Transnational Task Force on the Arctic

2013 Arctic Task Force

Task Force on Arctic Security

The 2013 Task Force on Arctic Policy is a joint program between the Canadian Studies and International Studies centers in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington (UW). This year’s Task Force on the Arctic has received support from the Government of Québec and will focus on the northern policies of the Government of Québec and Inuit of Nunavik in northern Québec. The vision of the program is to bring UW students together with their Inuit colleagues in Canada to address effective ways to govern the international Arctic region.

Leadership Student Team

Expert Evaluator

Tony Penikett is a Vancouver-based mediator and has served in politics for 25 years including two years in Ottawa as Chief of Staff to federal New Democratic Party Leader Ed Broadbent MP; five terms in the Yukon Legislative Assembly; and two terms as Premier of Canada’s Yukon Territory (1985-92). His government negotiated final agreement for First Nation land claims in the territory and passed pioneering education, health, language legislation, as well as leading a much-admired bottom-up economic planning process.

2013 Task Force Instructors

Joël Plouffe is a Research Fellow at the Raoul Dandurand Chair of Strategic and Diplomatic Studies at the University of Québec at Montréal (UQAM). He is also affiliated to the Northern Research Forum network on Geopolitics and Security (www.nrf.is), led by Dr. Lassi Heininen of the University of Lapland, Finland. His research and publications deal mainly with geopolitics, foreign policy making and international relations in the Arctic. Joël holds a doctoral scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and is currently a project member on “Climate Change and Commercial Shipping Development in the Arctic” under the auspices of Université Laval’s ArcticNet and led by Dr. Frédéric Lasserre. In August 2012, Joël was embedded with Canada’s National Defence and Canadian Forces ‘Operation Nanook’ in Canada’s Western Arctic (Northwest Territories). He is currently enrolled in a doctoral program in Political Science at UQAM. His thesis looks at the influence of Arctic geography in US foreign policy making.

Nadine Fabbi Nadine C. Fabbi is the Associate Director of the Canadian Studies Center. For the last ten years her work has centered on the history and geopolitics of the circumpolar north. She is engaged in research on indigenous diplomacies and international relations in the Arctic. She earned her MA in Canadian Studies from Carleton University and is enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of British Columbia. Nadine has travelled to Alaska, the Yukon, Churchill, Manitoba, Greenland, Iceland and Siberia. In addition to the 2009 and 2011 Arctic-focused Task Force classes, she has taught on Inuit history and political mobilization at the University of Alberta and the University Centre of the Westfjords, Ísafjörður, Iceland. Website

Inuit Student Liaison/Advisor

Donat-Savoie Donat Savoie is an Anthropologist by training and has occupied several senior positions within Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada for more than 35 years in areas related to Arctic, Inuit and Circumpolar Affairs. He is Special Advisor to the Office of the President of Makivik Corporation. He received several honours during his career and was appointed to the National Order of Québec in 2010 by the Premier of the Province of Québec, the highest recognition of the province for his work amongst the Inuit.

Arctic Science Advisor

Vincent Gallucci is a professor in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences; adjunct in the Jackson School and the School for Marine Affairs and is director of the Center for Quantitative Sciences in Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife. His research focus is the management of fishery resources in developing countries and upon coldwater fisheries in the Bering/Arctic seas. He has experience in Russia and published in the Russian Fisheries Science literature. He will help develop the scientific / political aspects of the Russian Federation’s perspective in the Arctic debate. He has taught with a colleague a course on marine policy for over ten years. He serves on a Arctic Biodiversity Assessment team appointed by the Arctic Council helping represent diversity in both Arctic ecosystems and marine fishes. This will help establish a baseline for change that may occur due to global climatic or anthropomorphic factors. Website

Foreword Author

Bernard Funston is currently the Chair of the Canadian Polar Commission, a body established by an Act of Parliament to promote the development and dissemination of polar knowledge. He has extensive experience on a range of matters pertaining to the Canadian North and the northern circumpolar region, including systems of governance, international and intergovernmental relations, Aboriginal land claims and self-government processes, resource development issues, scientific research and cooperation, and a range of fields relating to economic and community development. By training, Mr. Funston is a constitutional lawyer and a member in good standing of the Law Societies of Northwest Territories and Alberta. He holds degrees from Trent University, the University of Cambridge (King’s College), and the University of Alberta.

Editors

Charlotte-Dubiel Charlotte Dubiel
Major: International Studies; Spanish
After attending a lecture given by Ottawa consultant, Terry Fenge, in November, I became intrigued by the possibility of accepting observer states in the Arctic Council. Would new observers crowd the Council and/or overwhelm the roles of the Permanent Participants? If however, we find it appropriate to recommend additional observer states, how could their presence be used for forging international legitimacy in executing common goals of environmental and Indigenous protections? I would like to explore the kinds of connections that the Permanent Participants may use to continue bringing about awareness and positive progress in the international arenas of Indigenous rights and environmental protection.

Binh-Vong Binh Vong
Major: International Studies; Political Science; Chinese
Binh’s area of focus for this task force will focus on the correlation between economic progress and environmental regress. She wants to look at the negative environmental impacts of mining operations, hydro power development, power lines, windmill parks, and other types of development in Northern Canada.

Task Force Team

Michael-Brown Michael Brown
Major: International Studies
I’m a student of Finnish area studies and Finnish language as well as a student of the Jackson school. In keeping with my area of study, I plan to examine the Saami’s impact and role in the larger arctic issue and how they have cooperated with other indigenous groups in the arctic.

Zoe-Cosford Zoe Cosford
Major: International Studies
Minor: European Studies
A native of Canada, in this task force I hope to focus on Inuit-Federal cooperation over the Northwest Passage, looking at issues of governance and diplomacy in this highly important area of the Arctic.

Hannah-Dolph Hannah Dolph
Major: International Studies; Law, Societies, and Justice
After taking courses that focus on the transformation of human rights in relation to climate change, I am extremely passionate about researching how indigenous communities and individuals have established such a foothold on the global dialogue about the extraction of the bountiful Arctic resources. I especially want to focus on the change of the environment and its effects on international perspectives of human rights in the area.

Kitty-Gordon Kitty Gordon
Canada Research Report Editor
My name is Kitty Gordon and I am from Kuujjuaq, Québec. I am very passionate about my culture & career and I have the pleasure of working with the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies once again! I am a communications officer for Makivik Corporation, the body whom represents my people. I am also most importantly a young mother to three beautiful children.

Charlotte-Guard Charlotte Guard
Major: International Studies
Minor: Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
The Inuit are a young population, but with a dropout rate of almost 75% there is a large educational gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canadians. In recent years strategies have been developed in order to improve Inuit-centered public education to allow for students to better contribute to Inuit, Canadian and global society which will be key to their role in Arctic security.

Kevin-Shaw Kevin Shaw
Canada Research Report Editor
Major: International Studies; Law, Societies, & Justice
Minor: Global Health
For this task force, I hope to focus my research on issues relevant to indigenous public health in the Arctic, including food sovereignty, water security, disease control, and access to housing. I am particularly interested in the ways in which art mediums can be harnessed to assert sovereignty and communicate the demands of marginalized communities.

Steven-Moore Steven Moore
Major: International Studies
Minor: German
In this task force course I will be focusing on the tourism industry in the Arctic and it’s current effects and future implications on the regions ecological security.

Ngoc-Nguyen Ngoc Ho Ngyuyen
Coordinator
Major: International Studies; Political Science with focus in Political Economy
With a focus on political economy, I hope to utilize my knowledge on the economic effects of extractive resources in the arctic and the politics that goes behind it.

Max-Sugarman Max Sugarman
Major: International Studies; Environmental Science and Resource Management
As a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, I am interested in how climate change intervenes in the already complex relationships between indigenous communities and federal governments. In particular, conservation in the warming arctic presents many challenges that must be balanced with the needs of communities.

Rachel-Tam Rachel M. Tam
Poster Designer
Major: International Studies; Environmental Science
Minor: China Studies
I am interested in this task force due to its environmental aspect but also the social aspect of Arctic governance. Scandinavia countries have long been recognized as reputable “norm entrepreneurs,” I am curious to see if their role will play about in this issue. And in doing so, also understand China’s emerging role as a global power.

Nicolas van Tulder
Major: International Studies; Economics with focus on diplomacy, security, and development in the Middle East
I’ll be focusing on issues of sovereignty, security, and diplomacy in the arctic with a focus on indigenous efforts for diplomatic engagement with the arctic powers.