Josie Brooks, a former Polar Climate Ambassador intern, recently visited the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum in Brunswick, Maine, where a new exhibit highlights the vital role of traditional Inuit foods and culture in Arctic identity and survival.
- New exhibit highlights traditional Inuit foods and culture
- Arctic hunting tools and clothing reflect indigenous knowledge
- Climate change impacts Arctic food security and traditions
What happened
Josie Brooks, an intern for the Polar Climate Ambassador Program, revisited the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum to reconnect with the lessons she learned about Arctic climate, Inuit culture, and their traditional foodways. The museum’s extensive galleries explore the Arctic’s people, environment, and history across three floors, including art, folklore, and climate science exhibits.
Her visit coincided with the opening of "Mamaqtuq! It's Delicious: Traditional Foods of the North," a new exhibit focusing on Inuit food traditions. This exhibit shares how the Inuit hunt, fish, and gather food from the land and sea, highlighting their resilience and the central role that food plays in fostering community pride and identity.
Why it feels good
The exhibit offers an immersive experience, featuring artwork like Janet Kigusiuq’s vibrant depiction of raw salmon, photographs of community feasts, and tactile displays showing the furs and tools used in traditional hunting. These displays celebrate not only the foods themselves but also the deep connections to culture, survival, and sharing within Arctic communities.
Visitors gain an appreciation for Inuit knowledge passed down over thousands of years, including hunting techniques, travel gear like the iconic dogsled, and expertly crafted parkas made from animal hides. These traditions serve both a practical and cultural role, inspiring respect for the relationship between people and environment in the Arctic region.
What to enjoy or watch next
The exhibit also thoughtfully addresses present-day challenges facing Arctic peoples, such as shifting migration patterns of fish and marine animals due to warming waters and declining sea ice. Changes in traditional hunting practices, including the decrease in use of sled dogs in Canada, underscore the ongoing impacts climate change has on food security and cultural preservation.
Visitors interested in Arctic life can explore related museum programs on scientific research and folklore or follow ongoing stories of indigenous resilience and environmental advocacy. Learning about these interconnected themes encourages a deeper understanding of how climate and culture intertwine in one of the planet’s most fragile regions.