Page 94 - EarthHeroes

hunting, but now the deep, dense snow they needed for this was hard to find. They had to carry tents, which were not as warm and offered little protection from polar bears. Increased rainfall and the early melting of ice caused dangerous flash floods as swollen rivers burst their banks.
Changes to wildlife affected Inuit too. Because caribou couldn’t always cross flooded rivers, they were altering the migration patterns that hunters had relied on for decades. Animals that depended on the sea ice – like seals, polar bears and walruses – were less plentiful. And because of disappearing shore ice, polar bears were forced closer to human settlements, putting people in danger.
It wasn’t only ice that was melting, but permafrost too – releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and contributing further to global warming. Traditionally, Inuit hunters stored the meat they caught in deep holes in the permafrost, like natural freezers. But now, even a few metres below the ground, it was no longer cold enough to store their food. Thawing permafrost made roads and buildings unstable, while melting sea ice exposed coastal areas to erosion by the stronger waves of the open ocean. Entire communities were forced to move, as the land they had lived and hunted on for generations was lost or threatened.
With the loss of their hunting culture, Inuit were also at risk of losing the skills and values that their connection with nature had given them, such as courage, patience and strength under pressure. Many young people struggled to fit in to their changing world. Sheila wanted to do everything in her power to ensure her own grandchildren could be raised in the Inuit traditions that had shaped her own life. But she wanted to save her culture not just for her own people, but for the whole world. Inuit had lived sustainably from their environment for centuries. They had always understood that all nature – humans, plants, wildlife and climate – are tightly connected, and they had much wisdom to offer.
Sheila knew that time was running out. Inuit had contributed little to greenhouse gases, but now their homes, traditions and culture were being lost due to the actions of people thousands of miles away. In December 2005, along with
62 Inuit Hunters and Elders from across Alaska and Canada, she launched
the world’s first international legal action on climate change; a petition – or formal request – to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). They argued that the United States was failing to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and this was threatening Inuit human rights. This was the first time the Commission had considered a challenge from Indigenous peoples of one nation
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