Commentary: The Canadian Polar Commission

Abstract

... The Polar Commission was created by the federal government in September 1991. It was the result of two federal studies and much consultation with Canadian research institutions, universities and northern residents. Both reports were clear on the need for a Polar Commission. The mandate of the 12-member Board of Directors directs it to monitor and report on the state of knowledge in polar regions through a variety of means. The Commission also has the responsibility to help disseminate knowledge about polar regions, nationally and internationally, to work with northern and southern institutions fostering understanding about science and research in polar regions and to advise the federal government and others on northern issues. To the Commission itself that means ensuring that the scientific research carried out in polar regions is of the highest possible standards and at all times takes into account the concerns and interests of the northern peoples. ... A priority of the Polar Commission will be to ... develop a plan to encourage northern involvement and participation in research activities in the northern regions. Hand in hand with that, the Commission would like to see the use of traditional knowledge expanded. We believe that it is important that all Canadians and all northerners recognize the tremendous benefit indigenous knowledge can play in northern research in many areas, including health, social issues and justice. We also think that there should be initiatives with northern communities to develop methods for recording, disseminating and using traditional knowledge. The Board of Directors also wants to enhance academic study on northern regions. We would like to see scholarly study on important northern issues in law, politics, economics and the natural and applied sciences increased. In addition, we see the need for more interdisciplinary study. We hope to either encourage institutions to develop journals to record and distribute this material or identify journals that are already in existence and encourage them to expand into broader areas of scholarly study. These two initiatives are given to show the breadth of what constitutes science in northern regions.