Yes, students and viewers, a little welcome to our interview for the topic
pull out windmill's, partial or not. And together with, uh, Kathleen Lalalala,
we want to speak about the first two episodes. Um, the topic of the whole
course is the far north. And you speak about the far north of Canada.
And my first question is, is it a specific term for Canada, the far north?
Um, no, I don't think it is a specific term. It's not really a term that we use
in Canada, because maybe it's because it's not so far the north. But we just usually
speak above about above the Arctic Circle or dtac. But the far north, I guess,
is can be used for all countries that are have territory above the Arctic Circle.
OK, so one of your exercises, I think in the end, the first one, the second
episode, I don't know, um, was about the far north of Russian and Denmark
and Norway. It's a difference between the far north of Canada and the finals
-of Russian or maybe Denmark. -Yeah, there's definitely a difference if
you travel to the north of these countries. Um, uh, let's say, for example,
Norway above the Arctic Circle is very well developed. There's a cities,
there's a cinemas, there's a theatre, there's just festival there, like normal
city, because it's easier access, because it's a little bit warmer climate.
And if you take Greenland and north of Canada, it's a much more difficult access,
a very long journey to go there. And the there's less money. So it's it's a very
poor communities. And if you take their Russian and all the Siberian, I think it's
the same. It's not really developed and it's mostly BASAD that are just seasonal
basins. You cannot live all the time there. But yes, some people do, but it's
just in very different conditions. If you are in Europe, north in Finland or Norway,
or if you are in Canadian and Russian north, then it's yeah, it's completely
-different. It's it's a lot less developed. -And so but is there a common understanding
-for, um, for the far north. -Yeah, I think so. There in every country
there have the um minority like in the Sami people in Finland and in Norway.
And so but they all have some different traditions, but they are all very linked
with nature. So I think that when they meet with each other, they don't speak
the same language, but they they understand each other maybe better
than with people from the South. Yeah, I would guess so. Yeah. Just living with
the Cariboo reindeer or things like that. Yeah, I think they would be more similar
-to similarities between them. -And when you look to to the whole Canada,
Canada, it's a country. How important is the far north,
-uh, for the economy or political or. -That would be my next question. If we can
-can look forward -I guess is important for identity of
Canada, because I think it's what makes it the different. But then it's also not
a lot of people there. And most Canadians will spend their life without going
-to the. -It's not unusual to make holiday in the
north. No, because it's so expensive. Then go to Europe. But we go to the north, um,
to to make holiday. But in your country, it's completely different. That's far.
-Yeah. And it's expensive. -And it's not like you have a lot of
infrastructure. Is there to spend the vacation unless you want to go on camping.
And a lot of people do these national park trips, but it's still not coming back
then. So it's a little bit remote, but it's still part of the the the knowledge
because it's everybody knows about what's what happens with the Arctic or it's
in the news. Do they have a political power? And it's just people know about it,
but it doesn't mean that they go down. But so the the importance. Yeah, there
is an important. But it's still. A little bit separated from people from the south.
Yes, so maybe we will speak about that a little bit later. In the second episode,
the the focus was on climate change and the importance of the research you make
and the Canadian research done since when the topic topic is important.
Yeah, I would say that myself. I've been hearing about it since I've finished high
school then I think it's something similar for the government to show an interest,
at least for the past 10 or 15 years, because they've been constant programs
to study in the Canadian Arctic since then. So it seems like it's not long ago,
but it's still quite good, I think, because it's it's a larger interest
at least than what United States I've been showing, I think. Well, they have been
some studies in Alaska, but it's just I think I think Canada started early
or at least saw the importance of it, realizing kind of that it would be
-an important subject. -And this there, I think something like a
main objective to protect our own to to understand or what sorts of human focus
that thing at first it was to see what would happen. And now that everything
is happening much more rapidly than everybody thought. I think that the focus
is really trying to predict what will happen, what will be the consequences.
But it's still a lot of things to learn. So it's yeah, it's a I think it's
a general understanding. And their goal is also to measure everything now before it's
changing too much so that we can have some base measurements to compare with what
will come later. But now their goal, since it will probably happen in very first
time, is to just not miss any any steps and cover well so that we can understand
-what happened. Yes. What will happen -as a result of climate change. You can
measure it in Canada, but the impacts are global. Do you work together in, uh,
-with other countries? -Yeah, well, yeah, it's always, um, it's
often international projects, but it's mostly with other countries from the north
or at least countries that icebreakers or. But yeah, the interest is growing it like
even China as icebreakers now and they are doing more research in the Arctic. And now
even India will probably get an ice breaker, which is definitely not the north
country. But so the interest is growing what will happen in the Arctic
because it will have definitely impact on the rest of the world, but it's not clear
when. But the increasing sea level is the subject that will definitely worry
the most the of the regions like India and Bangladesh and all these low level sea.
So, yeah. So I think it's obvious that this will have an impact on global.
