“This is the only part of the world we have stayed beyond our place," said David Iqaqrialu and Laimikie Palluq, hunters from Canada, who visited Tsum Valley in Gorkha recently.
“We live in arctic conditions and play with snow. But when we travelled to Tsum Valley, we were taken aback to see the same kind of people and snow-blanketed areas," added David.
They were accompanied by environmental scientists from Canada and the US, namely, Shari Gearheard and Henry Huntington, with a translator Mike Jaypoody.
The tribal people look like Sherpas and cannot speak English.
The National Science Foundation supported their travel, while scientists working on climate change assisted them. “The real story tellers from one corner of the globe had a chance to see another part of the world, which is facing climate change threats," said Huntington.
They are from a small hamlet in Baffin Island's Patricia bay in Nunavut of Canada, which is only reachable through air or sealift.
They said Tsum Valley is like their hamlet with no transport, electricity facilities and no infrastructure. Read the full report here.
Source: Himalayan News Service, The Himalayan, Kathmandu.
