Archives, Memory and International Law in the Arctic

Who owns history, and who has the right to preserve it? These are among the questions explored in the new book International Law and Displaced Archives in Arctic Countries, which will be presented at the University of Akureyri on Friday, October 30.

The book explores how archives shape our understanding of Arctic history and its Peoples. It examines who controls historical records, how archives contribute to collective memory, and the rights of Indigenous Peoples to access and manage records relating to their own history and communities. The book draws on case studies from Iceland, Canada, Greenland and Sápmi.

The book is co-edited by Rachael Lorna Johnstone and James Lowry, Professor at the City University of New York.

At the launch, the editors and contributing authors will introduce the book and discuss why colonial archives remain relevant to our understanding of the Arctic today.

Speakers

• Rachael Lorna Johnstone
• James Lowry
• Romain Chuffart
• Melis Yuksel
• Njörður Sigurðsson
• Bjarni Már Magnússon
• Rebecca Bourgeois
• Apostolos Tsiouvalas
• Giorgio Baruchello

Moderator: Tom Barry, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Akureyri

Registration and participation

The book launch is free and open to everyone. Light refreshments will be served afterwards, offering guests an opportunity to meet the authors and other participants.

Those planning to attend in person are kindly asked to register in advance to help us plan refreshments and minimise food waste.

• Please register here for in-person attendance
• Online participation: Join the event via Zoom

The event will be held in English.

About the book

International Law and Displaced Archives in Arctic Countries is available open access on the publisher Brill's website, where printed copies can also be ordered.

Further Information

Fur further information about the event, please contact Rachael Lorna Johnstone, rlj@unak.is 

All welcome!