I often talk to upper primary school sudents about the minimalist environment of the 14th century Inuit peoples of Baffin Island who lived above the Arctic Circle. The setting for Polar Boy. So much of what we take for granted - from our lifestyle to the words and images we use to describe things - just doesn't exist there. No trees, no metal, no cotton and little colour. Very little fire.
Seal oil or beluga whale oil were the options for light, warmth and cooking. Oil was burned in a...