2: Leading Players in the North American Arctic

The governance in the North American Arctic is unique. The power is spread vertically and horizontally between many levels of government. The constant interaction occurs between local, subnational, and national levels. It is worth to note that since the end of twentieth century, local authorities have gained more control over the state of affairs in the region. Especially governance on the subnational level in the North American Arctic has been exceptional in the last 50 years. Due to the process of devolution, subnational levels have received more power. Additionally, self-governments of Indigenous peoples have been gradually included in the decision-making process that requires a horizontal cooperation between various local institutions. In the Canadian part of the North American Arctic, the three territorial governments, with self-governments of Indigenous peoples, shape the subnational governance. Greenland is a prime example of almost complete devolution of power. Nevertheless, politically it is still a part of Denmark, as a subnational unit that also represents that indigenous population. Governance on the subnational level in the American part of the Arctic is primarily in the hands of the State of Alaska, although the Indigenous peoples also exercise certain authority. On the national level, the North American Arctic States developed various strategies and policies toward the Arctic based on national objectives and international developments. Within the last 10 years, Canada launched two intertwined strategies in 2009 and 2019, and Denmark presented its 2011–2020 Strategy in 2011. Also the administration of Barak Obama released an official Arctic policy only in 2013 which was something quite new in American politics, as previously all that was available were Presidential Directives. Current policies toward the Arctic are primarily based on objectives and principles emphasized in the strategies.