canadian arctic policy and program development and inuit recognition

201 Pages·2015·8.94 MB·English

by  Gail Russel

CANADIAN ARCTIC POLICY AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND INUIT
RECOGNITION:
A NEOLIBERAL GOVERNMENTALITY ANALYSIS OF CANADA’S NORTHERN
STRATEGY AND THE “MISSING PIECE”

by

Elizabeth Gail Russel

A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Graduate Department of Social Justice Education
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
University of Toronto

© Copyright by Elizabeth Gail Russel (2015)

i
CANADIAN ARCTIC POLICY AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND INUIT
RECOGNITION:
A NEOLIBERAL GOVERNMENTALITY ANALYSIS OF CANADA’S
NORTHERN STRATEGY AND “THE MISSING PIECE”
Doctor of Philosophy (2015)
Elizabeth Gail Russel
Department of Social Justice Education
University of Toronto

Abstract
In 2007, the Canadian government announced its commitment to the development of the
Canadian North through launching Canada’s Northern Strategy. The purpose of the
Strategy was to address the issue of climate change and its associated effects of increased
natural resource extraction and shipping activity in the Canadian Arctic region. Different
from past federal government policy and program development initiatives in the
Canadian Arctic, this Strategy appeared to make central Inuit voices by way of involving
them in the four pillars that constituted the Strategy: Exercising our Arctic sovereignty,
promoting social and economic development, protecting our environmental heritage, and
improving and devolving northern governance. As the Strategy began to unfold, however,
responses from Inuit communities suggested otherwise. Current literature in regards to
this issue agrees that Inuit have been placed on the periphery of Canada’s Northern
Strategy. Instead of asking how this took place, focus has been placed on ways to better
insert Inuit voices into the Strategy as it moves forward. As a consequence, this issue
does not get fully resolved. My dissertation examines the question: How do Inuit get
positioned on the periphery of Canada’s Northern Strategy in the first place? I posit that it
is in illuminating the political rationale that underpins the Strategy where this question
can be addressed. Using a neoliberal governmentality framework, I examine three case
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CANADA'S
 NORTHERN
 STRATEGY
 AND
 “THE
 MISSING
 PIECE”
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studies from Canada’s Northern Strategy that are all in their beginning stages of
development, in order to reveal how a neoliberal political rationale is operating within
each of these projects and, consequently, how it defines the way in which Inuit
communities are able to participate. The intention of this analysis is to illuminate both the
objective and associated technologies that are responsible for placing Inuit communities
on the periphery, in order to be able to reconsider how these aspects influence the
Strategy and its relationship with Inuit communities moving forward.
Acknowledgements

To my committee: Dr. Peter Sawchuk, Dr. Ken Kawashima, and Dr. Jean-Paul Restoule, thank
you for your time, resourcefulness, and encouragement in helping me to develop my voice within
this project. To my external examiner, Dr. Frances Abele, thank you for your challenging and
respectful engagement with my work.

To those who shared their time with me – specifically those from Cambridge Bay, Resolute Bay
and Pond Inlet, as well as those from the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, Parks Canada and
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada - through interviews, access to
information requests, and general conversations about the project - thank you for your
generosity, and for making this project possible.

To my family – Mom and Dad, Jen, Jeff, Allan and Megan - thank you for your consistent love
and support throughout the duration of this process. To my OISE community, who have been a
part of this journey with me from the beginning to the end: Tammy George, Stella Andonoff,
Ana Laura Pauchulo, Christie Nash, and Erin Sperling, thank you for the years of enrichening
conversation and growth.

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CANADA'S
 NORTHERN
 STRATEGY
 AND
 “THE
 MISSING
 PIECE”
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Table of Contents
CANADIAN ARCTIC POLICY AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND INUIT
RECOGNITION: ................................................................................................................. i

Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii

Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv

Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ v

List of Figures .................................................................................................................... ix

Canada’s Northern Strategy and “The Missing Piece” ....................................................... 1

CHAPTER 1 ...................................................................................................................... 6

The Context ....................................................................................................................... 6

Canada’s Northern Strategy ............................................................................................ 6

A Shift from History ....................................................................................................... 7

A Deeper Look into Canada’s Northern Strategy ........................................................... 8

Responses ......................................................................................................................... 10

The Insertion Approach ................................................................................................. 10

