Acts of Occupation
Canada and Arctic Sovereignty, 1918-25
A fascinating account of Canada’s Arctic claim, one man’s secret and misbegotten expedition to expand it, and the official response and policy that followed.
Description
In Acts of Occupation, historians Cavell and Noakes deliver the engrossing story of Canada’s early days of Arctic policy. Drawing on a wealth of previously untapped archival sources, they show how one explorer’s self-serving ambition fueled unfounded paranoia about Denmark’s designs on the north, and ultimately served as the catalyst for Canada’s active administrative occupation of the Arctic. A compelling tale that throws new light on a transformative period in Canadian Arctic policy-making, Acts of Occupation offers much-needed historical context for contemporary debates on northern sovereignty.
Awards
- Short-listed, Canadian Political History Book Prize, Canadian Historical Association 2012
Reviews
This well-written and readable work deserves a place on the bookshelves of historians, students, and popular readers interested in the Canadian Arctic . .. the recent flurry of books on the Canadian North has included several broad and sweeping studies of Canad's Arctic policy . .. however, more detailed works that fully explore the contours of Canada's Arctic policy are required. Other historians should follow the lead of Cavell and Noakes to describe the progression of Canada's policy since the country received its Arctic Archipelago in 1880 because many historical policy issues are still germane to debates about the Arctic today.
- Peter Kikkert, University of Western Ontario
This well-written and readable work deserves a place on the bookshelves of historians, students, and popular readers interested in the Canadian Arctic. High-quality photographs and maps add to the story of adventure, exploration, and intrigue that the authors set out to tell. Moreover, this history is both timely and important.
- Peter Kikkert, University of Western Ontario