The Penn State Climate Consortium's February Climate Conversations Café will feature Inuit leaders who will discuss the challenges of a rapidly changing Arctic. The event is titled "Adapting to the New Arctic: A Conversation with Inuit Leaders from Inukjuak in Northern Quebec." It will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, in the Hintz Family Alumni Center. Lunch will be provided. The event is free and open to the public, but all attendees must register.
The Climate Conversations Café is connected to the U.S. premiere of the film "A Century After Nanook," which will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 1, at The State Theatre in State College. There will be a ceremonial lighting of the qulliq, or oil lamp, and throat singing before the screening. At the conclusion of the 90-minute film, there will be a Q&A with the Inuit guests. Tickets for the film premiere are free and available through The State Theatre.
Kirk French is an assistant professor of anthropology and media studies and film production at Penn State. He is also the director of "A Century After Nanook." French will be a part of both events, which will feature these Inuit leaders:
Tommy Palliser - executive director, Nunavik Marine Region Wildlife Board
Eric Atagotaaluk - project director, Pituvik Sarvaq Engerie, Inc.
Sarah Lisa Kasudluak - Pituvik Landholding Corporation
Narsuq Aculiak - Makivvik Corporation, throat singer
Sarah Samisack - seamstress, throat singer, co-producer of "A Century After Nanook"
French said hearing directly from individuals in the Arctic who are impacted by some of the most severe levels of rising temperatures on the planet is powerful.
"The ways in which the Inuit are adapting to the numerous problems caused by the extreme temperatures is inspiring," French said. "I feel like we are more likely to understand these issues from one-on-one conversation. And it's affecting Inuit communities in a way that is way more severe and immediate. It's exacerbating the already difficult tasks of treating mental health and the passing of traditional knowledge."
French said he hopes that when the local community hears these stories firsthand, they will be inspired to take a closer look at themselves and to be inspired to act, even if it's only in small ways.
"These problems the Inuit are facing regarding climate change are not caused by them," he said. "The vast majority of the greenhouse gases are produced by those form the south - mainly China, the U.S. and India. You could almost look at this as another form of colonialism. Our behaviors are impacting the Indigenous of the Arctic at a much faster rate than it's impacting us."
French said he hopes his film and the resulting conversations influence public awareness and decision-making on climate change.
"For this film project, I think the story regarding Inukjuak's switch from diesel generators to 99% renewable energy is mind-blowing," he said. "This was a community-led effort that took almost 20 years to complete. But with the construction of the world's most northern run-of-the-river dam, the community's electricity is no longer produced by diesel, but rather hydroelectric power. And the community profits from selling the electricity back to Hydro-Québec. The money is in turn used to pay for Indigenous knowledge programs. It's just a fantastic story. Very inspirational - especially for other Arctic communities."
The Climate Conversations Café and the film premiere are supported by the Penn State Climate Consortium, Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE), College of the Liberal Arts, the Liberal Arts Sustainability Council and the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications' Department of Media Studies and Film Production. The film "A Century After Nanook" was funded through an IEE seed grant.
