Canadian Arctic Policies and their Impact on Indigenous Peoples

Cold iceberg snow sea, by Stein Egil Liland is licensed under Pexel.

Canada’s Arctic territory makes up one-third of the nation’s landmass and more than 50% of its coastline. However, this area, currently facing a climate crisis, has witnessed centuries of systemic injustices towards Indigenous peoples, and Canada continues to struggle with reconciliation and interstate struggles concerning its Northern territory. The sparsely inhabited area has been home to the Indigenous Inuit peoples for thousands of years, and they remain the permanent population of the Arctic. Canada’s Northernmost territory also features the internationally contentious zone of the Northwest Passage, which has historically faced sovereignty debates between the United States and Canada. During the warmer months, this passage creates a useful connection between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans through channels in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, which has long been explored and as a valuable trade route. Many nations, especially Northern countries such as Russia, the United States, and Nordic Europe,  have claimed a geopolitical presence in locations bordering Canada’s Arctic territory for political or economic reasons. Nevertheless, Canada maintains its sovereignty over the Northwest passage and has installed various security and scientific endeavours in the area. Though Canada has greatly benefited from its Northern territory, the government of Canada obtained the North at the expense of numerous injustices faced by Indigenous peoples. There remain many current struggles today, including the legacy of relocation policies, climate change, and geopolitical strains in the Arctic. 

PRESENT-DAY INDIGENOUS INJUSTICES AS A LEGACY OF RELOCATION

It is important to recognize the effects of former and current Canadian policies on the lives of Indigenous peoples, as a first step to fully address Canada’s dark history of injustice. Current Canadian Arctic sovereignty stems from unjust relocation policies in the 18th and 19th centuries, which were used to enforce Canadian legitimacy in the North. The relocation of many Indigenous peoples in Arctic settlements was used as a strategy by the Canadian government to claim sovereignty over these territories and to establish international legitimacy over the land. Maintaining population permanence in the Arctic was the simplest method for the state to garner sovereignty over islands otherwise difficult to secure. These policies were motivated by imperialism and lacked long-term plans for future generations of Arctic communities. In fact, many of these communities continue to face modern-day uncertainties and injustices as a result of their extreme inaccessibility, including steep food prices, low social mobility, and few economic opportunities. This is especially true in isolated fly-in settlements, such as the islands located in the Archipelago of Nunavut. Disconnected from the mainland, all goods and services must be imported, and prices often exorbitantly outmatch the population’s salaries. As a result of deeply-entrenched systemic failures that have lasted centuries, the Arctic region of Canada suffers from poor infrastructure and unsustainable services. The Canadian government has been slow to respond to this problem, due to a severe infrastructure deficit. Canada’s Northern policies must be re-evaluated in order to address the needs of their most isolated communities. The effects of ignoring the needs of Canada’s far-North communities are clearly taking a toll on local Indigenous peoples: life expectancy for Northern Inuit is approximately 10 years shorter than the average Canadian, and they face 11 times higher suicide rates. The government of Canada should restore justice by providing the necessary infrastructure to the Northern Indigenous peoples’ communities and engage in serious reconciliation with its harmful past Northern policies. The country has benefited so greatly from Arctic sovereignty, so it needs to provide communities with applicable resources and systemic changes to decrease disparities in the Arctic.

CLIMATE CHANGE 

There are a plethora of potential and existing issues in the Arctic associated with climate change. Firstly, due to the warming climate and melting sea ice, larger ‘polynyas’, or ice holes, have formed, which has led to increased ease in travel in the North. The Canadian Arctic waters are vast and largely unguarded, which facilitates foreign illegal fishing or oil-drilling since there is now more surface area of open channels. This could create serious environmental issues and territorial rights breaches that affect local Indigenous communities. This means that many original territorial agreements with the US, notably that of the Northwest Passage, may need to be re-evaluated as a result of the increase in mobility in the Arctic Ocean, which now opens up the Beaufort Sea above Alaska for many of the warmer months. 

Furthermore, diminishing Arctic ice has also resulted in the decline of Arctic biodiversity, especially the wildlife that depends on solid ice for habitation. This has severely affected the natural ecosystems and food webs of the North. Climate change has also created dramatic shifts in the livelihoods of Indigenous communities, whose existing living conditions may have become unpredictable due to the changing environment, including traditional cultural practices and food sources. The Canadian government should mobilize to provide these communities with the infrastructure and resources they need to enhance their living standards amid the climate crisis.

FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT

Both Russia and China have serious goals for Arctic engagement which are challenges for Canada due to geopolitical tensions and the protection of Indigenous rights. Canada has largely ignored Indigenous territorial rights in the North by making bilateral decisions on Arctic affairs with foreign nations without consultation with Indigenous peoples. Russia has stated its ambitions to expand its military bases into the Arctic, which could pose a security threat to the Canadian North. Canada should focus on establishing clear cooperative outlines with Russia, in order for these two countries with the greatest Northern presence to promote higher security and to facilitate clearly outlined policies for both countries’ Inuit populations. 

China, on the other hand, has announced plans for creating new shipping pathways in the North to reduce travel time, as a consequence of the rapidly melting sea ice. Since the 1990s, China has sent many researchers to the North and has since strived to increase its Arctic presence. As the largest shipping country in the world, China has expressed its interest in Northern Canada for economic benefits. Additionally, since Chinese-Canadian relations are currently tense, Arctic cooperation could recuperate this relationship. The country also recommends Canada to cooperate with their demands and interests for mutual gain. Opening up the Northwest Passage for trade is definitely a lucrative option for Canada since it facilitates shortened travel time for international trade by water. However, this could infringe upon Indigenous rights upheld by the United Nations pertaining to territory and geographical resources, which would be undermined with incoming foreign seafarers. Canada’s competitive geopolitical dynamics in the Arctic Ocean are occurring rapidly. Moving forward, it will be important that the country authentically acknowledges the implications of interstate bargaining on Indigenous peoples, in order to create relevant and constructive policies that include Indigenous input. 

As a country that takes pride in proclaiming “the true North, strong and free”, it is essential that Canadians educate ourselves about the sacrifices made to maintain our Arctic sovereignty, and acknowledge the modern-day challenges in our northern communities. As a country built on Indigenous land, it is only when Canada respectfully engages with its Indigenous peoples that the country can reach its full potential. The country must work to reconcile with its past and address the Canadian government’s exploitation and neglect of Indigenous peoples in the Arctic.