Arctic Indigenous Governance and Gender (5op)

Arviointiasteikko

H-5

Tavoitteet

After completion of the course the student is able to
- explain the international framework of Indigenous peoples’ rights and global organizing
- examine contemporary efforts by Indigenous peoples for restoration of cultural, political, socio-economic, land and self-governance rights in the Arctic.

Toteutustavat

Teaching profile: FACE-TO-FACE.

Suoritustavat

Seminars and assignments.

Sisältö

The course will explore key ideas, debates, themes and perspectives concerning Indigenous governance and the rights of Indigenous peoples. Seminar discussions will be structured around such topics as: relations between Indigenous peoples and settler governments; contrasting alternate understandings of sovereignty, land, governance and citizenship; international and domestic law; gender relations; and visions of decolonization.

Aika ja paikka

15 January to 19 March, 2025, Seminar room 219, Faculty of Social Sciences

Oppimateriaalit

SEMINAR 1 Introduction: What is Arctic and Indigenous governance? (Jan 15)

Required reading:

Lightfoot, Sheryl, and Sarah Maddison. 2024. "Introduction: Indigenous public policy in global context." In Handbook of Indigenous Public Policy, edited by Sheryl Lightfoot and Sarah Maddison, 1-16. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

SEMINAR 2 Indigenous and Arctic Governance Institutions (Jan 22)

Required reading:

Johnsen, Kathrine I., Svein D. Mathiesen, and Inger Marie Gaup Eira. 2017. "Sámi reindeer governance in Norway as competing knowledge systems: a participatory study." Ecology and Society 22 (4).

Gamble, Jim, and Jessica M Shadian. 2017. "One Arctic… but uneven capacity: the Arctic council permanent participants." In One Arctic: The Arctic Council and circumpolar governance, edited by Whitney Lackenbauer, Heather Nicol and Wilfrid Greaves, 142-156. Ottawa: Canadian Arctic Resources Committee and the Centre on Foreign Policy & Federalism.

Additional:

Kuokkanen, Rauna. 2019. "At the intersection of Arctic indigenous governance and extractive industries: A survey of three cases." The Extractive Industries and Society 6 (1): 15-21.

SEMINAR 3 Gendering governance (Jan. 29)

Required reading:

Tanana, Heather. 2023. "Voices of the River: The Rise of Indigenous Women Leaders in the Colorado River Basin." Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law & Policy 34 (2): 266-298.

Midzain-Gobin, Liam, and Caroline Dunton. 2021. "Renewing Relationships? Solitudes, Decolonisation, and Feminist International Policy." Millennium 50 (1): 29–54.

Additional:

Chapter 4 from Kuokkanen, Rauna. 2019. Restructuring Relations: Indigenous Self-Determination, Governance and Gender. New York: Oxford University Press.

SEMINAR 4 Climate Governance (Feb. 12)

Required reading:

Zentner, Emilie, Maik Kecinski, Angeline Letourneau, and Debra Davidson. 2019. "Ignoring Indigenous peoples—climate change, oil development, and Indigenous rights clash in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge." Climatic change 155 (4): 533-544.

Laptander, Roza, Tim Horstkotte, Joachim Otto Habeck, Sirpa Rasmus, Teresa Komu, Heidrun Matthes, Hans Tømmervik, Kirill Istomin, Jussi T. Eronen, and Bruce C. Forbes. 2024. "Critical seasonal conditions in the reindeer-herding year: A synopsis of factors and events in Fennoscandia and northwestern Russia." Polar Science39: 101016.

Additional:

Wilson, Nicole J, Maria G Lira, and Grace O’Hanlon. 2022. "A systematic scoping review of Indigenous governance concepts in the climate governance literature." Climatic Change 171 (3-4): 32.

SEMINAR 5 Co-Management and Stewardship (Feb. 19)

Required reading:

Staples, Kiri, and David C. Natcher. 2015. "Gender, Decision Making, and Natural Resource Co–management in Yukon." Arctic 68 (3): 356-366.

Esquible, Janessa, Avery Hoffman, Danielle Lowrey, Destiny Ropati, Jacqueline Cleveland, Mike Williams, Jonathan Samuelson, Wilson Justin, Freddie Christiansen, Jessica Black, Rachel Donkersloot, Carrie Stevens, Brooke Woods, Dehrich Chya, and Courtney Carothers. 2024. "Aulukluki neqkat: centering care of salmon and relational research in Indigenous fisheries in the Kuskokwim River, Alaska." Arctic Science 10 (2): 349-371.

