Cryospheric and Polar Processes Seminar - Lewis Brower

Sharing Indigenous knowledge and concepts of sea ice among Indigenous communities, scientists, and beyond
by Lewis Brower - Barrow Arctic Science Consortium (BASC)

Abstract: Sea ice isn’t just sea ice from an Indigenous perspective. The deep knowledge of the many types of sea ice has been passed down to younger generations while hunting and traveling on the ice. With rapid climate change in the Arctic, this traditional information is being shared beyond the borders of communities from which the knowledge has been derived through programs like ELOKA. Lewis Brower, Inupiat and local sea ice expert from Barrow, Alaska, will share his broad knowledge of sea ice forms, processes, and environmental interactions, observations on recent climate change, and experiences in working with climate scientists. He will tie this knowledge to how climate change will affect the future of subsistence hunting practices and food security at the top of the world.

Bio: Lewis Brower was born, raised and resides in Barrow, Alaska, with his family. He is a whaling captain, sea ice expert, and expert guide who uses his knowledge of sea ice in traditional hunting and for rescue work with the North Slope Borough Search and Rescue. He has worked with numerous Arctic researchers and has contributed his observations and knowledge of sea ice to a variety of research projects, including the Semantic Sea Ice Interoperability Initiative (SSIII) at NSIDC, as well as serving as a member of the ELOKA Advisory Committee. He is Inupiat who is accustomed to a lifestyle passed on for thousands of years and enjoys modern living as time passes by. He loves hunting, fishing and bringing forward native values, as he believes it is the only way to survive.