Coming to agreement in the Arctic: getting to know Alaskans and their views.

• Author: Anjum, Shehla
• Position: ARCTIC POLICY

Each day brings a new awareness of changes in the Arctic region-'more ships headed across the top of Russia toward the Bering Strait; an image of dozens of polar bears feasting on a whale carcass in Kaktovik; news that Alaska's valuable king crab fishery can fall victim to the increased acidification of Arctic waters. The topics are varied, but share a common theme--the Arctic is changing, rapidly, and at a pace that is difficult to keep up with. Rising temperatures affect all regions of the world, but none as drastically or as swiftly as the Arctic, where the loss of ice is leading to profound changes.

For Alaska, the nation's sole Arctic state, these are profound developments. More ships in the Bering Strait pose risks to the surrounding coast of northwest Alaska. Interest in offshore minerals, and someday fisheries, brings new people to the region. Today, state and local officials are trying to figure out a strategy for Alaskans to play a meaningful role in policy discussions about the Arctic. Those discussions are dominated by the federal government, for now, and Alaskans are seeking ways to have their views heard.

There are worries that some of their views are not being heard.

Government Drivers

The federal government is in the driver's seat because of the Arctic Council, the eight-member multinational body of Arctic nations directly affected by changes in the region--the United States, Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Russia. A few other nations also have "permanent observer" status, including Great Britain, a long-standing observer, and most recently Japan, China, India, Singapore, and others who feel they have a stake in the Arctic because of opening sea lanes (Singapore) or its resources (China and India). The United States will assume the chair of the Arctic Council in two years. Canada is now the chair.

Ironically, the United States is engaged in Arctic issues only because of Alaska, its only connection to the Arctic. But state officials can't sit at the table at the Arctic Council meetings. Federal officials sit there. The state can, however, feed ideas to the Arctic Council through its indigenous representatives on the council.

Within the council, Alaska Natives and other indigenous people of the Arctic are official "permanent participants" through organizations like the Aleut International Association, Arctic Athabaskan Council, Gwich'in Council International, and the Inuit Circumpolar Conference. The council notes that the permanent participants "have full consultation rights in...