Eli5: Why did civilizations such as the Pre Dorset, Thule, and Inuit not migrate south if their environments were so harsh and extreme?

Question

I read a few articles where some of these civilizations main focus was keeping warm because they were located so far north. So why would they not migrate more south?

In: 661

Answer 1

Your assuming that thousands of years ago or hundreds of years ago people were aware that as you went south the climate was warmer. How would they know that? For all intensive purposes they probably assumed the world was all the same. I mean it’s not like they had a newspaper or radio to give them weather reports…..unless they encountered a traveller from another warmer part of the world it’s very unlikely they even knew such places existed…