Tomorrow, Saturday the 23rd April, I’ll be at the British Library in London to participate in the the annual conference of the British Association for Canadian Studies (BACS) — BACS’s 41st and my third. My presentation will focus on the polar-bear sport hunt in Nunavut, based on my op-ed article “Cecil, Nanuq and Inuk” published last summer …
Making Nunavut a full partner in Canadian Confederation
While Canada’s HDI has long been one of the highest in the world, Nunavut ranks alongside Occupied Palestine and Paraguay with respect to health and educational outcomes. With their stunning recent election victory over the Conservatives, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s new Liberal government may now have the chance to change that. Originally published by the …
Coverage in New Security Beat
Over the past few weeks, my recent presentation on human security and development in Nunavut was covered twice in New Security Beat, the blog of The Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program. The first post, “Providing for the periphery”, features a full audio podcast of my remarks, as well as some journalistic extracts. The …
Cecil, Nanuq and Inuk
Public outrage over the death of Cecil the lion at the hands of a sport hunter is calling into question the Canadian polar bear sport hunt—and threatening the valuable cultural and economic benefits that Canadian Inuit gain from it.
Remarks on Arctic development for VOA News
On 5th August, Voice of America News aired a short news clip in Russian about human security and development in the Arctic. Just a few days beforehand, Russia had resubmitted to the UN its extensive claim to the Arctic Ocean seabed. But VOA News happily chose to focus on the Arctic’s human dimension instead, rather …
Panel discussion at The Wilson Center
Yesterday, Tuesday the 28th July, I joined a panel discussion on human security and development in the Arctic at The Wilson Center in Washington, DC. Watch a full webcast of the discussion on The Wilson Center’s website. It was a privilege to share the stage with Craig Fleener of the Office of the Governor of …
Lecture at 40th BACS Conference
Tomorrow, Saturday the 25th April, I’ll be at the British Library in London to participate in the 40th annual conference of the British Association for Canadian Studies (BACS). This year’s conference theme is open, and my presentation will focus on land and resource devolution in the Northwest Territories, based on my recent policy commentary for the …
Devolution in the NWT: Progress or poison?
When the Northwest Territories achieved devolution of lands and resources from Ottawa in April, it was a historic moment in Canada’s political evolution. But a key test of devolution’s nation-building potential will be how well it supports real aboriginal-government partnership. On that score, there is cause for concern.
The Arctic affects us all, just not equally
‘What happens in the Arctic affects us all’ may well be true. But today’s popular slogan for the fight against climate change must not be used to justify putting our own needs and interests above those of Arctic peoples.
Saving Canada’s marriage
A star-studded constellation of Aboriginal leaders and former politicians has called for a “new partnership” to heal a breakdown in relations between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians. But what can this mean in practice?