Day+30

I didn't think that it was going to be possible to get a flight out to meet the Chukchi people in Russia. I finally found one to a nearby area for $7785. Luckily, I also found a tank in order to get up to the frozen area where the Chukchi live. When I went up there, I thought that northern Pennsylvania was cold. However, there is no comparison when I felt the cold of northeastern Russia. The Chukchi live inside the Arctic Circle where temperatures are unimaginably low. Because of spending so much time in such a cold climate, the Chukchi people have adapted. They are shorter and stockier than the average non-arctic dwelling person. This allows them to have less skin surface area, thus allowing for less heat loss. Some of these people eventually crossed the Bering Strait to populate North America. Chukchi are part of haplogroup Q (M242).

These Chukchi people have one main resource: reindeer. They herd and follow these animals around. The reindeer dig through the snow to eat the grass and other green material underneath. The Chukchi people use all parts of the reindeer when it is harvested. They make reindeer shelters. The Chukchi were kind enough to let me sleep in one while I was visiting. The Chukchi also survive off of fish and sea mammals that they are able to catch.