The Critical Approach ................................................................................................... 12

The Local Approach ...................................................................................................... 16

A Research Project ......................................................................................................... 20

My Dissertation Project ................................................................................................. 20

Contributions of Research ............................................................................................. 21

Summary of Chapters .................................................................................................... 23

CHAPTER 2: Conceptual Framework, Methodology, and Technique ..................... 26

Conceptual Framework .................................................................................................. 26

Theories of Neoliberalism ............................................................................................. 26

Policy ......................................................................................................................... 27

Ideology ..................................................................................................................... 28

Governmentality ........................................................................................................ 29

Neoliberal Governmentality .......................................................................................... 31

Liberalism .................................................................................................................. 31

Liberal economy and security ................................................................................ 31
CANADA'S
 NORTHERN
 STRATEGY
 AND
 “THE
 MISSING
 PIECE”
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Liberal citizenship and representational democracy .............................................. 32

Liberal law ............................................................................................................. 34

Neoliberalism ............................................................................................................. 35

The new prudentialism ........................................................................................... 36

Technologies of contracts and citizenship ............................................................. 37

Technologies of performance ................................................................................ 38

Methodology .................................................................................................................... 39

Case Study ..................................................................................................................... 39

Snowball Sampling ....................................................................................................... 40

Semi-Structured Qualitative Interviews ........................................................................ 41

Access to Information Requests .................................................................................... 43

Close Reading Technique ............................................................................................... 43

CHAPTER 3: The Emergence of a Neoliberal Political Rationale in Canada’s Arctic
........................................................................................................................................... 47

Re: 1939 Eskimo Decision .............................................................................................. 48

A Policy-Based Perspective on the “Re: 1939 Eskimo Decision” ................................ 48

A Liberal Political Governmentality Perspective on the “Re: 1939 Eskimo Decision” 51

Arctic Sovereignty and Inuit Relocations ..................................................................... 52

A Policy-Based Perspective on “Arctic Sovereignty and Inuit Relocations” ............... 52

A Liberal Political Governmentality Perspective on “Arctic Sovereignty and Inuit
Relocations” .................................................................................................................. 56

The Historical Development of Inuit Political Organizations ..................................... 57

A Policy-Based Perspective on the “Historical Development of Inuit Political
Organizations” ............................................................................................................... 57

A Liberal Political Governmentality Perspective on the “Historical Development of
Inuit Political Organizations” ........................................................................................ 60

Comprehensive Claim Agreements ............................................................................... 62

A Policy-Based Perspective on “Comprehensive Claim Agreements” ........................ 62

A Liberal Political Governmentality Perspective on “Comprehensive Claim
Agreements” .................................................................................................................. 66

Canada’s Northern Strategy .......................................................................................... 68

A Policy-Based Perspective on Canada’s Northern Strategy ........................................ 68
CANADA'S
 NORTHERN
 STRATEGY
 AND
 “THE
 MISSING
 PIECE”
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A Neoliberal Governmentality Perspective on Canada’s Northern Strategy ................ 70

Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 72

CHAPTER 4: Case Study #1, A Marine Conservation Area, Lancaster Sound ....... 73

The Context ..................................................................................................................... 75

Protecting Our Environmental Heritage ........................................................................ 75

Marine Conservation Area in Lancaster Sound ............................................................ 77

Protection and Security, or Highly Regulated Development? ...................................... 78

Marine Conservation Areas and Best Management Practices ................................... 81

The Marine Conservation Area in Lancaster Sound as a Neoliberal Project ........... 83

A Neoliberal Project ...................................................................................................... 83

The Production of a Neoliberal Project ......................................................................... 88

The new prudentialism .............................................................................................. 88

Technologies of contracts and citizenship ................................................................. 94

Technologies of performance .................................................................................. 103

Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 111

CHAPTER 5: Case Study #2, Army-Training Base and Deep-Water Port in
Resolute Bay and Nanisivik .......................................................................................... 113

The Context ................................................................................................................... 114

Exercising Our Sovereignty ........................................................................................ 114

Army-Training Base and Deep-Water Port ................................................................. 115

Security and Sovereignty for Inuit? ............................................................................ 120

Security Projects and Best Implementation Practices ............................................... 124

The Army-Training Base and a Deep-Water Port as Neoliberal Projects .............. 129

