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Uumaaq and Ilannguaq go hunting.

Siorapaluk is the northernmost village of Greenland, and of the planet. Forty people live there, most of them hunters and families. In Siorapaluk, hunting is still the main occupation. Life is communal and based on sharing and mutual aid, harmonious with nature. Proud of their culture residents try to keep their lifestyle alive, as it stays threatened by the Western world : global warming, melting ice, natural disasters, Pollution. Government adopted a policy of closing small villages to gather the population in big city. My neighbors warmly welcomed me into their family and bright universe. Uumaaq and Ilannguaq go hunting. Ilannguaq, in front of the sled, guides the dogs. Uumaaq holds the sled in the back so the dogs don't get carried away. In the north of Greenland the sledges are bigger. We take everything that is necessary for survival. A stove, an oil fire, skin clothes, food, coffee ... Even if the hunters know their environment perfectly, they can sometimes be surprised by a storm and get stuck on the ice floe. In Siorapaluk, hunting remains the main activity. Even though the store, school, and municipal activities generate some salaried jobs. The employment rate is roughly 30%. The animals hunted are seals, whales, walruses, arctic foxes, arctic hares, polar bears and migratory birds, especially dwarf auks from Canada. Appaliarsuk mergules are hunted between May and August using a dip net. This allows you to have provisions for winters when food is sometimes not left behind. You can't see it, but pollution in Siorapaluk is a problem. This is transported in part by oceanic and atmospheric currents from industrialized countries. Marine animals and polar bears are the most affected by toxins. However, the inhabitants feed on these animals. High levels of mercury accumulate in the flesh of animals and threaten the food security of residents. The breast milk of Greenlandic women is contaminated and it is 5 times more than American women

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2018
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Siorapaluk, Greenland
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Copyright: © camille michel