On the Ice Edge. Inupiaq people and climate change in Barrow, Alaska

Abstract

This thesis is based on qualitative fieldwork in Barrow, Alaska. Within the global climate discourse, climate change is often perceived as one of the biggest problems indigenous peoples face. Scholars are increasingly conducting research on climate change but forget to focus on interrelating cultural, social, economic and political changes. Through studying the Inupiaq people in Barrow, it becomes claer that this complex intertwining of issues needs a holistic approach so effective policies can be written to help indigenous people mitigate vulnerable structures like climate change.