This summer, I traveled to northern Norway to work with the Arctic Mayors’ Forum. The Arctic region is facing unique, diverse, and unprecedented challenges related to climate, economy, and security. Working with an international organization based in the Arctic was a deeply enriching experience. I got the opportunity to live in the Arctic, learn from local and Indigenous people and leaders, and develop a strong appreciation for the region. In this reflection I will explain my work at the Arctic Mayors Forum, hold myself accountable for the goals that I met and those that I did not meet, evaluate my learning and growth, and reflect on my experience. 

The Arctic Mayors’ Forum is a pan-Arctic forum representing the voices of Arctic Peoples through elected leaders at the municipal and community level. It is made up of 19 member municipalities from across 7 Arctic states, and represents 1.2 million Arctic inhabitants. Until the Arctic Mayors’ Forum, the Arctic governance system has offered no formalized and structured procedure for local communities to be involved on a continuous basis in Arctic policymaking. The Arctic Mayors’ Forum does work across a variety of topics including community health and wellbeing, sustainable development, attractiveness and retention, youth engagement, and working with partners. The mission of the organization is to ensure the participation of mayors and elected community leaders at Arctic governance tables to ensure the values, goals and interests of Arctic peoples are voiced and considered.

While at the Arctic Mayors’ Forum I did a lot of random tasks for the Secretariat, and also worked on a handful of projects. As a member of the Secretariat I ran the AMF social media accounts,  helped with communications, helped coordinate workshops, town halls, and conference talks, attended meetings, helped write and appeal funding applications, and worked to increase the membership of the organization. 

The projects that I worked on were geared towards Arctic youth engagement. The Arctic Policy Hackathon brings 15 youth from across the Arctic together before the Arctic Circle Assembly to discuss and develop policy recommendations. The Arctic Mentorship Program is designed to connect young people from the Arctic with more experienced leaders in advocacy, policy, and communications. 

Arctic communities are facing a diverse range of challenges, many of which are unique to the Arctic region. Because the Arctic Mayors’ Forum works with 19 different municipalities, I got to learn about many different issues in the Arctic. The legacies of colonialism and neocolonialism across the Arctic continue to harm Indigenous people, land, culture, and lifestyles. Sámi people in Sápmi, which stretches across northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland continue to fight for reconciliation and land protection. Indigenous communities in the North-American Arctic are incredibly underserved, and many lack basic ressources like clean drinking water, equipped hospitals, and affordable food. The climate crisis is hitting the Arctic with incomparable intensity. Cities, like Utqiagvik, Alaska, have built storm walls to protect from rising sea levels and harsh conditions. Others have had to move structures from houses to schools to hospitals due to melting permafrost. Melting sea ice and warming temperatures are impacting people and the environment deeply. Many Arctic communities are struggling to provide adequate housing for their population. In some heavily visited regions, like Tromsø, Norway, the high volume of tourists have led to more people renting AirBnBs, which has made long-term housing less accessible. In places like Pond Inlet, Canada, federal housing projects have failed to adapt to the Arctic climate, and have built homes that fail to stand up to the harsh weather conditions, making them unfit. Arctic communities are often remote, and far from the capitals of their nations. As such, there are often limited services in Arctic communities. Hospitals, universities, and other government services are often less accessible in the north. Mental health care is particularly hard to access. The Arctic is a region that is deeply important for the environment, security, and most importantly for the people that call it home. The challenges facing the Arctic are vast and complex and require innovative and rapid solutions. 

I feel a lot of gratitude for my experience with the Arctic Mayors’ Forum, where I was able to really explore a region that was unfamiliar to me. The experience was especially impactful as a Newfoundlander, as Labrador, the northernmost part of my province, is in the Arctic. Developing a better understanding of the challenges faced by Arctic people across the north, but also in my home country and province, was really powerful. Although I was familiar with the wealth and resource discrepancy between the far North and the rest of Canada, it was jarring to hear Northern Canadians share issues facing their communities.