Ice and Water: Politics, Peoples, and the Arctic Council, by John English

DOI10.1177/0020702017707503
Published date01 June 2017
Date01 June 2017
AuthorRob Huebert
Subject MatterBook Reviews
untitled Book Reviews
285
John English
Ice and Water: Politics, Peoples, and the Arctic Council
Toronto: Allen Lane, 2013. 367pp. $34.00 (hardback)
ISBN: 978–0–670–06538–7
Reviewed by: Rob Huebert, University of Calgary
John English’s Ice and Water provides an important albeit frustrating addition to
our understanding of the process that is changing international Arctic governance.
It of‌fers important insights into the Canadian ef‌forts to create and promote the
Arctic Council, presenting outstanding evidence and an insider’s understanding of
the intrigues involved. English examines in detail some of the most important
phases of the creation of the Arctic Council. The book correctly focuses on
the emphasis placed on the participation of northern Indigenous Peoples and in
particular Canadian northern Indigenous Peoples.
However, readers who lack a detailed understanding of the region and its
politics may f‌ind the book confusing. First, it is mistitled. It claims to be an exam-
ination of the creation of the Arctic Council. While it does provide important
insights into its creation, its real focus is the central role played by several
Canadian individuals and nongovernment organizations. This is really a book
about Mary Simon, Franklyn Grif‌f‌iths, and a number of other key Canadian of‌f‌i-
cials. It is also about the role played by the Gordon Foundation. There is no
question that they each deserve tremendous praise for their ef‌fort and perseverance
in helping to create the Arctic Council, which, without them, would likely not
exist today. But this is not what English’s book claims to do: its stated purpose
‘‘is a history of the Arctic Council, a study of how a 21st century institution has
roots in the human, ecological, and political developments of the most northern
region of the planet’’ (12).
This promise is at odds with English’s methodology. He focuses on the role of
the individual. While this is an acceptable means of assessing the creation of inter-
national institutions, it is necessary to...

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