Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend
Feb. 12 – June 19
From their depiction in the 1500s as angry sea monsters to their status as icons of pop culture today, the narwhal with its unique spiral tusk has inspired legend in Inuit and European society and fascinated people across cultures for centuries. Developed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and its Arctic Studies Center and organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), the exhibition explores interdisciplinary research about the narwhal in their rapidly changing Arctic environment conducted by Smithsonian scientists in collaboration with Arctic researchers and members of Inuit communities. The exhibition uses firsthand accounts from these scientists and Inuit community members to reveal how traditional knowledge and experience, coupled with scientific research, heighten the understanding of narwhals and the changing global climate.
