The word "treasury" usually describes a collection of highly valued poems; it is used in the title to describe a collection of highly valued poetic terms. There is a wide local vocabulary in Newfoundland and Labrador to distinguish specific phenomena in the continuous modulations of winter weather. Several of the terms are from 17th century English, brought to Newfoundland with the settlers. Many of these terms survived here after falling out of use in their original countries; others arose from particular occupational activities in this climate. This dialect is important to me because many of these words would have been in the mouths of my Newfoundland ancestors.

I found over 80 terms for different conditions of ice and snow in the Newfoundland dialect. These terms are precise, practical, evocative, sonic, and lyrical. Knowing them helps us actually see different phenomena, instead of winter being just a cold, white blur.

These local terms reflect experience and knowledge of the land and the sea. But this vocabulary is now a fragile intangible artifact. The loss of local linguistic complexity is a result of major changes in Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly the decline of the fishery as an occupation. And these terms are fragile for another reason—climate change.

From the Ground Tier to a Sparrow Batch:
A Newfoundland Treasury of Terms for Ice and Snow, Blast Hole Pond River, Winter 2012-2013

medium: documentary video-poem (includes HD video, still photographs, poetry, text, definitions of the local terms, and a two-person voice-over)
duration: 26:07