Lill Rastad Bjørst - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Lill Rastad Bjørst

Change in the Arctic is a theme so ubiquitous in the public mind, if not also in scholarly discou... more Change in the Arctic is a theme so ubiquitous in the public mind, if not also in scholarly discourse, as to be somehow lacking in surprise. The dramatic has become the routine; climatedriven transformations no longer have the power to shock, even as they become more shocking by the year. The narrative of Arctic change features well-worn tropes, most having to do with the readily observable changes to the physical environment. The authors whose work is collected in Heritage and Change in the Arctic contest this discourse, shifting the focus away from, say, melting ice and towards similarly variable culture and identity. Noting that such quantities, in broad terms, are both formed and continually renegotiated through the telling of stories, the editors observe that heritage "places itself at the crucial space between history and identity, and offers itself as a means by which a community can meaningfully define itself" (p. 7). In this view, cultural transformations must be foregrounded in the discourse of change itself, not drawn as secondary or corollary effects of environmental change. The eight articles in this book, collected from a 2013 conference at Ilisimatusarfik (University of Greenland) in Nuuk, examine heritage as a resource, which, the editors argue, is substantially akin to the oft-studied physical resources that garner wide public attention. In the interconnected nature of the Arctic's physical and human environments, changes ripple through culture, tradition, identity construction, and community life in ways distinct from, but no less tangible than, those observed in ice, seas, lands, and flora and fauna. The notion of heritage as a resource in and of itself represents an intriguing analytical and narrative device, and while the contributing authors all at least dutifully nod to the paradigm in their respective papers, some interrogate it more fully than others. A trio of articles on mining and mineral resources of Greenland, for example, while informative, thought-provoking, and analytically rigorous in their own right, feature mostly conventional analyses of public policy and stakeholder participation in resource development, making only passing, tentative connections to the theme of heritage. The most elucidative essays are those in which the dynamic nature of heritage is framed in concrete terms as part of political, social and economic formulations. In Karina M. Smed's article on tourism in Ilulissat, for example, she notes that while heritage itself represents both process and product, in practical terms the global marketplace appears to favour static representations of culture that do not reflect the vibrancy of the place and its people. Essays on Greenlandic and Inuit music, literature and arts by Daniel Chartier and Karen Langgård similarly reveal heritage to be a quantifiable, everchanging resource whose impact on identity construction is both real and part of a contested terrain over which views will be legitimised in the discourse of Arctic change. Langgård's paper on discourses on nature in Greenlandic literature, from my view the most insightful of the book's chapters, traces how concepts of ethnicity and nationalism came to evolve and be integrated into West Greenlandic oral traditions as cultural encounters with Denmark occurred over time. A focus on heritage is less present in Suna Christensen's article on frontier ideologies in education and Jes Lynning Harfeld's contribution on hunting, animal rights, and Inuit culture, but both authors advance thoughtful critiques of identity and conflict in the Arctic. Collected research papers rarely cohere around a common argument, notwithstanding the conference theme that brought together and ostensibly unifies the contributions, and this volume is no different. The theses, methodological approaches, and quality of writing vary from chapter to chapter, as one might expect, and the heritage-as-resource paradigm alternately emerges and fades from view, sometimes within the same chapter. The scholarship is outstanding overall, however, and the articles should be assessed for what they accomplish, not for the measure they deviate from the conference theme. If there is a common thread that connects the essays, it might be that each, in its own way, challenges the normative perspectives-what the editors call "elite" points of view (p. 10)-that have come to dominate popular views of the far North. Like any discourse, the one about Arctic change privileges certain perspectives over others, and the volume under review ably critiques how rights, values, traditions and identity become legitimised within discursive structures that are themselves subjectively constructed. The volume will appeal to social scientists, in particular those whose research places culture, in all its forms, as a key linkage between humans and both their natural and built environments.

