Indigenous and International Relations in a Warming Arctic

Abstract

In both Canada and the United States, China's aspirations as a polar power are impacting the balance in Arctic international relations. In a warming Arctic, melting ice is opening new shipping routes, creating new opportunities for natural resource extraction, and accelerating other processes of globalization. China considers itself a near-Arctic nation and now serves as an Observer on the Arctic Council, which is the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation in the Arctic. At the same time, Arctic Indigenous Peoples, particularly Inuit, have become increasingly effective at influencing domestic and international policies concerning the Arctic. In this Task Force, students address ways that policies may impact China's role in the region and what impact, if any, China’s role in Arctic policy might have on Arctic Indigenous Peoples, Canada, the United States and beyond.