ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the problems posed by the arctic environment of northern Alaska and on the adaptation strategies used by the Inuit population. The low biological productivity of the tundra made the Inuit turn to ocean resources, enriched by upwelling, and to animals that migrate between the arctic tundra and the subarctic taiga. Flexible forms of social organization extended the network of individual households through noncousin marriage, adoption, spouse exchange, and meat-sharing partnerships. The Arctic Ocean on a volume basis has the highest terrestrial input in terms of freshwater and organic matter, and the arctic drainage areas contain more than half of the organic carbon stored globally in soils. When people move to arctic zones, which are subject to twenty-four hours of light in summer and twenty-four hours of darkness in winter, adjustments must be made. Antarctic psychological researchers have noted that insomnia, disrupted sleep, anxiety, depression, and irritability are common during winter.
