The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of March 4, 2019
“The Hardest Word”: Canada’s Belated Apology for its Crimes
On Friday, March 8, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to Nunavut’s capital city Iqaluit to deliver an official apology for Canada’s crimes against the Inuit people. In mid-20th century, thousands of them were taken away from their communities for controversial tuberculosis treatment. Recent evidence shows that in some so-called “Indian hospitals” the doctors even used electroshock as part of the TB therapy. The apology also marked the launch of the Nanilavut Initiative (“let’s find them”), which is aimed at setting up a database of victims and their gravesites (CBC, Nunatsiaq News).
Take 1: This event is truly momentous. It symbolizes a new chapter in Canada’s attempts to find reconciliation with its indigenous peoples. The Inuit communities of Northern Canada have been waiting for this occasion for more than seventy years. And yet, ironically, Trudeau happened to arrive one day late to the ceremony due to the weather conditions. Besides hearing “We are sorry for your pain”, the Inuit are now waiting for decisive, life-changing actions from the government, which must stick to its words and uphold its promises. One might wonder though, how many other crimes committed by the Canadian state against the indigenous peoples are soon to be apologized for in the wake of the upcoming elections?
You win! Sámi Rights Reaffirmed in Finland
On Wednesday, March 6, the District Court of Finland announced its decision regarding a fishing case in the Utsjoki and Vetsijoki rivers in Northern Finland. The judge stated that the four members of the Sámi community, accused in 2017 for violating the Fishing Act, were exempt from acquiring any special license for fishing in the area since they were exerting their constitutionally protected basic rights to pursue their traditional culture (YLE, IBO).
Take 2: Despite the fact that the legal case concerned four people, the court decision is of high significance for the Sámi people in Northern Finland. It not only confirmed the constitutional right of Finland’s northernmost indigenous communities to carry out their traditional practices, but also defined salmon fishing as an inherent part of the Saami culture. Unfortunately, not all Finnish citizens share the court’s view so far. Those who still have to buy a fishing license claim that the fishing rights should be equal for all, thus revealing long-standing tensions within Finnish society.
Sharing is Caring: Total a Part of Arctic LNG 2
March 6 marked another significant deal between the Russian natural gas producer Novatek and the French multinational oil and gas company Total S.A. The deal implied a sale of 10% of participation interest as well as an agreement on Total’s future participation in Novatek’s projects in the Russian Arctic. According to Total’s press release, this could possibly open up an opportunity to acquire a 15% share (Novatek, Total,TASS).
Take 3: After the successful implementation of the Yamal LNG, Novatek’s projects on the Yamal and Gydan peninsulas in the Russian Arctic have been sprouting like mushrooms. The Arctic LNG 2 is the second major liquefied natural gas project and is expected to be launched in 2022-2023. With Novatek and Gazprom being the key business players in the region and usually getting all media attention, one would assume that the active participation of Total and other foreign stakeholders would be worth a closer look and a more scrutinized investigation of their articulated business interests in the Russian Arctic and its promised energy supplies and economic revenues.
Norway’s Fantasies, or GPS Jamming in the Arctic
The International Barents Observer reported on Monday, March 4, that the Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide confirmed handing over the necessary data on GPS jamming to Russian authorities. The issue is set to be discussed in detail upon arrival of Russian military officials in Oslo this week. Apart from the cases of GPS jamming during the NATO Trident Juncture Exercise, there are also documented disruptions in GPS systems used by construction companies and civil aviation in both Norway and Finland (IBO).
Take 4: Since its official confirmation by the Norwegian Defense Ministry at the end of December last year, Russian authorities have persistently disavowed the fact of GPS jamming in the Barents region. The Russian Foreign Ministry went even further calling the Norwegian concerns a “fantasy” and “absurd histories”, calling for substantial evidence. Yet, the very fact that Norwegian and Russian military experts meet in Oslo does give rise to hopes for turning the situation for the better. It can thus be seen as another sign of the gradual restoration of the uneasy cooperation between the two countries, which is set on the agenda of the upcoming high-level forum “Arctic: Territory of Dialogue” to be held in St. Petersburg this April.
Russia to Rule Over the Northern Sea Route?
Russian major news agency Izvestiya announced on March 6 that the Russian government outlined specific rules for foreign military vessels crossing the Northern Sea Route. According to Izvestiya, all foreign military ships will be obliged to notify the respective Russian authorities 45 days prior to their voyage, providing information on the name of the ship, its captain, the route and its duration, the purpose of sailing, as well as the technical characteristics of the vessel. The ships will also have to take aboard a Russian maritime pilot. The rules are said to be the outcome of the “intensification of the maritime activities in the Arctic” and are supposed to retain control over the “ecology and trade shipping” (IBO, Arctic Portal, Izvestiya).
Take 5: Alarming as it is, the news still needs to be double-checked and assessed carefully. It remains highly unclear, whether the rules outlined in Izvestiya’s article will be officially published anytime soon, as they might well undergo significant changes. Nevertheless, there is some doubt that controlling the ecology and trade shipping is the real reason behind compiling such a document. Together with the recent institutional changes in Arctic governance, i.e. the emergence of the Ministry of the Far East and the Arctic, Russia’s move to securitize the Northern Sea Route signalizes its readiness to assert its dominance in the Arctic – an ambition that will not remain a mere dead letter. This and other controversies of cooperation and security in the Arctic will be discussed at TAI’s upcoming side event at the High North Dialogue this April in Bodø, Norway (in cooperation with the High North Center).