Read 'n' Seed 3: Second Quarter of Silent Snow

I have been reading the book Silent Snow by Marla Cone. This quarter of the book consisted of chapters 4-7, covering pages 53-127. This portion of the book mainly focused on the daily lives of the Inuit people, mostly in Greenland, and the far north of Canada and Europe. To say the least, learning how these people live was very eye opening. People in these areas, especially Greenland, have never seen cows, pigs, chickens, deer, squirrels, almost any wild animal you typically see in America, also they've never seen any grains, crops, or anything agricultural. In Greenland they have never even seen grass, which makes me wonder why it is called GREENland. So they must use the ocean waters as their primary cultivation of food. 

Through these chapters the reader followed several different families on their strenuous and often long hunting trips. It blew my mind that they hunt whales when they can. They go out in a handmade canoe with a spear to hunt sometimes 70 foot whales weighing several tons! It also went into detail what the Inuits think of Americans, and that was very suprising as well. One of them was under the impression that all we eat is KFC and Burger King. I guess that is what the world thinks of us. He also responded harshly to Americans "Save The Whales Campaign." Saying they have no other choice and must eat what is available. Another strong point he said was how the Inuits respect the animals they eat. They give the animals a chance to survive and defend themselves while hunting, saying it is a true sport. Then he critisized Americans how they treat chickens and cows, saying they are kept in cages and their sole purpose in life is to get as big as possible then get eaten by Americans. It was also said these people have been told about the contaminants in their food, but they feel their people have been doing it for so long and nothing has happened, so they just brush it off.

Reading how these people live their lives and how they feel about Americans really made me think about the American society. Especially what was said about the food we eat and how we eat. Also, how many countries are protesting about Inuits hunting whales, seals, walruses, polar bears, and other artctic animals. And it is simply true, that is what they have available so they must. Their diet is very nutrient dense, the fat they consume is highly nutritious compared to what Americans eat.  Some of the larger towns could purchase imported processed foods at super markets but at a unbelieveable high cost. And the other small villages simply have no choice. I look forward to learning more about these communities and hopefully more about the pollution they are experiencing.