Canadian Arctic Sovereignty
To what extent should Canada protect its Arctic Sovereignty?
Canadian Arctic Sovereignty is currently a pressing issue has raised many questions about who owns and who has control over the Arctic and its precious resources. The posing question is; to what extent should Canada protect its Arctic Sovereignty? There are many reasons why Canada must go forward in defending and protecting the Arctic to a moderate extent even though it will be a challenging mission considering that the Canadian military currently needs more resources in order to properly defend the Arctic. They must defend the population of Inuit that currently reside in the Arctic must be protected because their way of life is changing due to their changing landscape. The gain of control over the Northwest Passage would put Canada in a position of power as well as obtaining precious resources that are now accessible due to global climate change.
Even though the Inuit population of Canada’s Far North is small, they still play a significant role in Arctic Sovereignty and must be defended in order to sustain their way of life. The Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Arctic Sovereignty is a document that that states the rights, responsibilities and roles that the Inuit have regarding Arctic Sovereignty. The first article in the declaration states that the Inuit living in the Arctic depend heavily upon the natural resources that obtain from the land and sea (Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Arctic Sovereignty). Since ocean travel in the Arctic is becoming much easier due to receding sea ice, other countries such as Russia, Denmark/Greenland and the United States (US) may being to exploit resources such as fish, that the Inuit rely on as a part of their culture and way of life. If Canada does not protect its Arctic Sovereignty, the Inuit’s resources may be exploited to a point in which their way of life is drastically altered. But this has already begun. They are no longer able to travel or hunt for as long
Canadian Arctic Sovereignty is currently a pressing issue has raised many questions about who owns and who has control over the Arctic and its precious resources. The posing question is; to what extent should Canada protect its Arctic Sovereignty? There are many reasons why Canada must go forward in defending and protecting the Arctic to a moderate extent even though it will be a challenging mission considering that the Canadian military currently needs more resources in order to properly defend the Arctic. They must defend the population of Inuit that currently reside in the Arctic must be protected because their way of life is changing due to their changing landscape. The gain of control over the Northwest Passage would put Canada in a position of power as well as obtaining precious resources that are now accessible due to global climate change.
Even though the Inuit population of Canada’s Far North is small, they still play a significant role in Arctic Sovereignty and must be defended in order to sustain their way of life. The Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Arctic Sovereignty is a document that that states the rights, responsibilities and roles that the Inuit have regarding Arctic Sovereignty. The first article in the declaration states that the Inuit living in the Arctic depend heavily upon the natural resources that obtain from the land and sea (Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Arctic Sovereignty). Since ocean travel in the Arctic is becoming much easier due to receding sea ice, other countries such as Russia, Denmark/Greenland and the United States (US) may being to exploit resources such as fish, that the Inuit rely on as a part of their culture and way of life. If Canada does not protect its Arctic Sovereignty, the Inuit’s resources may be exploited to a point in which their way of life is drastically altered. But this has already begun. They are no longer able to travel or hunt for as long