Arctic Archives

This pioneering volume explores the Arctic as an important and highly endangered archive of knowledge about natural as well as human history of the anthropocene. Focusing on the Arctic as an archive means to investigate it not only as a place of human history and memory - of Arctic exploring, ›conquering‹ and colonizing -, but to take into account also the specific environmental conditions of the circumpolar region: ice and permafrost. These have allowed a huge natural archive to emerge, offering rich sources for natural scientists and historians alike. Examining the debate on the notion of (›natural‹) archive, the cultural semantics and historicity of the meaning of concepts like ›warm‹, ›cold‹, ›freezing‹ and ›melting‹ as well as various works of literature, art and science on Arctic topics, this volume brings together literary scholars, historians of knowledge and philosophy, art historians, media theorists and archivologists.

Beginning with Robert Flaherty’s Nanook of the North (1922), the majority of films that have been made in, about, and by filmmakers from the Arctic region have been documentary cinema. Focused on a hostile environment that few people visit, these documentaries have heavily shaped ideas about the contemporary global Far North. In Arctic Cinemas and the Documentary Ethos, contributors from a variety of scholarly and artistic backgrounds come together to provide a comprehensive study of Arctic documentary cinemas from a transnational perspective. This book offers a thorough analysis of the concept of the Arctic as it is represented in documentary filmmaking, while challenging the notion of "The Arctic" as a homogenous entity that obscures the environmental, historical, geographic, political, and cultural differences that characterize the region. By examining how the Arctic is imagined, understood, and appropriated in documentary work, the contributors argue that such films are key in contextualizing environmental, indigenous, political, cultural, sociological, and ethnographic understandings of the Arctic, from early cinema to the present. Understanding the role of these films becomes all the more urgent in the present day, as conversations around resource extraction, climate change, and sovereignty take center stage in the Arctic’s representation.

The first comprehensive account of one of the great sagas of Arctic exploration and discovery, the Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1913–1918, led by the ethnologist/explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson and the zoologist Dr. Rudolph M. Anderson. There are details of the Expedition’s successes and tragedies, including the discovery of all but one large island north of the Canadian mainland, the accumulation of considerable scientific information and valuable collections, and the personal feud of the Expedition’s two leaders. Four appendices list Expedition personnel, fifty-three geographical sites in the Arctic named after them, locations of their diaries and collected specimens, and the thirteen government volumes arising from the Expedition.

The Arctic is a harsh geography that has historically been misconceived as a large ice mass, ignoring the complex strategic salience of the region. Its cold waters and frozen lands have attracted the attention of people for many years and have been the centre of discoveries and adventures. Today, however, the strategic importance of the Arctic has gone beyond discoveries and adventures. Factors, such as environmental erosion, climate change, and national or regional security complicate geopolitical dynamics in the region. This book begins by delving into the issues that have led Arctic countries to reorient their foreign policies. The geopolitical structure of the Arctic, the expansion of NATO, the emergence of new energy reserves, and the impact of climate change on the Arctic are some of the factors directly affecting the region. Then, within the framework of these influences, the policies of the eight Arctic countries are re-assessed from the perspective of international relations. This volume not only emphasises the geopolitical and strategic importance of the Arctic region, but also discusses conflicts of interest, international cooperation efforts, and possible future scenarios. The Arctic is not just a geography, but also an important part of global politics and security. This book is a guide to understanding the complex and dynamic nature of the Arctic region. CONTENTS PREFACE SECTION I: IDENTIFYING SIGNIFICANT RISKS IN THE ARCTIC CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO ARCTIC GEOPOLITICS. - Ferdi Güçyetmez CHAPTER 2. WHAT THE ARCTIC MEANS TO NATO.. - Alina Bykova CHAPTER 3. ENERGY IN THE ARCTIC: COMPLEXITY AND THINKING IN A SOCIAL DYNAMICAL SYSTEM... - Anna Soer CHAPTER 4. IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE ARCTIC.. - Rabia Kalfaoğlu SECTION II: COUNTRY-LEVEL ANALYSES CHAPTER 1. UNITED STATES ARCTIC POLICY FROM WHITE HILLS TO BLUE WATERS. - Aslıhan Genç CHAPTER 2. THE CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS INSIDE THE CIRCUMPOLAR NORTH.. - Jackson Walling CHAPTER 3. THE POLICIES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION TOWARDS THE ARCTIC REGION - Ebru Caymaz CHAPTER 4. POLICIES OF FINLAND TOWARDS THE ARCTIC REGION.. - Yeliz Albayrak CHAPTER 5. THINKING THE ARCTIC IN SWEDISH GEOPOLITICS: POLICIES AND PRACTICES - Emre Sipahioğlu CHAPTER 6. NORWAY’S ARCTIC POLICIES. - Allison G. Kondrat CHAPTER 7. ICELAND’S ARCTIC POLICIES. - Jared R. Dmello and Bianca Acosta CHAPTER 8. POLICIES OF DENMARK TOWARDS THE ARCTIC REGION.. - Veysel Babahanoğlu and Elif Miray Yazıcı CONCLUSION