Additional:

Nadasdy, Paul. 2005. "The Anti-politics of TEK: The Institutionalization of Co-management Discourse and Practice." Anthropologica 47 (2): 215-232.

SEMINAR 6 Energy Governance (Feb. 26)

Required reading:

MacKay, Makenzie, Brenda Parlee, and John R. Parkins. 2021. "Towards energy security in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region: insights from community members and local residents." Local Environment 26 (9): 1128-1144.

Awasis, Sakihitowin. 2020. ""Anishinaabe time": temporalities and impact assessment in pipeline reviews." Journal of Political Ecology 27 (1).

Additional:

Amber, Candice, Sandeep Agrawal, and Celine Zoe. 2023. "Just transition in the Northwest Territories: Insights and values from indigenous and non-indigenous northerners." Heliyon 9 (8).

ORAL PRESENTATION SESSION DATE: March 19, 2025.

Opetusmenetelmät

This course examines Indigenous politics and governance in the Arctic. The course will explore key ideas, debates, themes, and perspectives concerning Indigenous governance and gender. Seminar discussions will be structured around such topics as: relations between Indigenous peoples and settler governments; contrasting alternate understandings of sovereignty, land, and governance; gender relations; and visions of decolonization.

Structure: Seminars 14h + 2h oral presentation session, required in-person attendance.

Opiskelijan ajankäyttö ja kuormitus

Attendance and Participation
Students are expected to attend the classes and participate in class activities such as small group discussions, class dialogue, problem solving or question-sessions, as well as completing short class presentations based on assigned readings/projects. Students are expected to: (1) attend lectures regularly (at least 80% to get a good grade), (2) read the required weekly literature (in Moodle). After reading the required reading, the student prepares a short text from both articles based on the questions below and uploads it to Moodle a day before the next lecture in the folder reserved for it, so the instructor has time to read it. The student texts and questions form the basis of class discussion (the second half of each seminar session).
NOTE: A summary made in bullet points is not sufficient. Create a coherent text (like a one-page essay) of each article without numbers or questions. Answer each question in 2-4 sentences minimum.
Questions for weekly readings:
1. What is the main question and/or claim of the article?
2. How did the article succeed in answering the central question and/or justifying the claim?
3. How does the article relate to the themes of the course?
4. What new things did you learn from the article?
5. Conclude with one question you want to discuss in the class.

The additional reading listed for each class is for those who miss the class and want to do a make-up assignment. In that case, they write short texts of all three articles assigned for that week.

The breakdown of the participation mark is as follows:
5: Contributed frequently and appropriately to discussions; demonstrated critical understanding of assigned readings; applied relevant material from readings and lectures to the issue; built on the comments of others. Demonstrated active listening and brought in weekly commentary on the readings, news articles or current event.
4: Contributed regularly; demonstrated understanding of main points of readings; occasionally employed relevant materials from readings and lectures to the issue; offered observations but did not integrate or build on other's contributions.
3: Contributed a few times; demonstrated having read assigned material; employed some theory in understanding issues; made statements unconnected to main subject or repeated comments already offered.
2: Was present but contributed minimally to discussion; little demonstration of having read or applied reading assignments; offered comments which did not advance discussion of the issues.
1: Did not attend regularly or at all.

Arviointikriteerit, tyydyttävä (1)

Fail (0): Performance is highly deficient or erroneous. The work may be based on serious misunderstandings.

Sufficient (1): The author has identified some key concepts and aspects in the research field. Performance is lacking in scope, superficial, or corresponds poorly to the assignment. The author merely lists things out of context, or addresses them one-sidedly. The work may contain errors or obscurities.

Satisfactory (2): The author has identified the key concepts and aspects in the research field. The performance mainly repeats the content of the course or addresses them one-sidedly.

Arviointikriteerit, hyvä (3)

Good (3): The author has addressed the issue comprehensively. Performance corresponds to the assignment, manifesting skills to analyse and justify the content of the course. The work may contain some deficiencies.

Very good (4): The author has addressed the issue comprehensively. Performance manifest comprehension, insight, and skills to critically analyse and argue the content of the course.

Arviointikriteerit, kiitettävä (5)

Excellent (5): Performance delineates an extensive whole and the author can apply knowledge in a multifaceted way or place it in various contexts. The work manifests independency and insight, and it is a flawless entity that involves justified thinking or critical contemplation. The work is well written and implemented.