-But yeah, there's some collaboration, but. -Yes. And do you already work together with
-the Inuit population? -Well, in Canada it's important if you have
a scientific program that you involve the Inuit and that they always have some part
to play and in fact they have to approve it a little bit, too, if you are to do
something or at least to make sure that it corresponds with what they, uh, that
they agree that it's okay that we can go with the ship and it's not going
to disturb their hunting patterns or or the whale migration.
-But you don't research together. No, but -it's just that we always have a, uh, the
opportunities for Invid to come and see what the we are doing a research.
So there's some often some observers that it can come on board so that they can come
and report to their communities what we are doing. And they are always welcome.
Yeah. Yeah. Um, so for me, it's, uh, it's a German. It's it's difficult
to understand because, um, in the north there is a population in the Inuit
population and you are researching about the north, but you don't really go
together. There's a separation, a kind of separation based on your history.
There was some. But I think that the. There's more trying to integrate more,
and I think that even their governments say it's important to integrate more.
And now where we are called what they call their traditional knowledge of the unit,
because they've been observing the region for hundreds of years. So they know a lot
about what happened before. And they are is just they are easy to read and the tug
of war between generations. So they know a so or let's say you can ask the Invicta
all. Do you catch the article that we have so much trouble to catch him? So there's
some kind of collaboration that is trying to be done, but it's still at early level.
But it's for sure it's some improvement that has to be done. But yeah.
So if they are interested in they can. Yes, we can. We try to work together.
So one aim of this course is to get a better understanding of Inuit culture
and Inuit life because they changed a lot in the last years. And even for you as
a Canadian, it's difficult to to get how to say, um, yeah, it's OK to get a feeling
for for this culture and this kind of your country.
Yeah, it's true that it's difficult because it's there's a few very few
of them and none of not a lot of us will meet them. But yeah, they yeah,
they are very concerned with what is happening. But some of them want
to collaborate and some of them don't want to collaborate. So because it's for them
it's a problem caused by us. So and they are right. So but it's so it's yeah.
It's different, it's difficult. And it's just in my opinion, of not having a lot
of interaction with the Inuit people. So that's how I see it. Or when I saw them
talking or the ILDA feel about it that they want to know what we are doing,
-that's for sure. Yes. -Um, when you show the map of of Canada
with, um, several parts, um, as is the Canadian population field as one nation.
Mhm. So if the Inuit interest or that of some some other groups as well.
Yeah. And then in Canada there's a big separation or at least in my opinion
between the French and the English. No, I think everybody will agree with that then.
So the we have already a lot of political problems between French and English and,
uh, about our history because the English were always the dominant people
and usually used the the French as workingmen's for several hundreds
of years. So and there was never an equality. And if you would get
an education on not so. Yeah. So now things are better uh, equal rights
and let's say. But the French are still considering themself as a different
culture with different language. And, uh, most a lot of French ones do have
a different independent nation. So and all this is not fixed and will probably never
be fixed. OK, because now there's more problems about the health, environment,
education, that this problem of difference between French and English is kind of a,
uh, second degree problem. But it's kind of like, uh, Catalonia in Spain. It's like
other regions, different or Flemish and and French. In Belgium, it's the same kind
of separation we can see. It's a very Istar historical and old. So we have this
is definitely the biggest problem between type of people in Canada and then
the inwith. So I'm not sure I think they identified themselves more with
the English or otherwise. They will go more towards an English culture, but I'm
not sure. I think they are still considering themselves separated from all
of us. Yeah, yeah. But maybe the English culture goes to them easier, easily,
-more easily than the French culture. -But, um, the research about climate
change, is it a topic for whole Canada. Yeah. Oh, it's more a topic of of one one
-part, one population. -Oh it's a it depends on which words. But
like this article that the uh group is was started in the. French part, but it's
including universities and institutes from all over Canada, so English and French
together and a lot of collaboration with Manitoba and and in the eastern province.
And but there's also other kind of research made in British Columbia
because we have icebreaker in the east part and on the west part. So there's
a it's a it's a common problem for everybody. It's not just one group that
focus. And now with the government, it's really clear that you have to be
-integrated in this research also. -OK, um, and I still have one one personal
question. Uh, what are your personal aims for your research?
I think my well, I've always studied the Arctic, so I guess I would not change
and go with tropical research now. But I think it's definitely an interesting
subject to study since these change will all happen very quick and in in during
my career. So I see myself going continuing in this direction. And I hope
that I can just monitor something really well so that it can, uh, give a long term
dataset to not just a little point here and the point here. So, yeah, I hope I can
maybe go back to Canada or any thing that is interested with Arctic science and just
-do my little part in this. But hopefully -one little part for the global impact of
-climate -change. It's a very precise when you work
on science, but if you feel like you're part of a group, then it's it's worth it,
-I guess. Yeah. Yes. -Thank you very much for your contribution.
And we want to say bye bye.