Indigenous Participation in the Arctic Council: An Analysis of Principle and Practice

Abstract

The Arctic is an ever-changing region, specifically in its environment and the increasing number of political actors interested in natural resource development in the region, which requires innovative modes of policy creation, specifically to guarantee the sovereignty and self-determination of Indigenous peoples who preside over the land. The Arctic Council is the predominant forum through which Indigenous peoples in the Arctic exercise power over decision-making. This study examines the mechanisms by which Indigenous peoples participate in the Arctic Council through comparing the Arctic Council’s Meaningful Engagement of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in Marine Activities project documents to interviews of individuals who have worked with and on the Arctic Council. This study aims to determine how Indigenous peoples participate in Arctic Council decision-making and discover the existing successes and obstacles of participation mechanisms within the forum. This study finds differences in the rhetoric of engagement and participation in Arctic Council documents compared to the practical applications of engagement and finds that state-dominant frameworks govern the level of participation of Indigenous peoples in the Arctic Council.