Connecting Atlantic and Pacific
- This essay sets out to theorize the “new” Arctic Ocean as a pivot from
which our standard map of the world is currently being
reconceptualized. Drawing on theories from the fields of Atlantic
and Pacific studies, I argue that the changing Arctic, characterized
by melting ice and increased accessibility, must be understood
both as a space of transit that connects Atlantic and Pacific worlds
in unprecedented ways, and as an oceanic world and contact
zone in its own right. I examine both functions of the Arctic via a
reading of the dispute over the Northwest Passage (which
emphasizes the Arctic as a space of transit) and the contemporary
assessment of new models of sovereignty in the Arctic region
(which concentrates on the circumpolar Arctic as an oceanic
world). However, both of these debates frequently exclude
indigenous positions on the Arctic. By reading Canadian Inuit
theories on the Arctic alongside the more prominent debates, I
argue for a decolonizing reading of the Arctic inspired by Inuit
articulations of theThis essay sets out to theorize the “new” Arctic Ocean as a pivot from
which our standard map of the world is currently being
reconceptualized. Drawing on theories from the fields of Atlantic
and Pacific studies, I argue that the changing Arctic, characterized
by melting ice and increased accessibility, must be understood
both as a space of transit that connects Atlantic and Pacific worlds
in unprecedented ways, and as an oceanic world and contact
zone in its own right. I examine both functions of the Arctic via a
reading of the dispute over the Northwest Passage (which
emphasizes the Arctic as a space of transit) and the contemporary
assessment of new models of sovereignty in the Arctic region
(which concentrates on the circumpolar Arctic as an oceanic
world). However, both of these debates frequently exclude
indigenous positions on the Arctic. By reading Canadian Inuit
theories on the Arctic alongside the more prominent debates, I
argue for a decolonizing reading of the Arctic inspired by Inuit
articulations of the “Inuit Sea.” In such a reading, Inuit conceptions
provide crucial interventions into theorizing the Arctic. They also,
in turn, contribute to discussions on indigeneity, sovereignty, and
archipelagic theory in Atlantic and Pacific studies.…
Author details: | Nicole WallerORCiDGND |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-412692 |
Title of parent work (English): | Atlantic Studies: Global Currents |
Subtitle (English): | theorizing the Arctic |
Publication series (Volume number): | Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Philosophische Reihe (146) |
Publication type: | Postprint |
Language: | English |
Date of first publication: | 2018/07/27 |
Publication year: | 2018 |
Publishing institution: | Universität Potsdam |
Release date: | 2018/07/27 |
Tag: | Arctic studies; Atlantic studies; Northwest Passage; Pacific studies; archipelagic theory; indigeneity; sovereignty |
Number of pages: | 24 |
Source: | Atlantic Studies 15 (2018) Nr. 2, S. 256–278 DOI: 10.1080/14788810.2017.1387467 |
Organizational units: | Philosophische Fakultät |
Peer review: | Referiert |
Publishing method: | Open Access |
Grantor: | Taylor & Francis Open Access Agreement |
License (German): | ![]() |