Native perspective on climate change

The traditional way of life of the Vuntat Gwich'in tribe in the Old Crow area of the northern Yukon is described from the perspective of a native person concerned about the effects of European occupation and effects on the environment brought about by climatic warming. Observations by native people indicate warmer winters and summers, disappearance of permafrost, drying of wetlands, disappearance of lakes, spring floods, and lost habitats for animals. The coming of oil development to the area is viewed as a threat to the continued existence of the Vuntat Gwich'in and to the caribou herds that are their major food source. It is believed that the future of the earth depends on a new dialogue between nation states and the world's aboriginal people with the objective of healing and recovering the ecosystem, with humankind as an integral part of the ecosystem