The role of cultural heritage in the geopolitics of the Arctic: the example of Franklin’s lost expedition

Kim Pawliw,Étienne Berthold,Frédéric Lasserre

doi:10.11143/fennia.98496

Kim Pawliw, Étienne Berthold + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.11143/fennia.98496

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Abstract

Sir John Franklin’s ships departed from Greenhithe port in Great Britain (1845) with the aim of discovering the Northwest Passage in what is now Canada. During their journey, both ships got stuck in ice near King William Island and eventually sank. Over time, searches were held in order to find both wrecks. More recently, under the Conservative Government of Stephen Harper (2006–2015) there was renewed interest regarding what is now referred to as Franklin’s lost expedition. Searches resumed and narratives were formed regarding the importance of this expedition for Canadian identity. This article is embedded in a sociocultural perspective and will examine the role that cultural heritage can play in the geopolitics of the Arctic while highlighting the process of ‘patrimonialization’ that the Franklin’s lost expedition has undergone during Harper’s term in office. Based on discourse analysis, it brings out the main narratives that surrounded the modern searches of Franklin’s wrecks which are related to history, national historic sites, mystery, diversity, importance of Inuit knowledge and information gathering. This article demonstrates that these narratives were intended to form a new Canadian northern identity and to assert Canada’s sovereignty over the Arctic.

Highlights

In an era of climate change which led to the retreat of polar sea ice, sovereignty questions, such as the status of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, have become prominent among circumpolar states in the Arctic region
Few papers tackle with the connection between identity narratives and political agendas in Arctic geopolitics
This article is related to the research that investigates Franklin’s lost expedition from the viewpoint of sociocultural studies. It contributes to the development of research perspectives that consider the role cultural heritage can play in the geopolitics of the Arctic

Summary

Introduction

In an era of climate change which led to the retreat of polar sea ice, sovereignty questions, such as the status of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, have become prominent among circumpolar states in the Arctic region. Given the potential of the Arctic (hydrocarbon on the seabed, shorter transit routes), various approaches were used by Canadian politicians to promote sovereignty over this region, be it a legal approach with the application of the Law of the Sea, or an approach that highlights the importance of identity, with the emphasis put on Canada being a northern nation

Research paper

Conclusion