Since man first became curious and began to explore the world, globalization has had an effect on every culture. The cultural traditions and belief systems of the first explorers had an effect on the indigenous people of the lands where their ships landed. In modern times, with technology making the world a smaller place, the ability of individuals to take their culture around the world has become simpler. Globalization effects native people in ways both positive and negative. The positive effects include the influx of capital that allows for improving the standard of living, competition that can encourage innovation, and introduction of advance technologies from western nations that can improve life in developing areas of the world. There is also an increased global awareness of issues and greater access to foreign culture such as movies, music, food, and clothing. Negative implications of globalization include the outsourcing of jobs to countries where labor is cheaper, loss of cultural identities as different cultures mingle, and the spread of disease as people move around the world. Natural ecosystems are affected by globalization due to the introduction of invasive species of plants and animals (Steif, 2010). This paper will discuss the effects of globalization on two cultures, the South American Incas and the Inuit people of the north.
The Inca people lived in Peru for over three hundred years. They were a rustic culture that had skills in animal breeding and agriculture (About Peru History, n.d.). They were an extremely religious culture, worshiping many gods, but considering the Sun God to be their main ruler. Incan kings were believed to be descended from the Sun God and were therefore seen as having absolute power. A society ruled by war, the Inca conquered and ruled most of South America for almost one hundred years. The Incas saw themselves as an advanced culture, and believed that they were bringing civilization to the tribes that they conquered (Lambert, 2008). When the Spanish invaded the Americas, not only did they bring a cruel domination to the Inca people, they also bought disease. The Spanish introduced Smallpox to the native people, and the contagious disease is believed to have played a role in the destruction of the Inca people (McCaa, 2004). Using this as an example, one can see how globalization, in a “worst case” scenario, can lead to the eradication of an entire race.
The Inuit people are found in the Artic and in the Northwest Territories, Canada, Alaska, and Russia. Over centuries they adapted to the harsh environments in which they lived. Most Inuit communities were located in the Tundra, where there are no trees to provide wood for building shelters. Snow was used to build shelters, and in the winter months it can be found in abundance. In the winter the Inuit people lived in shelter constructed from snow. In summer munts, they lived in huts covered by animal skins. Inuit tribes often had both winter and summer camps, shared by several families, which they migrated to and from depending on the season. The Inuit people thrived completely within their environment. Everything they needed, from clothes to food to shelter, came from the materials available to them. Because of the lack of plant life in the artic, the Inuit diet consisted almost entirely of meat. Whales, walruses, seals, and fish were the staples of the Inuit diet (Gardiner, 2007).
For travel, the Inuit people used several different methods. Sleds made of animal bones and skin and pulled by teams of dogs were useful for travel over ice and snow. On water, small boats called kayaks were used for hunting or fishing, and larger boats called umiaq were used for the transportation of people, dogs, and supplies (Gardiner, 2007).
The Inuit people were an isolated culture. Westerners would occasionally pass through on an exploration or hunting expedition, but never settled due to the harsh conditions. During the cold war, enemy nations from both the Western and Eastern Bloc countries moved into the Arctic Circle so that they could monitor each other’s activities. Permanent settlements were created around their airbases. This form of globalization brought major changes to the Inuit people (Watt-Cloutier, 2005).
The new settlers to the area built schools. As with their own cultures, native children were mandated to attend classes where western, non-native culture was emphasized. As the settlements grew, many Inuit people found themselves living in towns instead of their native small villages. Changes to the Inuit way of life happened over a very fast time period (Watt-Cloutier, 2005).
Globalization also brought about major environmental changes to the Inuit people. Beach erosion has lead to a rapidly changing costal habitat. Small streams have been converted to rivers through the effects of melting glaciers. In some places the environmental changes have been so drastic that the only option available for the people of the community is relocation (Gardiner, 2007).
The Inuit tribes from each region have now formed a single entity called the Inuit Circumpolar Council. The main purpose of this council is to educate the western world regarding the issue of climate change and the effect that it has had on their culture. The Council is also working to expose their young people to the traditional skills of their elders in hopes of keeping their culture alive (Watt-Cloutier, 2005).
Both the Inca and Inuit peoples have suffered the effects of globalization on their ways of life. Although the Spanish explorers invaded Inca territories and outlawed their customs, they effectively destroyed the Inca nation simply by the introduction of Smallpox. Complete eradication of the Inuit way of life was not the intention of the new settlers of the Tundra. They simply believed that they should be able to use the land in any way they wanted. They also believed that they were improving the lives of the Inuit people by building schools and clinics, but they did this with complete disregard to the Inuit traditions and way of life. Fortunately, the Inuit have not met the same fate as the Inca people. By forming the Inuit Circumpolar Council, they are attempting to revive the culture that was lost due to globalization. They are speaking out about the effects of climate change before further damage can be done to their way of life. It is still to early to tell if there efforts will have any effect.

References
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Gardiner, L. (2007). Inuit culture, traditions and history. Retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/polar/inuit_culture.html
Lambert, T. (2008). A history of the incas and their daily life. Retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.localhistories.org/inca.html
McCaa, R. (2004). Epidemics and demographic disaster in latin america. Retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.hist.umn.edu/~rmccaa/aha2004/
Steif, C. (2010). Globalization: An overview of globalization and its positive and negative aspects. Retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://geography.about.com/od/globalproblemsandissues/a/globalization.htm
Watt-Cloutier, S. (2005). The artic: Its people and climate change. Retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://inuitcircumplar.com/index.php?ID=308&Lang=En