1. Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. Plan of the Churchyard and Burials at Herjolfsnes. Rauner Special Collections Library 1906-07. Stefansson Collection [stem226_540]
“When after his dangerous passage across the open sea, the skipper had safely rounded Cape Farewell, the high mountains behind Herjolfsnes were consequently the point toward which his longing looks were directed.” From the Saga of the Greenlanders, quoted in Encyclopedia Arctica.
In the late 10th century, Norse settlers came to Greenland. Although the Norse settlement was ultimately unsuccessful, it paved the way for later Danish colonization. Even today, Greenland remains a protectorate of Denmark.
2. Stefansson,Vilhjalmur. 01- 08: Canadian Arctic Expedition (unnumbered) The Karluk survivors on Wrangle Island, Jan. – Sept. 1914 Rauner Special Collections Library 1913-23. Stefansson Collection [stem229_047-32A-33A-f]
This image depicts stranded members of Vilhjalmur Stefansson’s Canadian Arctic Expedition raising the British flag on Wrangel Island in 1914. Stefansson dedicated a large portion of his life to the expansion of Canadian Arctic sovereignty through Arctic expeditions where he asserted Canadian sovereignty, discovered new territory, and collected scientific data. However, Stefansson also developed a controversial reputation from his expeditions; during the Canadian Arctic Expedition, he abandoned his crew when their ship was trapped in ice. Seventeen members of the expedition died, yet Stefansson returned home to promote the idea of a friendly arctic and promised prosperity in Arctic development (Kikkert, 2016).
3. Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. The Adventures of Wrangel Island. London: Jonathan Cape, 1926. [G830 .S8]
This image from Vilhjalmur Stefansson’s The Adventures of Wrangel Island depicts a birds-eye-view of the northern hemisphere, with the Arctic at the center of the map. Highlighting Russia’s crucial holding in the Arctic, this map blatantly shows the militarization and export opportunities. Wrangel Island and Franz Josef Land, two territories on the Northeast passage that were subject to extensive territorial dispute, are prominent in Russian geopolitical future.
4. Murphy, C. “The Polar Concept: It is revolutionizing American strategy.” Life Magazine, 20 Jan. 1947, pg. 61-62. [Life Magazine archive]
After World War II ended in 1945, U.S. and U.S.S.R. tensions rose as Soviet’s threatened a global expansion. The Americans attempted to lessen the Soviet threat through political doctrines and geographical positioning. The quickest way from the U.S. to Russia was through the Arctic, and therefore positioning the widely un-colonized tundra became critical to world strategy. Among the sought-after territories was the relatively new nation of Iceland.
5. “1977- Barrow, Alaska.” Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada, [www.inuitcircumpolar.com/1977–barrow-alaska.html]
Today, the geopolitics of the Arctic are shaped by far more actors. These photographs are from the first General Assembly of the Inuit Circumpolar Council in 1977 in Barrow, Alaska. Despite it’s humble beginnings. The ICC has evolved to become the leading organization in the representation of indigenous interests in Arctic geopolitics. Through their work advocating for sustainable development and native rights, the ICC carries on Stefansson’s legacy of legitimizing the Arctic in the eyes of the world and supporting the dissemination of factual information about the Inuit people and their homeland.
Although Cold War fears are no longer, Arctic development remains an important global issue. As climate change increases the accessibility of shipping routes and increasing global demand for natural resources, a circumpolar approach to Arctic management will be necessary.