The Politics of Northern Frontiers in Australia, Canada and other first world countries

Abstract

The subject of this small volume is the north and outback of Australia and Canada, as well as the northern regions of ‘first world’ countries generally. The politics of the title are the politics of national policy, ethno-politics, and the politics of knowledge, but rarely party politics per se. Political issues in the north transcend the usual categories of party platforms. The paper is written for three purposes: To assist individuals and groups in several countries now discussing indigenous social and political development; To draw attention to recurring elements in the problem of ‘northern development’ in a number of countries; and To help the author in his own research by opening discussion with Australians about present and future federal, state and territorial government policy and the way ahead for indigenous peoples. The book reaches some clear conclusions about the inadequacy of current government policies. It also shows that while Australia and Canada treat the north as unique and peculiar, these regions are part of a wider experience of European civilisation reaching into remote hinterlands – in Alaska, Scandinavia, Greenland and the North Atlantic islands like Shetland, Faroes and Iceland. But there is a message of hope, and a set of guidelines for resolving some of our oldest national embarrassments. The author speculates in conclusion that a new approach to ‘northern development’ whether Queensland or the Top End, in arctic Canada or Alaska, could set our western countries on course to cope more intelligently with the emerging world order of which these northlands are already part. Show more