Description

These two sessions organized by the Polar Geography Specialty Group bring together papers from human and physical geographers examining the Arctic and sub-Arctic in order to reckon with the intense socioeconomic, geophysical, and environmental changes that the region is experiencing in a holistic, interdisciplinary manner. Attesting to the breadth of research that is being pursued in polar geography in recent years, topics range from colonial imaginaries of Arctic agriculture to an exploration of an actual greenhouse in Nunavut today, along with research into glacier and sea ice dynamics that incorporate both quantitative and geospatial methods and community knowledge. Other papers are particularly timely in addressing, for instance, understandings of risks and security among northern stakeholders and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Arctic. The studies incorporate diverse methods ranging from ethnography to geovisualization, content analysis, and remote sensing. They also explore a range of scales, from specific case studies to more pan-regional approaches, and a range of temporalities, too, that link historical processes in the Arctic and sub-Arctic to the present in a manner that support efforts to project future changes. In addition, with several papers focused on Canada, Greenland, and Alaska, the sessions collectively address one of AAG 2021's themes, "The Changing North American Continent."

Ultimately, across these two sessions, we hope to encourage discussion and debate about how to work towards more just and sustainable northern communities from the local to international scale. We also aim to stimulate conversations about how to pursue more inclusive Arctic and sub-Arctic research designed and carried out in partnership with the region's rightsholders and stakeholders in a manner that bridges Indigenous and Western ontologies and methodologies.