1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910136121903321

Autore

Stuhl Andrew

Titolo

Unfreezing the Arctic : Science, Colonialism, and the Transformation of Inuit Lands / / Andrew Stuhl

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Chicago : , : University of Chicago Press, , [2016]

©2016

ISBN

0-226-41678-X

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (241 pages) : illustrations, maps

Disciplina

971.9

Soggetti

Arctic regions - Discovery and exploration

Scientific expeditions - Canada, Northern

Alaska

Inuit

Northwest Territories

Yukon Territory

arctic

climate change

colonialism

environmental history

history of science

SCIENCE / General

Arctic regions Discovery and exploration

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Previously issued in print: 2016.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Note on Terminology -- Introduction: Is the Arctic out of Time? -- Chapter One. Dangerous: In the Twilight of Empires -- Chapter Two. Threatened: The Ambitions and Anxieties of Expeditions -- Chapter Three. Wild: Taming the Tundra -- Chapter Four. Strategic: Defense and Development in Permafrost Territory -- Chapter Five. Disturbed: The Impacts of a Postcolonial Moment -- Epilogue: Unfrozen in Time -- Acknowledgments -- Archival Collections -- Notes -- Selected Bibliography -- Index



Sommario/riassunto

In recent years, journalists and environmentalists have pointed urgently to the melting Arctic as a leading indicator of the growing effects of climate change. While climate change has unleashed profound transformations in the region, most commentators distort these changes by calling them unprecedented. In reality, the landscapes of the North American Arctic-as well as relations among scientists, Inuit, and federal governments- are products of the region's colonial past. And even as policy analysts, activists, and scholars alike clamor about the future of our world's northern rim, too few truly understand its history. In Unfreezing the Arctic, Andrew Stuhl brings a fresh perspective to this defining challenge of our time. With a compelling narrative voice, Stuhl weaves together a wealth of distinct episodes into a transnational history of the North American Arctic, proving that a richer understanding of its social and environmental transformation can come only from studying the region's past. Drawing on historical records and extensive ethnographic fieldwork, as well as time spent living in the Northwest Territories, he closely examines the long-running interplay of scientific exploration, colonial control, the testimony and experiences of Inuit residents, and multinational investments in natural resources. A rich and timely portrait, Unfreezing the Arctic offers a comprehensive look at scientific activity across the long twentieth century. It will be welcomed by anyone interested in political, economic, environmental, and social histories of transboundary regions the world over. The author intends to donate all royalties from this book to the Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA) and East Three School's On the Land Program.