Indigenous Rights and Interests in a Changing Arctic Ocean: Canadian and Russian Experiences and Challenges

• Published in: Arctic Review on Law and Politics
• Main Authors: Anna Sharapova, Sara L. Seck, Sarah L. MacLeod, Olga Koubrak
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Norwegian
• Published: Cappelen Damm Akademisk NOASP 2022
• Subjects: indigenous rights; indigenous peoples; inuit; arctic council; undrip; droit; scipo; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Canada; Arctic Council; Arctic review on law and politics
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.23865/arctic.v13.3264; https://doaj.org/article/21c66995db714553b2980288720e44f5

The Arctic has been home to Indigenous peoples since long before the international legal system of sovereign states came into existence. International law has increasingly recognized the rights of Indigenous peoples, who also have status as Permanent Participants in the Arctic Council. In northern Canada, the majority of those who live in the Arctic are recognized as Indigenous. However, in northern Russia, a much smaller percentage of the population is identified as Indigenous, as legal recognition is only accorded to groups with a small population size. This article will compare Russian and Canadian approaches to recognition of Indigenous peoples and Indigenous rights in the Arctic with attention to the implications for Arctic Ocean governance.