Natcher, David C.

English

University of Calgary Journal Hosting

rEviEWS • 243or the Real-ökonomie of new-frontier resource exploitation. Zellen has written a book that will make us think, and for that, his contribution should be lauded and welcomed as a source of important discussion among students and scholars of northern studies and northern policy makers alike.rEFErEncESBell, J. 2006. okalik: Devolution must include internal waters. Nunatsiaq News, December 22. www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/archives/61222/news/nunavut/61222_05.html.Freeman, M.M.r. 1976. inuit land use and occupancy study, 3 vols. ottawa: Milton Freeman research inc.Stephanie Irlbacher-FoxUniversity of TorontoDalla Lana School of Public Health and Institute of Circumpolar Health ResearchPO Box 962, YellowknifeNorthwest Territories X1A 2N7, Canadastephaniefox@theedge.canorThErn EXpoSurE: pEopLES, poWErS anD proSpEcTS in canaDa’S norTh. Edited by FrancES aBELE, ThoMaS J. courchEnE, F. LESLiE SEIDLE and FrancES ST-hiLairE. Montreal & kingston: Mcgill-Queen’s university press, 2009. iSBn 978-0-88645-205-6. The art of the State, vol. 4. xii + 605 p., 35 contributors, maps, b&w illus. Softbound. cdn$49.95.While climate change and associated questions of national sovereignty have captured public interest in the south, Northern Exposure: Peoples, Powers, and Prospects in Canada’s North offers a stark reminder that these issues are far more complex than often portrayed in the media by drawing critical attention to the dramatic transformations that are now taking place in the social, economic, politi-cal, and environmental landscape of the canadian north. in this edited volume, Frances abele and her colleagues have done a masterful job of compiling a collection of chapters from leading scholars, political and industrial leaders, and those who are on the frontlines of arctic change. This vol-ume will be of particular interest to students and scholars of canadian history, indigenous studies, and northern affairs, as well as those directly involved in the delivery of northern programs and services. Last, this volume should serve as mandatory reading for all public officials who participate in setting public policies for the north.Northern Exposure: Peoples, Powers, and Prospects in Canada’s North is the fourth in a series devoted to The art of the State. The 32 comprehensive chapters of this edited volume, published by the institute for research on public policy, are the result of a two-year multidiscipli-nary research program. They examine public policy needs relating to sovereignty, environmental change, and science; aboriginal and public governance; economic development; and education and human capital. The impressive list of contributing authors includes inuit and First nations lead-ers, former territorial premiers, and aboriginal youth, as well as Siila Watt-cloutier (nobel peace prize nominee) and Mary Simon (former canadian ambassador for cir-cumpolar affairs), who provide insightful commentaries. in general terms, the volume addresses three fundamen-tal challenges facing canada’s north. The first is allowing northern governing institutions, be they public or aborigi-nal, the necessary autonomy and means to make and imple-ment policies that reflect the interests of northerners. To date it is unclear whether the federal system is sufficiently organized to support these new governing processes. The second challenge is to depart from outdated allegiances to short-term economic development initiatives that focus almost exclusively on large-scale mineral and infrastructure development, often at the expense of other, perhaps more sustainable, economic development opportunities. Third, is the related challenge of safeguarding the well-being of northerners through economic diversification and secur-ing the necessary investment in local institutions and infra-structure. While approaching them in very different ways, and grounded in very different theoretical and conceptual orientations, all of the chapters in this volume explore these three challenges as they pertain to the formation of more informed and enlightened public policy for the north.This volume also gives voice to the next generation of northerners, who no doubt will be affected most by the pol-icy choices made today. in a section entitled Voices of the New Generation, we are reminded that “the next generation, the generation that has inherited these agreements, treaties and transformative governments …[will] be expected to do something with what our leaders achieved for their grand-children and for us” (p. 499). This seems to be a daunting responsibility to place on the next generation, but if these young authors are reflective of future northern leaders, it would seem that the north is in good hands. From a purely academic perspective, it could be argued that the diversity of authorship in this volume (academic, industry, government leaders, and youth) creates uneven scholarship. however, if this is seen as a weakness i believe it is a weakness far outweighed by having these various and differing perspectives represented side by side. rarely do you have a single volume that presents the experiences and opinions of mining executives alongside those of indige-nous activists and youth. in the final chapter, Looking Forward: Northern Pol-icy in Canada, Frances abele and her colleagues identify key historical elements of northern public policy and offer a number of observations about potential actions and solu-tions. This chapter in particular should be read, and then read again, by all those involved in setting northern public policy.as the effects of broad geopolitical, environmental, and economic forces converge on the canadian north, it is easy to become discouraged by the enormity of challenges 244 • rEviEWSfacing northern communities. all of the contributors in this volume identify causes for optimism; yet realizing this optimism will require the implementation of more com-prehensive and informed public policy that focuses on the future