An Indigenous science of the climate change impacts on landscape topography in Siberia

Abstract

As with many Indigenous Peoples, the Siberian Evenki nomadic reindeer herders and hunters have observed increasing consequences of climate change on the cryosphere and biodiversity. Since 2017, they have observed previously unthinkable changes in topography. Based exclusively on an Evenki Indigenous Ecological Knowledge system-social anthropology coproduction and community-based continuous observation from 2013, this paper analyses what a Subarctic People observes, knows, does not know, hypothesizes, and models (collectively or individually) about climate change impacts on Indigenous landscape types typical for local river systems. These landscapes are crucial tools for traditional activities. To the nomads, the landscape changes emerge from general anomalies: competition from new plant species; atmosphere-ground-vegetation interactions; icing blisters decrease; rising receding river water interactions; the formation of new soil, ice, and snow types; increasing ground, air, and water temperatures; and the (non)circulation of harsh air throughout the snowpack. We demonstrate the science-like structure and value of Indigenous typologies and hypotheses.

Keywords: Biodiversity; Cryosphere; Indigenous knowledge; Permafrost; River; Siberia climate change.

Fig. 1

Normal state of the indigenous kever landscape type (tussock field)

Fig. 2

Three anomalies observed in the indigenous kever landscape type (tussock field)

Fig. 3

Norms and an anomaly observed in the indigenous kudu landscape type (side view)

Fig. 4

Norms and an anomaly observed in the indigenous kudu landscape type (top-down view)

Fig. 5

A Siberian river system: the elements of a typical system according to Evenki IEKS (See also Appendix S1, S2)

Fig. 6

Indigenous knowledge about current abnormal interactions between climate, disruptions in the vegetation cover, and reindeer health. The norm is sparse vegetation: thanks to the circulation of air and the escape of humidity, this allows for dry snow and a cold snow cover. The lichen is thus dry and good for reindeer