Twelfth International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses

Abstract

The purpose of this poster is to outline the development an augmented reality (AR) application for use in museums and cultural heritage centers that explains the impact climate change has on indigenous communities in Northern Finland, Sweden, and Norway. Indigenous and minority groups frequently lack the social, political and financial resources necessary to mitigate the effects of climate change. Further, many indigenous populations are dependent upon the harvesting or use of natural resources for their livelihoods. Disruptions in the environment caused by climate change have a significant impact on traditional ways of life and community health. Placing indigenous individuals at the center the experience provides the opportunity for direct interaction. This is important because indigenous individuals may rarely come into contact with members of the majority group. Further, treating the experiences of indigenous women as the focal point of the narrative centers the discussion on less visible, but equally consequential effects of climate change. Three themes will be discussed: Augmented Reality in Museum Contexts, Indigenous narratives and Augmented Climate. The first section will focus on how to design accessible, engaging and impactful augmented reality interactions. The narratives surrounding the experiences of indigenous groups are often actively and passively distorted by members of a dominant cultural group. This often manifests in the mythologization of the dominant group’s historical narratives. The final section will focus on how to portray the effects of climate change on indigenous communities. Specific topics will include maternal health, water and wildlife, and disease.