Category: Society

Arctic climate change, archaeology and Trump

Polar Journal AG Team

As climate change transforms Alaska, an academic calls for archaeology to become a “political ally” to Indigenous communities amid debate over US energy policy.

Longyearbyen Literature Festival marks 10 years

Polar Journal AG Team

The world’s northernmost literature festival has begun in Svalbard, bringing six days of literature, film and music to Longyearbyen for its tenth anniversary.

Indigenous Women’s Day Amid Greenland’s Contraception Case Legacy

Yana Kirichenko

September 5, 2026 marks the first International Day of Indigenous Women, while a decades-old case concerning their treatment in Greenland continues to be addressed.

Russia tests new stratospheric technologies in the high Arctic

Yana Kirichenko

First-of-their-kind experimental launches in the Russian Arctic were carried out from aboard a nuclear-powered icebreaker. The tests explored new approaches to communications and environmental monitoring at high latitudes.

A Landmark Indigenous Circumpolar Art Exhibition Shines in Ottawa

Yana Kirichenko

Described as the world’s largest Indigenous circumpolar art exhibition ever organized, Qillaniq is still on view at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.

An expensive wake-up call on Spitsbergen

Rosamaria Kubny

An unnecessary wake-up call for a sleeping polar bear has had costly consequences on Svalbard.

Canada’s Largest Icebreaker Reaches the North Pole

Dr. Jan Benedict Spannenkrebs

The Canadian Coast Guard’s largest and most powerful icebreaker, CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, reached the Geographic North Pole on 16 August during its 2026 Arctic deployment.

Solar Eclipse 2026 – When Plan B Turns into a Stroke of Luck

Rosamaria Kubny

Originally, we had wanted to experience the solar eclipse in the Arctic again, ideally in Greenland. Months beforehand, we had already been looking closely at possible viewing locations, but eventually decided on Spain.

Climate change in Greenland: lived experience and local perspectives

Léa Zinsli

For many in Greenland, climate change is not a distant concept but a daily reality, even if its causes are understood in different ways.

The Role of Scurvy in Polar Expeditions

Léa Zinsli

Scurvy was a serious threat to polar expeditions, caused by a lack of vitamin C.