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POLARPROG-Polarforskningsprogram

From Nunavik to Iceland: Climate, Human and Culture through time across the coastal (sub)Arctic North Atlantic

Awarded: NOK 0.65 mill.

Symposium in Paris for NICH-Arctic and students og staff at École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris. Theme: "Cultural and Literary Histories of the North". Book launch: Henning Howlid Wærp: "L Árctique de la littérature norvégienne" og Malan Marnersdóttir: "Une histoire de la littérature des Îles Féroé". Arranged by: École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Université du Quebéc á Montréal, and NICH-Arctic (25. February 2022). Results from the project were presented at the Festival North X North at Anchorage Museum, Alaska, April 8, 2022. Papers presented at the conference «Literature and Space», NTNU, Trondheim, Norge, (15. June 2022), and at the jubileum conference "Bulgaria and the Nordic Countries – Intersections and perspectives", Sofia, Bulgaria (18. November 2022). Popular dissemination at the webside "forskning.no", at The Polar museum in Tromsø (video lecture) and through talks at The Arctic Club (Arktisk forening), Tromsø, and The University 45+ (Senioruniversitetet), Tromsø. Two lectures about Sami literature before and now for students at UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, with the Sami authors Sigbjørn Skåden and Irene Larsen.

NICH-Arctic proposes transdisciplinary investigations of Human, Cultural and Environment interactions in the Arctic-subarctic North Atlantic in a context of climate change and industrialization. The Arctic-Subarctic coastal regions are subject to large amplitude changes of climate and sea ice conditions, which play a vital role in accessibility through navigation and livelihood of the cultural communities since prehistoric times. The history of this regions is however poorly documented from instrumental data. Disciplinary knowledge has been developed, but with limited communication across disciplines, and between scientists and stakeholders. Hence, it appears urgent to improve sectorial exchanges to develop an integrated perspective on climate, habitat, archeology and culture in the context of accelerated changes in the Arctic and subarctic areas. With the aim to assess on resilience and vulnerability of the Arctic-subarctic North Atlantic the project will integrate multidisciplinary information according to three foci: (i) natural variability of sea ice, climate and vegetation, (ii) adaptation of local human populations to their habitat and (iii) cultural representation and perceptions of the natural environments by local and outside-of-the-region populations. The target areas include the regions of northern Nunavik, Nain in Labrador, Nuuk in Greenland and Svalbarðshreppur, Iceland, where NICH- Arctic team members have gained experience and are willing to further conduct transdisciplinary studies. The variety of different climatic and environmental conditions in the study areas will permit to compare adaptation strategies and cultural representations of climate changes in polar settings.

Publications from Cristin

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Funding scheme:

POLARPROG-Polarforskningsprogram