While it is unsurprising that global temperatures are rising rapidly, the Arctic is experiencing the effects at an expedited rate compared to the rest of the world. Changes such as thawing sea ice have opened up a new trade route, and stakeholders are racing for the opportunity to capitalize on the shortened water channel and wealth of natural resources, including oil, gas, and minerals previously inaccessible because of frigid temperatures. This abrupt spike in human activity has caused arctic temperatures to consistently increase, establishing significant threats to the region’s fragile environment. Thus, this article will address the dangers of political exploitation and environmental change, given the power dynamics between the Canadian government and Indigenous communities living in the Arctic for centuries.
Four million people call the Arctic home, with about 500,000 being Indigenous. Of these, an estimated 150,000 are from Canada’s Arctic. Indigenous communities in Canada living in these isolated, northernmost regions are severely impacted by the imminent danger of climate change, which threatens their way of life and strong connections to their ancestral homeland. Climate change is endangering species such as polar bears, whales, caribou, and salmon while simultaneously threatening the livelihood of communities that rely on hunting. For example, since the Industrial Revolution in the mid-1800s, the amount of mercury in fish has increased tenfold, endangering the health of local wildlife and Indigenous communities. Ninety percent of mercury pollution in the region originates from emissions from industrial processes and other human-caused pollutants, primarily from sources outside the Arctic Circle. It enters the food chain as permafrost—which retains elemental mercury—and it melts due to the warming atmosphere, triggering erosion and flooding. The comparatively safe element consequently transforms into the highly hazardous methylmercury, produced through dissolved carbon in bodies of water, which could poison the human immune system, damage the nervous system, and impact sensations such as taste, touch, and vision. Therefore, Indigenous communities must abandon long-held traditions to adapt to the changing environment, impacting their ability to practice and preserve cultural ways of life.
Despite only holding 0.5% of the world’s population, Canada ranks among the top ten emitters of greenhouse gases. Furthermore, Northern Canada is experiencing warming approximately three times faster than the rest of the country. Indigenous people living within Canadian borders who depend on the land for survival suffer the most from the global environmental catastrophe. Increased economic activity in the oil and gas industry jeopardizes Indigenous ways of life, frequently forcing communities to deal with disappearing historical sites, graveyard erosion, community upheaval, and ongoing displacement as foreign nations invade and acquire their resources. The exploitation of Indigenous land by the Canadian government in the name of natural resources has defined this nation’s history for centuries. Today, capitalist greed is damaging ecological systems and disproportionately harming Indigenous populations. This phenomenon is a form of neo-colonialism—the reinforcement of socioeconomic and political activity that colonial rulers covertly diffused across their past colonies. As a result, it replicates the same oppressive roots of European colonization that were justified in the name of economic gain and governance.
Historically, several Indigenous groups, including the Inuit, have experienced land seizures and unjustified resource exploitation; this has destroyed their connection to their land, wildlife, and environment, forcing them to drastically change their social, economic, and cultural practices. These communities have been targets, and Canadian governmental policies remain short of addressing their needs. Indigenous communities are allegedly “protected” by written charters that are “guaranteed” under constitutional provisions. Yet, an overwhelming number of incomprehensible documents and declarations have obscured their rights.
For example, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) serves as an international body that institutionalizes the rights establishing “the minimum standards of survival, dignity, and well-being…,” created to safeguard both collective and individual rights of Indigenous peoples. However, scholars such as Duane Champagne criticize UNDRIP because it lacks legal safeguards to keep these measures in place. Instead, it encourages assimilation, where countries attempt to impose their values and norms on all citizens, further harming Indigenous communities. Therefore, the dominant group continues to wield power over “subordinate” Indigenous communities in all facets of life. This illustrates how the long-term implications of colonialism in Canada continue to play a crucial role in today’s oppressive inequities, actively and passively constructing structural inequalities that enable the destruction of Indigenous livelihoods.
The government has repeatedly diminished these communities’ abilities simply because modern institutions—the complex social structures that govern fields of action—involved in decision-making processes typically fail to acknowledge Indigenous peoples as authoritative individuals representing significant worldviews and include them as collaborators. As policymakers prioritize development, Indigenous welfare and livelihoods are often overlooked. Numerous Arctic Indigenous Peoples are currently dealing with economic difficulties, social marginalization, land expropriation, and increasing resource extraction, which considerably amplifies their sensitivity to warming temperatures. Nevertheless, Canada’s colonial authority, which has continued to deny Indigenous communities the ability to control their lands and economic activities, breaches their primary human and constitutional freedoms, as their viewpoints are rarely considered during decision-making processes.
The Arctic has been home to Indigenous populations for thousands of years. Nonetheless, due to the globalization of Western lifestyles, government mandates, and the onset of rapid economic growth, they have already experienced considerable environmental changes. Indigenous people require possession of resources such as land and water, but the Canadian government has failed to support Indigenous peoples in dealing with the worsening environmental circumstances. The country is not fulfilling its duty to protect the rights of affected communities or address global climate change. Instead, it contributes to their loss of traditional food supplies and resources. The rights of Indigenous Peoples, especially their sovereignty and dependence on nature, are being overlooked. To drive change, we need to consistently seek methods to amplify Indigenous voices in evaluation and decision-making discussions related to the Arctic environment. Understanding their community, history, and traditions is crucial.
Edited by Elizabeth Kiff
In her fourth year at McGill University, Shannon is a staff writer for the Catalyst. Pursuing a double major in Sociology and Art History for her B.A., she is especially interested in social-political discrimination affecting Indigenous communities within Canada and across the globe.