Just the Tip of the Iceberg: Southern Media Depictions of Canadian Sovereignty in the Arctic

Abstract

As climate change opens up the Arctic, Canada’s sovereignty in the region has received increasing attention in both federal politics and the media. Meanwhile, Inuit have lived in the Arctic since time immemorial. Many Southern Canadians – whose awareness may ultimately have policy implications – rely largely on mainstream media to learn about the region. Therefore, I examine Canadian news stories and seek to illuminate what discourses emerge about Arctic sovereignty. To provide a counter narrative, I also analyze media highlighted and produced by the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, an organization that speaks to Arctic sovereignty directly. Comparing discourses found in Southern news and ITK texts suggests where discrepancies might exist between Inuit and Southern views on sovereignty in the Arctic. I aim to show how unpacking and addressing these different perspectives is fundamental to ensuring that the impacts of colonialism in the Arctic are not exacerbated by sovereignty discourse.