When is the World Waking up to Global Warming - Examiner.com

When is the World Waking up to Global Warming

By Terrance H. Booth, Sr. â€" Tsimshian

It was sad to see a picture posting of a dead polar bear completely out of its environment completely devoid of any ice around its dead carcass. The poor animal travel far completely far away from its own environment and starved to death.
To us animals of nature are much like a relative and we as Natives acknowledge their presence among us and when we hunt animals for food we take time to thank our Creator. And we even talk to the animals on why we are taking its life to sustain us giving us life, warmth, comfort for we use its hide and bones in our artwork or in our clothing for warmth from winter coldness.
“Native American Bear Meaning - A quick list of keywords summoned by the tribal mind:
 Protection
 Childbearing
 Motherhood
 Freedom
 Discernment
 Courage
 Power
 Unpredictable
The bear has many meanings to the Indigenous of North American. Above all, bear meaning holds incredible influence and magnitude to the North American tribes. And although the bear is a profound Native American symbol of majesty, freedom and power it is far more. The spiritual connections made with the bear makes it a brother to the First People.
As a brother, the bear imparts this advice to both our ancestors and us today:
Because the bear is cautious, it encourages discernment to humankind.
Because of a fierce spirit, the bear signals bravery to those who require it.
Because of its mass and physical power, the bear stands for confidence and victory.
Because it prefers peace and tranquility (in spite of its size), Bear calls for harmony and balance.
I hope you have enjoyed these thoughts on bear meaning as they pertain to the Native American perspective.” [1]
SIGNS OF CHANGE CLOSE TO HOME
“Among the most alarming changes is the disappearance of native species. Caribou, long a staple of Inuit diet, are falling through once-solid sea ice. Polar bears are moving farther north, as are seals, who need the shelter of pack ice to give birth to their young.
As traditional Arctic species move north, new species are moving in. Grizzly bears have been spotted in territory once dominated by polar bears. Salmon, never before caught this far north, are making appearances in fishermen’s nets.
The changes make hunting and fishing very difficult. “Even with generations of indigenous knowledge available to the hunters and trappers of Sachs Harbor they are having a difficult time predicting when once-predictable seasonal migrations will occur,” says Jennifer Castleden, project officer for the International Institute of Sustainable Development.
Physical changes to the land include rising water and softening permafrost, which threatens to ruin house foundations and the one road that leads to the tiny community. Slumping, the collapse of land under the weight of newly thawed permafrost is also altering the look of the land along the coast.” [2]
LOCAL CHANGES HIGHLIGHT GLOBAL PROBLEMS
“Scientists and other project team members have traveled to Sachs Harbor four times in the past year to document climate changes recorded by the community. The result of their labor is a 42-minute video, narrated entirely by Sachs Harbor community members, detailing the drastic changes affecting this Arctic outpost.
In addition to the video, which will be released in November, project scientists will compile a detailed report on the value of traditional knowledge and local observations in documenting climate change.
“As far as we know, this is the only project of its kind in the Arctic,” said Castleden, who noted that news reports from eastern Arctic communities indicated similar patterns. Perhaps, she notes, this project will raise awareness of the need to document climate change in other parts of the Arctic.
“Climate change is a realityâ€"not a distant threat,” says Castleden. “This community is the ’canary in the coal mine’ of climate change.” “[3]
Ms. Watt-Cloutier said, Inuit are an ancient people. Our way of life is dependent on the natural environment and animals. Climate change is destroying our environment and eroding our culture. But we refuse to disappear. We will not become a footnote to globalization.
Climate change is amplified in the Arctic. What is happening to us now will happen soon in the rest of the world. Our region is the globes climate change barometer. If you want to protect the planet, look to the Arctic and listen to what Inuit are saying.
“The petition focuses on the United States of America because it is by far the largest emitter of greenhouse gases and it refuses to join the international effort to reduce emissions. The petition asks the Commission to hold hearings in northern Canada and Alaska to investigate the harm caused to Inuit by global warming. Specifically, the petition asks the Commission to declare the United States of America in violation of rights affirmed in the 1948 American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and other instruments of international law.
The petition urges the commission to recommend that the United States adopt mandatory limits to its emissions of greenhouse gases and co-operate with the community of nations to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, the objective of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. As well, the petition requests the Commission declare that the United States of America has an obligation to work with Inuit to develop a plan to help Inuit adapt to unavoidable impacts of climate change, and to take into account the impact of its emissions on the Arctic and Inuit before approving all major government actions.

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Dr. Anaya said, The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has previously addressed human rights cases submitted by Indigenous peoples seeking to protect their environment and ways of life. The Inuit petition is an opportunity for the Commission to make a significant contribution to the further evolution of international human rights law.” [4]
Is it enough to have in place institutions to study, to research, and put policies in place to supposedly curb global warming? How many more polar bears die out of their environment mearly looking for food to survive? To us Natives animals mean much more to us because we are close to them and live in the same environment as our relatives the animals co-exist and our cultures have stories about the animals that live with us. This writer was moved and hurt that a polar bear died and hope that in its death it speaks to us with a resounding voice to please do more so that our relative animals can maintain themselves in their environment. If the polar bear traveled far out of its domain for food think about the Indigenous who have to travel for their Native foods. I pray that we not only put institution in place to appease the Indigenous voice loud and clear. Listen to my relation, Anthony Marr: “A starved-to-death polar bear in a landscape devoid of ice. Stop debating whether global warming is real, and if real, whether it is caused by human activities, and do something about it. Do something about US!”

1. http://www.whats-your-sign.com/native-american-bear-meaning.html
2. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2000/12/122900inuits.html
3. Ibib
4. http://inuitcircumpolar.com/index.php?ID=316&Lang=En