A Neoliberal Project .................................................................................................... 130

The Production of Neoliberal Projects ........................................................................ 133

The new prudentialism ............................................................................................ 133

Technologies of contracts and citizenship ............................................................... 136

Technologies of performance .................................................................................. 140

Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 143

CHAPTER 6: Case Study #3, Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS),
Cambridge Bay .............................................................................................................. 145
CANADA'S
 NORTHERN
 STRATEGY
 AND
 “THE
 MISSING
 PIECE”
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The Context ................................................................................................................... 146

Canadian Arctic Science and Technology .................................................................. 146

Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS), Cambridge Bay .......................... 148

Prosperity, Protection, and Security for Inuit? ............................................................ 150

“Complementing Knowledges” .................................................................................... 152

Canadian High Arctic Research Station as a Neoliberal Project ............................. 155

A Neoliberal Project .................................................................................................... 155

The Production of a Neoliberal Project ....................................................................... 157

The new prudentialism ............................................................................................ 158

Technologies of contracts and citizenships ............................................................. 165

Technologies of performance .................................................................................. 170

Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 172

CHAPTER 7: Conclusion ............................................................................................. 174

Histories of Canadian Arctic Policy and Program Development and Inuit
Recognition .................................................................................................................... 174

Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 179

Further Research Questions ........................................................................................ 181

References ....................................................................................................................... 183
CANADA'S
 NORTHERN
 STRATEGY
 AND
 “THE
 MISSING
 PIECE”
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List of Figures
Figure 1: Pond Inlet Inuit Land Use Ringed Seal. Adapted from (QIA, 2012, p.21) ...... 18

Figure 2 Lancaster Sound Archeological, Historical and Present Day Seasonal Camp
Sites. Adapted from (QIA, 2012, p.24) ..................................................................... 19

Figure 3: Lancaster Sound High Value Hunting Areas, Narwhal-Beluga, Whale-Walrus.
Adapted from (QIA, 2012, p.17) .............................................................................. 86

Figure 4: Key Points on the Northwest Passage. Adapted from (CASR, 2007) ............ 117

Figure 5: Routes of the Northwest Passage. Adapted from (Geology.com) .................. 117

Figure 6: Land Use and Occupancy Map Created by Peter Usher and Bertam Pokiak.
Adapted from (Nickels, Kelley, Grable, Loughheed, & Kuptuna, 2013, p.55) ...... 122

Figure 7: Myrna Pokiak Trails with Family, All Locations from One Week to Ten
Months Duration. Adapted from (Nickels, Kelley, Grable, Loughheed, & Kuptuna,
2013, p.56) .............................................................................................................. 122

Figure 8: Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Adapted from (Nickels, Kelley, Grable,
Loughheed, & Kuptuna, 2013, p. 57) ..................................................................... 123
Canada’s Northern Strategy and “The Missing Piece”
I came to this dissertation initially from an experience I had in 2003. It was an
experiential education program run through the University of Manitoba. Through the program, I
spent a summer living in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, a predominantly Inuit-based community of
approximately 1,425 people on the southeastern part of Baffin Island. While there, I lived out on
the land, took part in community feasts, learned basic Inuktitut, and learned about the history and
politics of the people and the region. The experience was eye-opening for many reasons: but one
reason in particular was that nothing about what I was learning was adequately represented in the
media, in politics, or in the educational system.
Four years later, I was watching a documentary about the history of the Northwest
Passage. Throughout the documentary, I was hoping to hear a few interviews with people I had
met from Pangnirtung, or, at least with people from the region in general. Though I learned a lot
about the harsh conditions of the Arctic environment, the shipping routes, and the international
interest in the area, there were no interviews with people from the region. In fact, there was no
mention of people living there at all. In the following years, as I circulated through the many
conferences, talks, and documentary viewings in Southern Canada, this erasure of Northern Inuit
communities from “Arctic dialogues” became a common experience for me - sometimes it was
explicit as described above, other times, it was not.
Shortly after I saw the documentary on the Northwest Passage, Canada’s Northern
Strategy was announced: a Strategy that not only reflected the federal government’s commitment
to northern development but also appeared to equally involve northern communities in the
development and implementation of the Strategy for the Canadian Arctic. Given my experiences
discussed above, I was interested to follow this Strategy. I wanted to see if, in fact, northern Inuit
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