Bachelor of Circumpolar Studies (BCS) 321: Peoples and Cultures of the Circumpolar World I

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The primary aim of this course is to introduce the peoples and cultures of the North Circumpolar Region through interdisciplinary study in the fields of anthropology, sociology, history, media and cultural studies, communications and literature. Students will be introduced to traditional cultures and contemporary peoples through indigenous and Western perspectives. This is the first of two courses that aim to promote an integrated and multidisciplinary understanding of the circumpolar peoples and their adaptations and contributions to social, economic, political and environmental changes. This includes an introduction to Aboriginal cultures, a discussion of the Western presence in the Circumpolar North, and an examination of contemporary northern peoples.

This course examines primary societies (traditional Indigenous societies up to Western contact) and secondary societies (non-Indigenous enclaves in the North).

COURSE OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of Peoples and Cultures I, students will:

  1. Acquire a broad and basic understanding of the histories and experiences of the peoples of the Circumpolar North, and the development of northern cultures;
  2. Develop an understanding of the similarities and differences of northern peoples and cultures, their adaptations to change, and their roles as agents of change;
  3. Gain an appreciation of the cultural diversity of the Circumpolar North;
  4. Develop an understanding of basic research methods and an appreciation of ethical issues confronting contemporary northern researchers;
  5. Hone their critical thinking and writing abilities; and
  6. Develop the skills necessary to research, write and critically evaluate academic papers.

COURSE FORMAT

This course has been designed for web-based delivery. It consists of at least twelve modules, each comprised of a “lecture” or module text, required and suggested readings, and study questions. Students will discuss the module text in online fora. Alternatively, the course may be offered consisting of in-class lectures and discussions of readings.

ASSESSMENT

The model of student activities and assessment is as follows:

  1. Module and reading questions: Each week, integrative questions will accompany the readings (modules and text). Students will select from these questions and write a thoughtful essay answer to three of these over the term. (3 x 10%)
  2. Student presentation: Students will make a presentation on their research paper. A poster-version may also be considered. (10%)
  3. Comparative research paper: Each student will research and write an analytical term paper on a topic related to the course. In keeping with course objectives, the paper will involve a comparison of peoples and cultures in various parts of the circumpolar north. (30%)
  4. Comprehensive final examination: (30%)

Required textbook:

Freeman, Milton M.R. (editor). Endangered Peoples of the Arctic: Struggles to Survive and Thrive.  Westport, Connecticut and London: Greenwood Press, 2000.

COURSE SYLLABUS

Section One: Introduction

Peoples and Cultures I: An Introduction

This introduction provides an overview of the topics covered in BCS 321 and establishes a definition of the circumpolar region used in this course. It is also intended to introduce students to the environmental features of the circumpolar world and provide a general description of the peopling and colonizing of the northern regions.
Introduction course material (PDF format, U Arctic site)

Module 1: Post–Ice Age Geography and the Initial Peopling of the Arctic and Subarctic

This module introduces and surveys the changing landscape of the last phase of the Ice Age as it relates to the development of living environments in the circumpolar North during the Holocene epoch. It further discusses the initial peopling of the Arctic and Subarctic, including Russia, the Scandinavian peninsula, Iceland, Greenland, and North America.
Module 1 course material (PDF format, U Arctic site)

Section Two: Primary Societies

Module 2: Peoples of the Subarctic: Hunters, Gatherers, and Fishers

This module introduces students to pre-contact indigenous societies of the North who subsisted by exploiting the terrestrial resources of the Subarctic zone. Students should be able to recognize differences and similarities in the lifeways of peoples who inhabited similar ecozones and to see the connection between these cultures and the landscapes that supported them.


