Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
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Instantaneous electronic wireless communication resulting in 'imper-
sonal' contacts with 'outside society' versus interpersonal contacts with
fellow community members.
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Knowledge shared beyond the group versus knowledge kept within the
community.
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Communication by electronic media versus a primarily oral transmission
of culture.
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Continual exposure to North American natural resource investment
strategies, commercial cultural values and interpretative schemes versus
Elder-based cultural sources.
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Continual exposure of 'country food' sources to northern food contami-
nants that are concentrated in northern marine and terrestrial mammals.
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Use of imported commercially processed foods that are alien to the region
versus indigenous natural products of the land.
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Products purchased from remote sources versus hand fabrication in accord
with cultural norms.
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Western medicines and 'health concepts' versus the natural, indigenous
products employed in accord with traditional knowledge.
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Increased physical access to urban centres with a predominantly Euro-
Canadian population.
All of the above have impacts affecting the very root nature of all aspects of
a community's culture, the particular influences being dependent on a wide
range of socio-cultural and demographic factors that may be regional or even
community specific. Judgements as to the beneficial or deleterious nature
of the impacts are multifaceted, and no definitive statement can be offered.
In many cases, the results are ambiguous or beyond resolution into a single
category.
To illustrate by a few examples, consider the following:
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Food processing technology - quickly prepared, readily available, micro-
wave cooked, pre-packaged foods have raised the basic caloric intake,
where it was sometimes marginal. However, the narrowed nutrient spec-
trum and rise in diabetes clearly mark this technology as a detriment to
most remote communities.
•
Industrial investment processes and non-renewable resource development
technologies and practices in northern regions, which impact communi-
ties in a myriad of ways and collide with traditional culture and traditional
knowledge practices. Traditional economies are impacted through the
resulting wage economies. Wildlife migration patterns may be affected
as well, depending upon the environmental impact of the industry in
question.
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