The geopolitical narratives of Vilhjalmur Stefansson’s Encyclopedia Arctica encompass centuries of Arctic history, charting the power dynamics of the far north and the statecraft and international strategy that have gone into the development of the eight Arctic nations. Through the compilation of the work of numerous Arctic scholars, Stefansson paints a portrait of complex national and international struggles; state actors struggle with indigenous peoples, wars are won and lost—all in the name of securing greater Arctic territory and power.
This section of the exhibit is organized into two parts: Exploitation of Natural Resources and Colonization.
The section uses the Encyclopedia Arctica and the documents and photographs collected or produced by Stefansson during his expeditions to survey the development of power in Greenland, Canada, Russia and the United States. Stefansson’s life, as culminated in the compilation of the Encyclopedia Arctica, reflects realities that he faced throughout his time as an explorer and public intellectual. Stefansson lived through much of the power dynamics his Encyclopedia describes, as he personally researched indigenous peoples, Norse settlement, and the conditions of the Canadian north extensively. Additionally, this assessment pays consideration to the numerous indigenous groups who have been critical to power within the Arctic region. With increasing indigenous autonomy—particularly in Danish, Norwegian, and Canadian territory—the power balance in the Arctic has been fundamentally altered.