Introduction

This chapter demonstrates the performances of sovereignty that the Arctic states, through a variety of policies and approaches, have used to demonstrate their effective occupation over the territories of the Arctic. It argues for an understanding of sovereignty over the Arctic as a territorial authority socially constructed by states through performances, where these actions are conceived of as co-producing knowledge about this space through the exchange of symbolic performances of sovereignty. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. It relates the history of US engagement with the Arctic over the longue duree situated within the narrative of the evolution of US policy in the Arctic region. The chapter narrates the history of Canadian engagement in the Arctic from the empire of Great Britain to the Dominion of Canada through Canadian Arctic policy. It develops a historical narrative of Canadian Arctic sovereignty through Senate records and parliamentary legislative documents.