t he ubiquitous and fast-growing Trembling Aspen, populus tremuloides , stands still through the winter solstice. Even with its relatively short lifespan, it is a key colonising species of the vast boreal forest that covers much of the circumpolar region. Derek Johnson ( Plants of The Western Boreal Forest and Aspen Parkland ,1996) looks closely at the Trembling Aspen to show how it copes in an extreme environment with long winters.The greenish white colour of the bark indicates a photosynthetic layer. In late winter, while the tree’s leaves have yet to emerge, the bark has already begun to absorb and convert the sun’s energy into nutrients providing the tree with a longer growing season than would otherwise be possible.And when finally exposed to the long hours of intense summer sun, the tree produces a white powdery substance that acts as a sunscreen to protect the photosynthetic bark. In mid-March the Pasque Flower or Prairie Crocus, anemone patens , emerges from the snow . It comes from a hardy rootstock as a ball of fine woolly white hairs surrounding a hairy purple flower.The flower, a heliotrope, opens to catch the sun’s warmth during the day by following its arc across the sky.At night or during overcast weather it resumes its tight knit configuration of woolly hairs that trap warm air, reduce moisture loss and provide the insulation necessary to withstand cold evening temperatures. Meanwhile, as a means of protection from cold winter winds, a nearby willow ( genus salix ) blankets last year’s growth of tender shoots with a fur of fine white hairs. Being Boreal: trembling sticks, skins and a flower Antonio Zedda
Dwellings were simple, seasonal and gave protection from the harsh climate. Due to the ephemeral nature of the structures and mate- rials, no significant built artifacts remain.What we know of them is largely from documenta- tion and photography undertaken by Europe- ans who explored the territory in the mid to late 1800s. Though First Nations typically followed their source of food and thus led a nomadic exis- tence, it was not uncommon for permanent seasonal camps to be established, located on riverbanks (to harvest returning salmon), near migrating ungulates (caribou) or simply in areas where game was plentiful (moose, rabbit).The winter climate necessitated a more robust dwelling than was needed in the warmer seasons. Tappan Adney, in The Klondike Stampede of 1897-98 (1900) describes in detail the built form of the Klondike River Valley’s Tr’ondek Hwech’in people.Though considered one of the few Yukon First Nations to establish more permanent settlements, they also provide an example of seasonal building types common
Yukon First Nations had, until the first Europe - ans arrived, lived for thousands of years within the boreal forest of Canada’s most westerly territory.Though the climate and terrain were severe, the environment provided the neces- sary amenities for survival. Most First Nations were nomadic. Athapaskan and Tlingit moved with the seasons to different locations where sources of food were known to exist.
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Architecture of the Circumpolar Region
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