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Snow: Making life possible in the Arctic

Chemistry Inuit Life and Culture

In this series, we have shown the importance of ice coverage of the Arctic Ocean for Inuit survival. But equally important, particularly through the long, cold, winters is the solid crystalline form of dihydrogen oxide — snow. Author: Chaim Christiana Andersen and Geoff Rayner-Canham, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University, Corner Brook, Newfoundland

The Arctic atmosphere: Unique and amazing

Chemistry Inuit Life and Culture

The Arctic atmosphere is different. There are specific pollutant problems.There are also unique types of clouds: nacreous and noctilucent. But it is the awe-inspiring aurora that are the most well-known phenomena. Authors: Chaim Christiana Andersen and Geoff Rayner-Canham, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University Corner Brook, Newfoundland

Chemistry of the cure

Case studies of some Inuit remedies

Before modern synthetic and analytical chemistry, every civilization and culture had to find cures or palliatives for illness and disease from the natural world. We do not know how physiologically active materials were identified, but it was presumably by a trial-and-error basis. Authors: Chaim Christiana Andersen and Geoff Rayner-Canham, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University Corner Brook, Newfoundland

The Ulu: Chemistry and Inuit women’s culture

What is an ulu? An ulu is a multi-purpose cutting tool with a semi-circular blade and a handle. It has been a major part of an Inuit woman’s life and culture for at least the last 4500 years. Authors: Chaim Christiana Andersen and Geoff Rayner-Canham, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University, Corner Brook, Newfoundland

Sea ice: Essential for northern survival

This article is the fourth part in a continuing series on chemistry and Inuit life & culture. Inuit culture is passed down from generation to generation orally, and the use of story-telling is an important function. Authors: Chaim Christiana Andersen And Geoff Rayner-Canham, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University Corner Brook, Newfoundland

Soy Sauce — An essential Inuit condiment

Living and thriving cultures innovate, adapt and incorporate from other cultures.

Ramah Bay 7,000 years of Aboriginal culture — and chemistry

With this issue of Chem 13 News, we have the first in a series of articles on chemistry in northern Canada, focussing specifically on the Inuit context. The unique Inuit life and culture has developed experimentally over thousands of years in response to the challenges of limited material and food resources. And now life is being impacted by new material additions to daily lives (including pollutants).

Making chemistry relevant to indigenous peoples

In Canada, one challenge is to excite indigenous peoples about science, and chemistry in particular. For many years, with a series of student colleagues, we have been taking a Chemistry Show to schools in remote communities in western and central Newfoundland, coastal Québec, Labrador and even Nunavut (see References).