The Igloo – First Nation Wisdom worthy of Reflection
Most know the Inuit (Eskimo) traditionally lived in Igloos, but few have been introduced to the technological advancement inherent in their design. Secrets which enable these people to flourish for generations in a region with few trees and temperatures of minus 40 and colder.
Early documentaries (a few linked below) illustrated the uniqueness of igloo’s design; however, 25 years immersed in Inuit arts and cultures has left me pondering the origins of the incredible wisdom from such a remote, isolated, physically spread-out people? What problem solving approach enabled them to gain the wisdom to create igloos which:
(1) use snow rather than ice in their construction. Snow might not be as strong but it offers better insulative value. This is not intuitive, as most visitors believe igloos are made of ice.
(2) uses a dome or catenary designs rather than simpler structural designs. An igloo can withstand 60-70 kilometer winds which are common in a North winter. This design mitigates the challenges of using snow rather than ice in their constructions.
(3) finally, incorporate a lowered floor and thus utilize a cold sink within its design to ensure that heat remained in the igloo. This concept of thermal dynamics was discovered and widely utilized by people who communities consist of a few families and were regularly separated by more than 100 kilometers from the next community.
As impressive as these dwellings are; the cognitive reasoning behind their design for a people with limited resources residing in a harsh climate, is just as impressive. These quiet and unassuming peoples’ arts and crafts illustrates a wisdom and technological advancement which is rarely promoted elsewhere.