Inuit governance in a changing environment: a scientific or a political project?

• Main Author: Pelaudeix, Cecile
• Other Authors: Pacte, Laboratoire de sciences sociales (PACTE), Université Pierre Mendès France - Grenoble 2 (UPMF)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble (IEPG)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Pelaudeix C., Faure A., Griffiths R.
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2012
• Subjects: Arctic; Governance; Political representation; Inuit; environmental governance; [SHS.SCIPO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Political science; Greenland; Arctic Council; inuit
• Online Access: https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00752302; https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00752302/document; https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00752302/file/PelaudeixARCTIC.pdf

The author proposes an analysis of Inuit governance at the national and international level, discussing the evolving involvement of Inuit in policymaking. She examines the negotiation processes with governments and the role environmental knowledge might play in this process and shows that the emergence of Inuit political thought during the colonization process in most cases preceded the question of land claims, and underlines the restraints of political power granted to Inuit through land claims agreements and selfgovernment at the national level, with the notable exception of Greenland. The chapter then examines how environmental issues have been the driver for involving Inuit representatives on the international level. The author argues that in the State-centred present system of political participation in forums such as the Arctic Council, there is little probability that the advances of environmental law will suffice for Inuit populations to be associated in the decision-making process in the areas where decisions are being made more and more through international politics.