Understanding the sources, sinks, transformations, and feedbacks of these essential elements and energy is a critical step in determining their behaviour under specific environmental conditions. The consequences of human perturbations on essential nutrient cycles in soils, sediments, and other systems must also be recognized.
Module 2 course material (PDF format, U Arctic site)

Module 3: Coastal Dwellers: Peoples of the Sea

This module examines the peoples of the Subarctic and Arctic who live along the coasts of seas and oceans, including those who focus almost exclusively on marine resources and those who combine marine resources with seasonal exploitation of inland resources. The module describes and discusses main cultural features and adaptations of peoples who exploit marine resources: whaling cultures, inshore harvesters, and inshore/inland harvesters.
Module 3 course material (PDF format, U Arctic site)

Module 4: Peoples of the Reindeer

This module will introduce students to the ancient roots of reliance on reindeer—both hunting migrating herds and husbandry. The module focuses on the various forms that reindeer herding can take; presents broad cultural features of reindeer herding societies; and provides examples and case studies of as many reindeer peoples as is practical.
Module 4 course material (PDF format, U Arctic site)

Section Three: Secondary Societies

Module 5: Trade, Investigation, and Exploration

This module provides a study of the expansion of southern interest into northern regions and, therefore, focuses on the people and activities devoted to finding out what is in the North, and the ways in which products and ideas are transferred. Southern expansion is presented as a series of three waves: (1) trade and general investigation, in most places to the fifteenth century; (2) focus on marine resources of the northern seas, especially whale, seal, and cod; and (3) voyages of exploration, conducted primarily to extend or circumvent the sovereignty of states and to secure exclusive trade routes.
Module 5 course material (PDF format, U Arctic site)

Module 6: Early Administration

This module focuses on the first attempts to colonize and administrate remote, underpopulated lands and indigenous peoples, from the sixteenth century to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, in North America, Scandinavia, Russia, and Greenland. The module aims to draw students’ attention to the functions and limitations of traditional states, and to encourage discussion on how indigenous peoples maintained a relatively high degree of internal political autonomy when traditional European states expanded north in Scandinavia, west to North America, and east to Siberia, despite great cultural impact.
Module 6 course material (PDF format, U Arctic site)

Module 7: Modern State–Building and Indigenous Peoples

This module provides an overview of the process of modern state–building in the circumpolar North, focusing on government and administration, and contextualizing the consequences for indigenous peoples today. First, the module outlines the dynamics of modern state–building, which originated in Europe and repeated itself globally. Second, the module makes an important distinction between traditional states and modern states. Third, the module traces the impact of state building and the consequences of governance of administration for indigenous peoples under traditional states. Finally, the module outlines the consequences of the different paths of modern state–building—federal, unitary, and modern colonial—for the governance and administration of indigenous peoples, focusing on Canada, Russia, Scandinavia, Greenland, and Alaska.
Module 7 course material (PDF format, U Arctic site)

Module 8: Consolidation and Organization

This module provides an overview of the historical expansion of national interests in the northern regions. It discusses the importance of northern development as an integral element of national development and discusses the practices of megaproject development: hydroelectric dams, pipelines, mining, and other large-scale non-renewable resource exploitation in service of the state. The module also looks at government schemes to rationalize the delivery of services to northern residents and evaluates similarities and differences in this area between countries and regions.
Module 8 course material (PDF format, U Arctic site)

Module 9: Centralization, Collectivization, and Relocation

This module examines the ways in which governments and other social agencies reorganized northern peoples for their ideological or organizational convenience. The module also defines centralization, collectivization, and relocation, using examples from northern experiences.
Module 9 course material (PDF format, U Arctic site)

Module 10: Industrialization in the Circumpolar North

This module explores the origins and features of industrialization in the North, establishing three common characteristics of economic development in the circumpolar world. Examples from Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia and Russia highlight similarities and differences in experiences. Common social, economic, and political effects of industrial development in the North are evaluated, with the co-optation and exclusion of Aboriginal peoples forming an important part of this discussion.
Module 10 course material (PDF format, U Arctic site)

Peoples and Cultures I: Conclusion

This is a synthesis of the goals and main points of the course.
Conclusion course material (PDF format, U Arctic site)