Arctic: Culture and Climate at the British Museum

 by Sam Lewis

In 2018, I was lucky enough to visit the Oceania exhibition at the Royal Academy. This exhibition explored the art and culture of the region of Oceania and the Indigenous populations who live there, so I was excited to hear that the British Museum would be hosting an exhibition called Arctic: Culture and Climate, the first major exhibition on the history of the Arctic and its Indigenous Peoples. Sadly, the COVID lockdown meant that the British Museum had to close, meaning I was not able to visit in person. However, the exhibition Curators Jago Cooper and Amber Lincoln have made a Curator’s tour video which showcases the exhibition. It is not as good as visiting in person of course, but it gives a good impression of the fascinating objects from around the Arctic.

The Arctic Circle encompasses 4% of the Earth’s surface, containing its northernmost regions and its coldest climates. Despite the many challenges and obstacles to living there, the Arctic is home to around 4 million people, 400,000 of whom are Indigenous peoples from many different ethnic groups. The harsh conditions undoubtedly have a great impact on the culture of these peoples, from language and art to hunting and fishing. This is why recent global warming has had such an impact on these communities. While parts of the exhibition focus on the fascinating artefacts and archaeological finds, other sections focus more on the global warming that is happening in the Arctic.

This really helps emphasise how much of an impact the climate change has on the Indigenous peoples as attacking their environment is attacking their very culture. The exhibition makes this clear by highlighting the belief that the people of the Arctic are one with the land and are integrated with the ecosystem. It shows various artefacts that reinforce this idea, such as sleds made from antlers and bags made from fish-skin. The recycling and reuse of natural materials is what gives the art from the Indigenous peoples its aesthetics. The beauty of the creation and what it means to the Indigenous populations originates in the respect for the environment it came from.

It is this integration with the climate that not only gives the aesthetic of the art but also the unmatched practicality of everyday objects, for instance the knowledge of wind patterns and humidity in winter to perfectly tan the hides used in clothing essential for hunters so that they are both flexible, durable and insulated. The exhibition accentuates that even a slight difference in climate can have a large knock on effect on the people. However, it also discusses how resilient the Indigenous peoples are, to adapt to large amounts of change and to innovate like their ancestors before them with collaboration and the knowledge passed down over generations.

The exhibition ends by discussing the future of the Arctic circle, and how more than anyone the people of the Arctic are leading the way in combating climate change on the front lines. The British Museum asked two Indigenous Arctic Organisations (the Shishmaref Erosion and Site Expansion Coalition and the Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska ) to curate this section of the exhibition and bring forward the major issues that they are facing, such as more frequent and fierce storms and impacts on food chains caused by climate change. Finally, the exhibition explores how future generations will carry on the resilient spirit and innovative strategies of their ancestors to overcome the obstacles brought by climate change.

You can view the Curator’s video here: