Mapping the Arctic: An Introduction to Arctic Issues
Learning Objectives
Students will…
•Recognize geographical location as
a key factor in understanding the importance of Arctic sovereignty issues.
•Identify the natural and human
geographical features of the Arctic on
various maps.
•Determine how the cartographer
defines Arctic sovereignty by what is
shown or missing from the map. (i.e.
what information has been selected
or omitted.)
1
Introduction
Assess and activate prior knowledge about the Arctic.
Suggested activity:
Project a blank Circumpolar Map for the class to view. Ask students if they recognize
features of the map. For example, can they identify the landmasses, oceans, boundaries?
Some students may be quite familiar with this type of map projection and region of the
world while others will not. Help them identify the boundary between Arctic and Subarctic
regions, refer to the treeline definition of the Arctic as stated in Polar Imperative, by Grant
(Refer to the labelled Circumpolar map and Glossary as required). Introduce the term
‘sovereignty’ and how it relates to the Arctic.
Development
Time required
60-90 minutes
Activity: Inferring cartographers’ sense of importance (inspired by Teaching about
Geographical Thinking, 2008, p.21)
Suggested Grade level
Secondary (Grades 9-12)
Materials
•Passage from Polar Imperative
(Appendix A)
•Blank Circumpolar Map
•Labelled Circumpolar Map
•Arctic Issues Maps
Indigenous Arctic Peoples
Potential New Shipping Routes
(may be combined with sea
ice map)
Resources of the Arctic
Sea Ice Change in the Arctic
Stakeholders of the Arctic
•Analyzing Spatial Information
organizer (Appendix B)
Set-up
This lesson can be used as a standalone introduction to the Arctic and
Arctic sovereignty issues. It also
provides a strong foundation for
completing the subsequent lessons
as a comprehensive unit of study on
Arctic sovereignty, inspired by Shelagh
Grant’s prize winning text, entitled Polar Imperative. Each of the subsequent
lessons refers to one of these maps to
show the inherent connection between
spatial information and Arctic issues
and promotes geographical thinking in
Inform students that they are going to collect and analyze more information about the
Arctic using maps. Divide students into small groups. Provide each group with one of the
specialized maps on an Arctic issue and an Analyzing Spatial Information organizer. Ask
students to list the important features represented on the map and identify the factors that
make these features important (examples are provided). Direct students to record their
findings in the organizer. Analyze the results to identify the cartographer’s criteria for
assigning geographical importance in the specific area.
Conclusion
Class discussion:
Evaluate the spatial information contained in the maps. Ask students to share their
findings and identify information that has been omitted from the maps. Speculate as to the
reasons why.
Extend your geographic thinking
Portals to Geographical Thinking: Geographical Importance
•• Refer to Charles Gritzner’s definition of geography: “What is where, why there, and
why care?” Ask students to synthesize the information gleaned from the previous activity to answer this geographical question.
•• Use this lesson as a launching point to learn more about specific issues related to Arctic
sovereignty. Subsequent lesson topics include: the Northwest Passage and National
Identity, Arctic Indigenous Peoples, Resource Development, Climate Change and an
Arctic Council Simulation.
.../continued
Arctic Imperative Educational Resources Lesson Plans | Activity 1 | page 5
Mapping the Arctic: An Introduction to Arctic Issues
the classroom.
Teacher Backgrounder: Read the passage
from Polar Imperative to understand the
context of this lesson in relation to the
topic of Arctic sovereignty. Consult the
labelled Circumpolar Map and the Glossary to help guide the class with the first
mapping activity. Familiarize yourself with
the specialized Arctic Issues maps. (Note:
students may benefit from a brief explanation that the northern treeline is a zone of
transition. Generally trees here would not
exceed 5 meters tall, and might contain
stands of coniferous trees.) Make copies
of the maps and organizer as necessary.
Links to Canadian National Standards for
Geography
Essential element 1: The world in spatial
terms
•Map use (observing and analyzing
relationships)
1
Appendix A: Passage from Polar Imperative
For the most part, major Canadian studies on Arctic sovereignty have tended to focus on legal
interpretations and potential challenges, but with only a cursory review of circumpolar history.
Polar Imperative takes a much different approach, initially by narrowing the parameters of the
study to exclude the Subarctic, then adopting a comparative platform to broaden the scope by
encompassing all of the North American Arctic, including Alaska and Greenland, and finally by
extending back over thousands of years to identify circumstances and events that influenced
changes in occupation or authority. Where pertinent, the inquiry touches on parallel situations
in the European and Russian Arctic to establish a global context for changes taking place. Only
through understanding the history of all three Arctic countries can we fully comprehend the
implications of the current situation (Grant, 2010, x-xi).
Most histories of the Canadian Arctic start with the British Admiralty expeditions, creating
essentially a British/Canadian history with perceived American challenges arising before
and after the turn of the twentieth century. By comparison, Polar Imperative travels further
back in time, beginning long before humans roamed the planet to show how climate change
affected Arctic plant and animal life 20 million years ago, then forward to the present.
There is also more emphasis on Inuit history, their arrival in North America, their life in
the colonial period, then bringing the story full circle to their success in regaining greater
control over their homelands.
Hopefully the passage of time will have made it (Polar Imperative) even more valuable
in understanding the historical context and patterns of continuity that lie behind current
sovereignty issues in the North American Arctic (Grant, 2010, xiii).
