Module II - Natural History

Essential Question: How does knowledge of natural systems inform our understanding of cultural systems?

As Module II has really stressed, everything is connected!  I think that an understanding of our natural systems helps create and form our cultural systems.  For example, when one lives in Seattle, one begins to realize that it rains more than usual.  Because of this, the Seattle culture has adapted to its natural system – raingear is a number one seller, drivers know to slow down if there is a puddle and a biker in the same vicinity, and the residents still get out to play regardless of the rain.  While this may be a trite example, it still works.

I watched the video on how global warming was affecting the village of Shishmaref.  Located on the west coast, the village sits on the Bering Sea.  During the winter, the sea freezes all the way to Russia; recently, the sea has lost 40% of the ice due to global warming.  Where there should be solid ice, four feet thick, you instead see small glimpses of the sea below the ice.  The greenhouse gases emitted into the ozone has begun to take its toll on village life in Shishmaref, even though they are located far away from the smog-ridden cities such as Los Angeles and Hong Kong.

So understanding the environmental system and changes in Shishmaref can provide us with a bird’s eye view into the village’s culture.  The natural system is affecting their food supply, for one.  Game will not venture onto unstable ice, and the villagers lose opportunities to hunt for sustenance.  Now frequent storms have ruined or destroyed several homes.  Rather than rebuild or move, villagers relocated the house (as much as they could) to higher ground.  By having a glimpse into everyday life of the people of Shishmaref, you can see that it is not an easy answer to just say, “Move, leave, things are changing.”  Instead of eradicating the culture, we have to adapt and look for long-term solutions.

Examine Question: Relative Locations vs. Absolute Locations

Where on Earth is Alaska?

It’s all about context!  In the Alaska History and Cultural Studies website, I read that General Billy Mitchell thought that Alaska was the center of the world.  When I read that, I wondered – did Billy never leave Alaska, and therefore, thought that everything revolved around it (or him?)  But his description of how Alaska is in the center of many major cities does make sense, and in a way, does make Alaska the center of the world.  As I mentioned in Module I, Place is relative.  Alaska is part of the United States, North America, the Northern World, and the North Pacific.  Described on a map, Alaska is connected to the westernmost side of Canada, and extends out into Bering Sea as if to touch Russia.

What are the physical dimensions of Alaska?

My grandparents live in San Antonio and believe that everything’s bigger in Texas.  Well, sorry, but Alaska takes the cake.  The state’s 589,194 square miles makes up 16% of America’s total land mass.  According to the picture below, Alaska is larger than Texas, California, and Montana combined.

Furthest points East, West, North and South?

Alaska’s southernmost point is Amatignak Island, in the Aleutian Islands.  Its northernmost point is Point Barrow.  To the east, there is Cape Point, and to the west, Cape Wrangell on Attu Island.  I found it interesting to note that the Amatignak Island and Cape Wrangell are located closer than I imagined they would be, since they are the southernmost and westernmost points, respectively. 

Evaluate

This week’s assignment really threw a lot of information at us!  Although it was lengthy, there were many pieces of information that I found fascinating, and was surprised by many others.  I was very interested in reading about climate change in Alaska – we know that global warming is affecting our entire globe, but until this module I did not quite understand exactly how Alaska was impacted.