Welcome from the Under Secretary of Science, SmithSonian inStitUtion Welcome to Washington, to th... more Welcome from the Under Secretary of Science, SmithSonian inStitUtion Welcome to Washington, to the U.S. National Mall, to the Smithsonian Institution and to the 18th Inuit Studies Conference-the first ever to be convened in the Lower '48! We have planned an exciting and diverse program under the theme: "Learning From the Top of the World." As you are aware, this meeting is being held at a time when the world is undergoing profound changes in climate, biodiversity, and life systems, and these shifts are having major impacts on the world's political, economic, social, and cultural life. These changing conditions and their interrelationships are the grist that will be considered from an Arctic perspective by a host of specialists over the course of four days from 24-28 October. Central to the program will be daily plenary sessions featuring leading researchers and Inuit leaders, a conference banquet, and a closing panel reviewing findings and road-maps for the future. In addition to scholarly symposia, lectures, and presentations, ISC-18 attendees will experience Arctic exhibitions; tour collection, conservation, and education facilities; take part in a film festival and performing arts programs; and consult with government agencies, foundations, and NGOs. Interactive media will bring many conference activities directly to northern communities. The Arctic Studies Center has engaged a wide sector of Smithsonian institutions and staff in ISC-18. On behalf of the entire Smithsonian family and our conference partners we invite you to be part of the Smithsonian's core mission: "the increase and diffusion of knowledge"-and in this case, I mean Arctic and Inuit knowledge! Welcome from the director of the national mUSeUm of the american indian Dear ISC Conference-goers, It is my great pleasure to welcome the Inuit Studies Conference to the National Museum of the American Indian. Inuit feature strongly in our collections, exhibitions, and public programs, and the opportunity to co-host people and their creations this prestigious conference with so many Inuit participants has been warmly embraced by our staff. In addition to attending the opening festivities and scholarly sessions in our museum, please take some time to visit the special exhibition, "Arctic Voyages / Ancient Memories: the Sculpture of Abraham Anghik Ruben," which we have mounted to coincide with your conference. Not only is the exhibition a spectacular demonstration of the creativity of modern Inuit artists; it highlights new discoveries about Inuit connections with other peoples and cultures, topics which will be explored in depth during your meetings here. Welcome all! And remind your friends to explore the NMAI on their next trip to Washington, D.C. Welcome from chair, department of anthropology It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the 18th biennial Inuit Studies Conference and to the Smithsonian Institution. For over three decades the Inuit Studies Conference has served as an important international forum for engaged and meaningful dialogue between northern communities and scholars. This year's conference program and its theme, "Inuit/Arctic Connections: Learning from the Top of the World" promises to continue this longstanding tradition. I wish you all a very successful and productive conference. Welcome from the director, anthropology collectionS & archiveS program Greetings Colleagues, On behalf of my staff and colleagues in the Anthropology Collections and Archives Program (CAP) at the Smithsonian's Museum Support Center, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 18th Inuit Studies Conference. We look forward to providing you access to one of the richest and most varied collections of northern anthropological materials assembled anywhere in the world. As many of you know, some of the Smithsonian's oldest and most systematic ethnological and archaeological collections are the product of research in Alaska, Canada and Greenland. This includes important mid-to late-nineteenth century artifact collections made by Edward Nelson, Roderick MacFarlane, and Lucien Turner, among many others. These collections are joined by an array of rich cultural, linguistic, photograph, film, and artwork materials held in the National Anthropological Archives and the Human Studies Film Archives. There researchers can access language materials by ethnographers such as Frederica de Laguna, photographs by Henry Collins and Edward S. Curtis, watercolors of Inuit life scenes by Henry Wood Elliott, and historic moving Inuit life by William van Valin (1919) and Father Bernard Hubbard (1938-42). I trust we will learn from each other as you engage our collections during the conference period or in future research visits.

Springer polar sciences, 2017

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.

Polar Record, 2020

This study aims to understand the emotional labour and relationship building in connection to the... more This study aims to understand the emotional labour and relationship building in connection to the expected mining industry in Greenland. Greenland mining is often portrayed as something that could create an economic basis for national independence which makes politicians curious about what a potential "partnership" could make possible. Envisioning future relationships (in debates about mining in Greenland) also set the framework for reinterpretation and redefinition of the past, to give meaning to promised new development; hence, this kind of futuremaking tends to be contested. The analysis centres around stories of what could be (if Greenland really was a place of mining), and the theoretical framework makes use of Ahmed's and Wetherell's interpretations of affective economies. Thus the study discusses emotional labour with a special focus on partnership, emotions and filtration, while visiting affective scenes and sites related to the mining of Greenland's minerals. Greenland's current position as a state in formation, while still reconciling with experiences from the past, affects relationship building, the openness to flirtation, and sometimes creates conflicts and hieratical structures between the potential partners to be.