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Mapping the Arctic: An Introduction to Arctic Issues
Blank Circumpolar Map
NORTH
CIRCUMPOLAR REGION
LA RÉGION
CIRCUMPOLAIRE-NORD
© 2002.
0
500
1000 km
Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. / Sa Majesté la Reine du chef du Canada, Ressources naturelles Canada.
Arctic Imperative Educational Resources Lesson Plans | Activity 1 | page 7
Mapping the Arctic: An Introduction to Arctic Issues
Labeled Circumpolar Map
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Mapping the Arctic: An Introduction to Arctic Issues
1
Indigenous Arctic Peoples
Aleut
Ainu
Aleut
Aleut
Kamchadal
Taz
Even
Alutiiq
Koryak
Central
Alaskan
Yup'ik
Alutiiq
Haida
Nootka
ALASKA
C A N AD
A
Ojibwa
Cree
Evenk
Yukagir
Gwich'in
Sakha
(Yakut)
Even
Northern
Slavey
Inuvialuit
Evenk
Evenk
Dolgan
Inuit
Evenk
Nganasan
Ket
Enets
NUNAVUT
Nenets
Buryat
Soyot
Buryat
Tofa Tuvinians
TuvinianTodzhin
Tuvinians
Khakas Chelkan
Shor Telengit
Tuba
Teleut KumanAltai
din
Chulym
Selkup
Nenets
Khant
Inuit
80o
Cree
Khant
70o
Kalaallit
N
Saami
Abnaki
Komi
KomiKomi Permyaks
Kalaallit
Naskapi
Mansi
IzhmaKomi
Kalaallit
TI
O
GREENLAND
MontagnaisNaskapi
Buryat
Ket
Selkup
Kalaallit
Nenets
Haudenosaunee
Evenk
Inuit
Inuit
Haudeno- Algonkin
saunee
Huron
Yukagir
Sakha
(Yakut)
Yellowknife
Chipewyan
Cree
Even
IAN FEDERA
U S A
Dogrib
Cree
Cree
Bear
Lake
Chukchi
Evenk
Even
SS
Assiniboine
Kaska
Southern
Slavey
Beaver
Atsina
Chuvan
RU
Sarsi
Blackfoot
Siberian
Yup'ik
Tsimshian
Iñupiat
Tsetsaut
Tuchone Tanana
Carrier
Deg
Tahltan Tlingit
Hit'an
Babine
Holikachuk
Tagish
Sekani
Hän
Koyukon
Iñupiat
Salish
Alyutor
Chukchi
Tanacross
Upper
Ahtna
Upper Tanana Kuskokwim
Tlingit
Koryak
Kerek
Dena’ina
Eyak
Kwakiutl
Orochi Udege
Orok Ulchi
Nanai
Nivkh Negidal
Itelmen
Karelians
Saami
Karelians
Vepsians
ICELAND
Beothuk
Saami
FAROE
ISLANDS
Faroese
FINLAND
NORWAY
60
o
SWEDEN
DENMARK
50o
Indigenous peoples of the Arctic countries
Subdivision according to language families
Na'Dene family
Athabaskan branch
Eyak branch
Tlingit branch
Haida branch
Penutan family
Macro-Algonkian family
Algonkian branch
Wakasha branch
Salish branch
Macro-Sioux family
Sioux branch
Iroquois branch
Indo-European family
Germanic branch
Eskimo-Aleut family
Inuit group of Eskimo branch
Yupik group of Eskimo branch
Aleut group
Uralic-Yukagiran family
Finno-Ugric branch
Samodic branch
Yukagiran branch
Altaic family
Turkic branch
Notes:
For the USA, only peoples in the State of Alaska are shown. For the Russian
Federation, only peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East are shown.
Majority populations of independent states are not shown, not even when
they form minorities in adjacent countries (e.g. Finns in Norway).
Areas show colours according to the original languages of the respective
indigenous peoples, even if they do not speak these languages today.
Overlapping populations are not shown. The map does not claim to show
exact boundaries between the individual groups.
In the Russian Federation, indigenous peoples have a special status only when
numbering less than 50,000. Names of larger indigenous peoples are written
in green.
Mongolic branch
Tunguso-Manchurian branch
Chukotko-Kamchatkan family
Ket (isolated language)
Nivkh (isolated language)
Ainu (isolated language)
compiled by W.K. Dallmann
© Norwegian Polar Institute
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Mapping the Arctic: An Introduction to Arctic Issues
Potential New Shipping Routes
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Mapping the Arctic: An Introduction to Arctic Issues
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Resources in the Arctic
Arctic Imperative Educational Resources Lesson Plans | Activity 1 | page 11
Mapping the Arctic: An Introduction to Arctic Issues
Sea Ice Change in the Arctic
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Mapping the Arctic: An Introduction to Arctic Issues
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Stakeholders of the Arctic
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Mapping the Arctic: An Introduction to Arctic Issues
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Appendix B: Analyzing Spatial Information Organizer
Map Title:
Natural features
Human features
Significance
Helpful Examples
Natural features include:
mountains, bodies of water,
vegetation
Human features include:
Cities, political boundaries,
transportation routes
Types of Significance:
Economic influence, political
influence, environmental
uniqueness, assigned
significance (cultural,
historical), instrumental or
strategic value
I think the cartographer chose to map these features because…
Information that has been omitted from the map
I wonder why?
page 14 | Activity 1 | Arctic Imperative Educational Resources Lesson Plans