Arctic Peoples

by Clive Tesar

The Arctic Council has released a version of its Arctic Oil and Gas Assessment, prompting new discussion about the effects of oil and gas development in the Arctic.

Patricia Cochran, Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council , spoke at an event held when the Assessment was released. She recalled the words of another Inuit Leader, Eben Hopson, founder of the ICC, who more than thirty years ago told a major pipeline inquiry

“The politics of the Arctic are no longer the politics of the people, but they are the politics of oil.”

Cochran also pointed to a conclusion reached by Michael Baffrey, one the authors of the Assessment, that

“When local organizations and institutions lack power, local interests are likely to be neglected, so that costs are borne disproportionately by local residents while benefits accrue primarily at the regional and national levels.”

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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

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

Arctic Leaders were given a standing ovation today after bringing their observations of climate change to a public meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas. The event, at the Clinton School of Public Service, was the first of several taking place across the United States in the next week.

The leaders were introduced by a local celebrity, Minnie Jean Brown. Brown was one of the students known as “the little Rock 9″, a group of black students who were the first in the state to defy racial segregation in schools. She recognized the similarity between the rights Arctic Peoples are fighting for, and her own fight for rights years ago.
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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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