Athabaskan Tribal Governments, Yukon Flats region)
www.oldcrow.ca
www.gov.nu.ca (Nunuvut, Canada)
www.bakerlake.org
www.arcticpeoples.org
http://www.weio.org/Webpage/About_WEIO/Games.html

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