Enlight 21

Arctic Dreams review by Steve Leonard

Sharing stories is an important part of the human experience. In Arctic Dreams, Barry Lopez tells stories of his personal experience in the Arctic as well as the stories of Eskimos, Arctic explorers, and animals of the Arctic ecosystem. He relates the interconnectedness of these stories with the Arctic landscape. In the end, you are left with more than the thrill of an armchair traveler. You have a sense of how the environment has played a significant role in the evolution of native people and animals that live in the Arctic, and, as in the case of some birds, how they summer and breed in the Arctic. Lopez points out the extremely delicate balance of weather and environmental factors on the ecosystem, including extraction of oil and gas and hunting of wildlife.

He examines the history of humans in the Arctic, giving several dates based on when a land bridge was open. The more recent of these times were 3500 to 4500 years ago and 1100 to 900 years ago. Although his inclusion of archaeology of the Arctic gives us the understanding that these people brought some of the skills to live in the Arctic with them, it is his stories of hunting animals with the locals that help us understand the true connection of the Arctic natives with their ecosystem. We learn of the Eskimo respect for the animals they hunt and that they recognize their place as co-inhabitants of the landscape. This has not kept them from decimating animal populations at times. But Lopez tells us that the Eskimo have recognized the need for animals to regenerate themselves and let them alone in certain areas.

He describes the search for the Northwest Passage through the Arctic by numerous explorers in the 17^th to 19^th centuries. The motivation was an easier way to the East. But on discovering the abundance of whales in between Greenland and Baffin Island, whaling ships from numerous countries came to take whales for their blubber to make oil. The contrast between both whalers and explorers and the Eskimo are made clear. The foreigners come to take away resources without regard for the landscape, and often perish when they are delayed by unexpected weather. The Eskimo, who the foreigners often see as clumsy and stupid, are adapted to the Arctic and sometimes kill the unfortunate visitors and other times try to help them. While foreigners often suffered from scurvy on long stays in the Arctic, we learn that the Eskimo diet of raw meat kept them from getting scurvy.

Chapters on the polar bear and narwhal mix personal stories and scientific data on these animals. The effect is to discover them from within their environment and then want to know more about them. Lopez helps us see the ingenuity of the polar bear and understand how young bears must learn how to hunt in their first few years. This is a harsh environment, even for animals adapted to the climate. Many young bears die. The narwhal is a mysterious creature, and Lopez sheds some light on their habits. Still, not much is known about them scientifically. His recounting of stories from ancient times about the narwhal tusk as the horn of a unicorn make interesting reading.

One theme Lopez comes back to in several chapters is recognizing our place in history. He asks in the Prologue, “What does it mean to grow rich?” The essence of wealth is bound to our personal values, and to the cultural values of a time period. He goes on to say:

“It is impossible to know, clearly, the answer to this question, but by coming to know a place where the common elements of life are understood differently, one has the advantage of an altered perspective. With that shift, it is possible to imagine afresh the way to a lasting security of the soul and heart, and toward an accommodation in the flow of time we call history, ours and the world’s.”

After reading Arctic Dreams, you can begin to appreciate the delicate balance of environmental factors in the Arctic and why it’s so important to protect it. There are limited species that have adapted to its harsh environment. Human impacts, both through development and the effects of climate change may cause irreparable damage. We have the choice to recognize the unique landscape of the Arctic and do what we can to preserve it.