ABSTRACT
In the mainstream media, images of polar bears perched on pans of melting ice continue to be emblematic of climate change and its immediate threats. However, what is increasingly clear is that the image is not particularly effective in motivating nations to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions nor does it adequately reflect the political milieu that defines the Arctic today. As the multiyear sea ice continues to show remarkable decline and the ocean becomes more accessible, communities face increased pressures from industrial-scale development and a regulatory environment not well matched with the pace and scope of the changes taking place. The Arctic has increasingly become a place of competing visions, environmental agendas, geopolitical claims of sovereignty, and multinational corporate frontier operations. So where do the rights of indigenous peoples, particularly Inuit, fit into the complex array of actors and agendas?
