An Exploration Into Communal Experiences Of Solastalgia

Climate change is an undeniable reality, whose consequences are far-reaching and influences individuals’ consumption decisions in almost every domain. There is a growing body of work on the environmental effects of climate change on our planet; parallelly, there is a disturbing dearth of research on its social impacts. This is especially true as they relate to the most vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by the migration and displacement engendered by climate-induced changes. Solastalgia was coined by philosopher Albrecht (2005) to describe the psychic and existential distress produced by environmental changes (Albrecht et al. 2007). In Canada, the gradual degradation of the permafrost engendered by climate change has impacted the Inuit way of life (George 2019). In collaboration with community stakeholders in Arviat, Nunavut, this work will explore how solastalgia is lived by the Inuit who are faced with the changes brought forth by the “Big Thaw.”