well-being of northerners and ensures northerners greater control of their own self-directed development. no longer can the canadian government afford to “dabble in the art of northern public policy” (p. 103). rather, as rob huebert notes in the book, a perfect storm is brewing in the north, and it is now time for the canadian government to act. David C. NatcherCollege of Agriculture and BioresourcesUniversity of SaskatchewanSaskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A8, Canadadavid.natcher@usask.caFurS anD FronTiErS in ThE Far norTh: ThE conTEST aMong naTivES anD For-Eign naTionS For ThE BEring STraiT Fur TRADE. By John r. BockSTocE. Foreword by FELipE FErnÁnDEZ-arMESTo. new haven and London: Yale university press, 2009. iSBn 978-0-300-14921-0. xxi + 472 p., maps, b&w illus., notes, bib., index. hardbound. uS$35.00. The Bering Strait, separating northeast asia from alaska, is one of those crossroads in the world that has shaped the cultural development of human populations in northeast asia and north america for thousands of years. in this, his most recent book, John Bockstoce brings the reader into the historical times of the Bering Strait region when first the russians, followed by the British and americans, entered the area, quickly becoming embroiled in a competitive struggle with various native groups for the trade in furs and goods. The social and economic consequences for the native populations were dramatic, particularly in the 19th century, when american whalers entered the fray. The book is divided into three parts, each dealing with a particular segment of the history of trading activities in the Bering Strait region during the 18th to 20th centuries. in the opening chapter of part one, the author describes the July 1819 arrival of an american trading brig, General San Martin, near the Big Diomede island, located mid-way between the easternmost point of asia and the westernmost point of continental north america. The vessel had sailed from hawaii with the goal of investigating the potential for fur trading in the Bering Strait region. close to shore, the american vessel was surrounded by 200 hostile chukchi and Eskimos in 18 walrus-covered umiaqs. Thus prevented from trading, the american commander, Eliab grimes, headed for the chukchi peninsula, where he faced a simi-larly hostile reception. The chukchi and the Eskimos were not about to relinquish their control over the lucrative trade between the two continents. grimes had better luck trading on the american side of the Strait and eventually returned to hawaii with enough profit to rouse enthusiasm for mari-time trade in the far north. With this account, the author introduces the reader to a common theme found throughout the book: the slow and unwelcomed encroachment of European and american traders into territories previously controlled by a variety of native middle-men groups. The appearance of the General San Martin in russian waters marked the beginning of a growing concern by the russian-american company over their near monopoly of trade in the region, and in 1821 rus-sia prohibited all foreign merchant ships from trading in the russian colonies in the north pacific, a prohibition not eas-ily enforced.   in part two, the author presents a more detailed history of the russian expansion into alaska, going back to 1741 and vitus Bering’s second voyage of exploration. The first rus-sian settlement was established on kodiak island in 1785, and during the following decade, chief traders like alex-andr Baranov gained increasing control over the alaskan fur trade. in 1799, Tsar paul granted a trade monopoly to the russian-america company covering the kurile and aleutian islands and much of the north pacific territory. Early 19th-century exploration by russia was not entirely about furs and trade. The old quest of finding a northern sea route between Europe and asia was the primary aim of otto von kotzebue’s voyage in the Riurik in 1816. The British, equally eager to find a northwest passage, outfitted several expeditions for that purpose, beginning with John ross’s voyage in 1818. one of the players in these arctic exploits, John Franklin, proposed a three-pronged approach, which included his leading an overland expedition to the mouth of the Mackenzie river. From there he was to travel westward to kotzebue Sound and meet up with members of another British expedition under the command of Freder-ick Beechey. captain Belcher, under Beechey’s command, came within a few hundred miles of meeting up with Fran-klin. The appearance of British expedition members on the north coast of alaska was met with great hostility from the Mackenzie and the point Barrow Eskimos, who didn’t want any interference with their control of trade along the coast and the interior. Six of the chapters in part two deal with the russian and British trade rivalry in northern alaska. The russians were eager to intercept the flow of trade goods and furs cross-ing the Bering Strait—furs from alaska heading west to asia and trade goods from asia heading east to alaska. in 1832, the russian-american company, as a means of cre-ating a permanent presence in the region, established the Michailovsky redoubt (fort and trading post) near the Yukon Delta. The fort also served as a base for increasing explora-tions of the alaskan interior, including Lavrenty Zagoskin’s explorations of the Yukon river. contact between russians and natives brought about smallpox epidemics and other diseases. The introduction of an equal or greater scourge, alcohol, was initially prevented by the russian-ameri-can company’s prohibition against trade of alcohol and 

Northern Exposure: Peoples, Powers and Prospects in Canada's North, edited by Frances Abele, Thomas J. Courchene, F. Leslie Seidle and Frances St-Hilaire

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Northern Exposure: Peoples, Powers and Prospects in Canada's North, edited by Frances Abele, Thomas J. Courchene, F. Leslie Seidle and Frances St-Hilaire

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