During the overwintering season on Greenland in 1888-1889, Fridtjof Nansen met the Inuit and learned from their culture. He learned how they dressed, cooked, paddled the kayak and dog sledding. Roald Amundsen had the same experience with the Netsilik people in Gjoa Haven during the Northwest passage expedition in 1903-1906.

The knowledge from the Arctic sea was very important for the design of Norwegian polar logistics. Nansen contacted northern Norwegian Arctic skippers to get advice for the construction of his boat “Fram,” while Amundsen bought “Gjøa” in Tromsø, and both recruited crew from the polar hunting community.

The exhibition «SnowHow» shows some of the prerequisites for the polar achievements of Nansen and Amundsen, and opens the door for reflections on how much of Norwegian polar know-how (snowhow) rests on the knowledge of Arctic indigenous peoples and the polar hunters of Northern Norway.

Last changed: 26.06.2023 08.58