Études inuit, Jan 25, 2011

La pointe de l'iceberg: la glace comme acteur non humain du débat sur le changement climatique L'... more La pointe de l'iceberg: la glace comme acteur non humain du débat sur le changement climatique L'Arctique est au coeur du débat global sur le changement climatique et la glace est devenue un aspect central des discours. Cet article discute des représentations de la glace à partir de six contextes différents liés au Congrès des Nations Unies sur le changement climatique de 2009 à Copenhague. Même si les discussions semblent souvent centrées sur la glace, l'auteure soutient que cette dernière s'inscrit dans des récits et métaphores qui ont de plus vastes implications sur la façon dont l'Arctique et ses peuples autochtones sont représentés. La glace devient un acteur non humain, encadrant les discussions, jouant des rôles spécifiques et liant des réseaux hybrides. En effet, elle est utilisée sur diverses plates-formes tant par des scientifiques, politiciens, gouvernements, ONG, que par des chasseurs et pêcheurs inuit.

Antropologi, Oct 28, 2011

Nordgrönland ist keine strikte geographische Bezeichnung sondern bezieht sich vereinfacht gesagt ... more Nordgrönland ist keine strikte geographische Bezeichnung sondern bezieht sich vereinfacht gesagt auf jene Teile Grönlands, die nördlich des Polarkreises liegen. So wird die zentrale Westküste als Nordgrönland bezeichnet (siehe auch Köhler in diesem Band), Anm. d. Übersetzers.

The Extractive Industries and Society, 2016

This paper undertakes a discourse-centered examination, focusing on key storylines about uranium ... more This paper undertakes a discourse-centered examination, focusing on key storylines about uranium mining in Greenland; here conflicting spatial storylines about "saving" or "destroying" the local community often appear. The analytical focus on storylines and frontier stories reveals that considerable power is embedded in structured ways of seeing, which causes certain things to seem fixed and important, while other elements appear to be problematic or absent. The production of storylines has facilitated a discursive paradigm shift which has turned mining in Greenland into mining for Greenland, as well as stabilized an argument about mining as the primary road to development. This article argues that investments in mining are also investments into different spatial development futures for local communities co-constructed by politicians, the media, NGOs, the mining sector as well as the local stakeholders. The analysis incorporates knowledge and experiences from a continuing ethnographic case study in Narsaq, a community close to Greenland's potentially biggest mine of rare earth elements and uranium, and also includes insights from the public debate on uranium taking place at various locations.

Aastrup, Peter ; Ackrén, Maria ; Allard, Michel ; Archambault, Philippe ; Arendt, Kristine ; Barr... more Aastrup, Peter ; Ackrén, Maria ; Allard, Michel ; Archambault, Philippe ; Arendt, Kristine ; Barrette, Carl ; Bélanger, Simon ; Bell, Trevor ; Berteaux, Dominique ; Bjella, Kevin ; Bjorst, Lill Rastad ; Boertmann, David ; Boolsen, Merete Watt ; Brooks, Heather ; Brown, Ross ; Brown, Tanya ; Carbonneau, AndréeSylvie ; Chaumont, Diane ; Christensen, Tom ; Cuyler, Christine ; Dawson, Jackie ; Derksen, Chris; Devred, Émmanuel ; Doré, Guy ; Edmunds-Potvin, Sharon ; Falk, Knud ; Ferguson, Steve ; Finner, Kaitlyn ; Foged, Niels ; Ford, James ; Franke, Alastair ; Gauthier, Gilles ; Grenier, Patrick ; Guy, Emmanuel ; Hamilton, James ; Merrild Hansen, Anne ; Healey, Gwen ; Hedeholm, Rasmus B. ; Hotson, Chris ; Howell, Stephen ; Hung, Hayley ; Ingebrigtson, Linnea ; Ingeman-Nielsen, Thomas; Kanatami, Inuit Tapiriit ; Jacobsen, Rikke Becker ; James, Thomas ; Johnston, Margaret ; Kaae, Berit ; Lading, Tove ; Lafrenière, Melissa ; Lamoureux, Scott F. ; Langen, Peter Lang ; Lasserre, Frederic ; La...