Work

Extracting northern knowledge: Tracing the history of post-secondary education in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This article traces the historical development of post-secondary education in the Western and Eastern Arctic from the end of the Second World War to the late 1980s and explores the role that southern Canadian universities have played in carrying out the socio-economic goals of nation building in the North. Writing from an interdisciplinary perspective, I argue that the history of higher education in the North should be situated within the context of settler colonialism, Canadian nationalism, resource extraction, and the struggle for Indigenous self-determination. The debate around a "bricks and mortar" northern university is ongoing, and this article brings attention to the questions and concerns of the past in order to inform present and future dialogue around post-secondary education in the North.

Source: The Northern Review

DOI: 10.25316/jrfn-d202

Author: Kelly Black

Institution: Carleton University

Language: English

Topic: Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights

Subfield: Health

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: ArcticNet