On a global scale, ice plays a crucial role in setting the temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans, dictating major weather patterns, regulating sea level, and dramatically influencing agriculture, transportation, commerce and geopolitics. Though glaciers may seem distinct from daily negotiations for most of us, our collective history and future are inextricably linked to these global towers of ice. While we may all agree that they are critical for human existence, there are notable differences in how we view and interact with sheets and mountains of ice. Julie Cruikshank rightfully stated, "The very act of studying glaciers exposes differing approaches to knowledge" (Cruikshank, 2005). Scientists conceptualize climate change as global phenomena, detached from localities and individuals. Climatologists and hydrologists are interested in assessing the sensitivity of the cryosphere to changes in temperatures, monitoring the rate of current glacial melting in relation to historical records of interglacial periods and studying the immediate and long-term hydrological response to glacial retreat in areas where water supply is controlled by snowmelt and glacial runoff. They see glacial retreat as an indicator of climate change and see themselves as providers of ‘facts’ and ‘truth.’ For Athapaskan and Tlingit oral traditions, glaciers are embodiments of life, energy and sentience. They actively listen and respond to human behavior. Glaciers figure prominently in both scientific discourse and the narratives of indigenous oral traditions (Cruikshank, 2005). Studying perceptions of glaciers and glacial processes can lead to the necessary intersection of perspectives and the implementation of wholesome strategies to combat the effects of glacial retreat.

            Ice has been on Earth much longer than humans have and thus, they conventionally suggest a sense of continuity, permanence and antiquity. Minuscule by comparison, people are awed by the colossal scale of nature’s handiwork. Common terms linked to glaciers in current discussions on climate change and water concerns-“surging,” “retreating,” “rapidly melting”- seem oxymoronic. However, the effects of glacial melting are tangible, concrete and more easily comprehendible. While most glaciers are still immense, they are not as large as they were just a couple of decades ago and while people may not be cognitively capable of perceiving differences in size over short periods of time, they can certainly experience the severity of water shortage and flooding due to glacial outbursts. People act and respond based on changes in their livelihoods, landscapes and practices and their perceptions of these trends and their effects.

Orlove et al. have identified two attributes of glaciers that shape the way humans perceive and interact with them. First, they are visible. This first characteristic is obvious and may seem trivial; however, “the direct accessibility of glaciers to human vision has helped to make them a topic of personal and public concern” (Orlove et al., 2008). There is a wide array of environmental concerns that cannot be seen and therefore, for the average person, a leap of faith must be taken in order to believe in their actualities. For instance, most people do not realize that they are being exposed to dangerous levels of toxins and pollutants. In a society where skeptics are doubting the claims of IPCC scientists, where statistics do not suffice and where there is a demand for physical proof of climate change, glaciers are of considerable importance. As Orlove et al. commented, “ a person who returns to a glacier after an absence of several decades or who compares photographs of it taken at different times can easily note glacier retreat” (Orlove et al., 2008). People see glacierized peaks as emblems of certain regions. For example, residents ascribe the natural beauty of Seattle to the whiteness of Mt. Rainier, which is featured on the city’s website and is common on travel brochures.

         The second attribute of glaciers that molds how they are perceived is that they are subject to cultural framing. Before the middle of the nineteenth century, glaciers belonged to the artistic and cultural domain rather than the scientific. Prior to the twenty-first century, glaciers represented grandeur and mystery for most westerners. Recently, while the position may be similar, what was once called “mystery’ is now “uncertainty.” Cultural framing influences how people mentally envision glaciers and how they fathom environmental issues linked to glaciers. For centuries, pilgrims have journeyed to the Sinakara Valley high in the Andes to practice sacred rituals at the base of the Qolqepunku Glacier, which is associated with nearby Mount Ausangate, the tallest mountain in the area, considered by Andean people to be the region’s most powerful deity or “apu.”  The rituals were first performed by the Incas, who regarded the mountain as a god and its glacier as a source of holy water. Every year over 45,000 worshippers trek to this remote, high-altitude glacier to offer their gratitude to the deity with music, dance and offerings (Frasher, 2009). Members of the Ukuku tribe, dressed in elaborate costumes, would carry home pieces of the sacred glacier. Now, this part of the ritual is forbidden by Pablitos or guardians of the ceremony. "We decided to eliminate this part of a ritual because we are concerned about the glacier," explained one Pablito. "We have taken this decision to protect the ice" (BBC, 2003). Glacial retreat is a tremendous threat to the practices of the Ukuku people. Another member of the tribe expressed uncertainty about the future location of the traditional practice: "In a few years' time we might not have any ice. I don't know where the Andean people will be able to go for their rituals."

            Pilgrims carry home pieces of ice after Qoyllur Rit'I festival (Times Photos).

            It is noteworthy that people in different regions of the world interact with their environments in different ways.  What may seem peculiar and wanton to some may have considerable meaning and purpose for others. The following example demonstrates how perceptions influence actions. People in the districts of Baltistan and Gilgit in Northern Pakistan practice ’glacier growing’ with the intention of creating glaciers that will increase water availability. They carry large pieces of glaciers from high elevations and place them in a dug out cave in a scree-slope (Tveiten, 2007). They then add large amounts of water into the cavern and place a layer of charcoal, and sawdust or wheat husks on top of the ice. Water is the limiting factor in agriculture. For the people of Northern Pakistan, glaciers have having an intrinsic or natural gender. A ‘Female glacier’ is a glacier that is growing and producing large amounts of water, whereas a ‘male glacier’ is characterized as having relatively insubstantial outputs of water. In interviews conducted by Tveiten, the glaciers were described as capable of giving birth and were seen as animate beings. The people interviewed often mentioned that the combination of female and male ice was necessary for high productivity. Carrying large ice sheets and pieces of glacier across extensive distances, particularly altitudinally is treacherous. However, the people in Baltistan and Gilgit believe that glacier growing is an appropriate means of relieving downstream villages from scarcity of water. For them, glacier growing is a commandment of God and failure to engage in the practice, results in natural disasters. Oral traditions have glorified the practice and tied it to the propagation of Islam in the region.

                                  Glacier growers carry chunks of ice.