Arctic Peoples

by Clive Tesar

Canadian Inuit are opposing vigorous lobbying efforts to get the polar bear listed as “threatened” under the American Endangered Species Act. The US government has been considering the action since 2006. Now three conservation groups, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Greenpeace are threatening to sue the US government to get it to proceed with the listing. Canadian Inuit say the environmentalists are taking aim at the wrong target.

Two organizations that represent Inuit in Canada are disagreeing with the tactic of using the polar bear to try to force the American government to take action on climate change. Duane Smith, the president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (Canada) says,

“I don’t see how listing it as threatened will complement the sustainability of the population. It is climate change that is the problem, not the sustainable hunting of polar bears.”

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by Clive Tesar
In a speech outlining the priorities of the Canadian government, the Arctic topped the agenda. Promising “new attention” to the north, the government says it will bring forward an integrated northern strategy that includes giving northerners more control over their government.

As part of this strategy, the government plans to build a new Arctic research station. In a statement, Inuit Circumpolar Council -Canada president, Duane Smith, supported the research facility, and expressed the hope that it will address all of the Canadian Arctic, and that climate change adaptation studies will be a central focus of the facility.

The issue of Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic was also addressed in the speech. According to the speech, mapping of the Arctic sea bed will be completed, and the size and capabilities of the mainly indigenous Arctic Rangers military unit will be expanded.

“I am happy with the throne speech focus on sovereignty and improving the well being of Inuit,” says Smith, “but I remind the government that sovereignty cannot be divorced from battling climate change in the Arctic.”

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by Clive Tesar

The United Nations has overwhelmingly passed a Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration, more than 20 years in the making, passed by a vote of 143 in favour, four against, and eleven abstaining.

Of the eight Arctic states, the United States and Canada voted against the declaration, while Russia abstained. Denmark and Finland were among a large group of countries that sponsored the Declaration.

The passing of the Declaration was called a “Day of Joy” for Indigenous Peoples by Aqqaluk Lynge, representing Inuit Circumpolar Council – Greenland. Lynge added, “Now it’s time to look at the future and see how we can protect the rights of the Indigenous Peoples and using this Declaration, for the further development of Indigenous Peoples and away from marginalization into being part of the development of the whole world.”

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by Clive Tesar

A young polar bear is now back on the Canadian Arctic coast after wandering 300 kilometres inland. The bears typically do not stray far from the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Duane Smith, President of Inuit Circumpolar Council (Canada), suspects the bear wandered inland to search for food because the ice in the Arctic has receded so far offshore. The bears typically eat a diet high in marine life, especially seals. After being spotted near a community, the bear was lured into a cage by a muktuk (whale blubber) bait, and transported back to the coast.

by Clive Tesar

The disappearing caribou in the Northwest Territories (NWT) in Canada have people anxious – very anxious. Some herds have declined by thousands, some by hundreds of thousands over the past twenty years. Everywhere in the central Arctic, the trend seems to be the same – fewer caribou. This is not just a matter of concern for Indigenous Peoples in the region, It is a matter of real hardship, economic, cultural, social and spiritual. The lives of the Indigenous Peoples of the region have been bound up with caribou for thousands of years. Some believe that in every human heart is a little of the caribou heart, and in every caribou, a little of the human heart.

This is not the first time the caribou numbers have dropped. Indigenous knowledge and scientific evidence both suggest that caribou herds here hit a low about every thirty years. This is thought to be linked to the effect of climate and caribou populations on lichens, the plants that are the main winter food of the caribou. But things have changed in the Northwest Territories over the past thirty years. There are more people, and more roads. There is new technology being used to help hunters, including tracking of radio-collared caribou that has been posted on the Internet. There are new mines on the barrens, with more planned. Perhaps most importantly, the climate is changing, that changes snow conditions, forest fires, and plant growth.

In January 2007, the Government of the Northwest Territories brought together about 170 delegates in Inuvik, near the Arctic coast of the Northwest Territories, for a ‘Caribou Summit’, the first gathering of its kind.

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by Clive Tesar

A United Nations declaration affirming the rights of the world’s Indigenous Peoples has been set aside for further consultation. The declaration, which has been in negotiation for more than 20 years, was delayed after a resolution put forward by Namibia was backed by other African countries. Of the Arctic states, Canada and Russia voted in favour of Namibia’s resolution, while the United States abstained. Finland, speaking on behalf of the European Union, spoke against it, calling the move a “groundless delay”. Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden all joined Finland in voting against the delay.

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by Paul Kaludjak
What should the Canadian federal government do in the face of the continued American rejection of Canada’s assertion of sovereignty over the Northwest Passage? Inuit occupy and travel throughout the area that Washington claims to be international waters. We will be most affected if the passage is opened to shipping as a result of climate change.

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It is now unclear whether or not the post of Arctic Ambassador has been cut by the Canadian government. Initially, it was reported that the position had been cut as a cost saving measure, and that the former ambassador, Jack Anawak, was out of the job. Spokespersons for the Canadian government now say that although Anawak is gone, there is no news on whether the actual position remains. They say what is known is that the functions previously performed by the ambassador will now be performed by a senior government official.

Anawak, an Inuit former politician from Nunavut, had been the ambassador since 2004. The post was created twelve years ago. Anawak is reported by CBC Radio saying he is disappointed with the decision.

“In view of the fact that the Arctic Council is a very important body, and upcoming issues, like climate change and global warming, are very important issues that Arctic Council is dealing with, as well as the upcoming International Polar Year.”

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