© 2007 Institute of Current World Affairs
The Institute awards long-term fellowships to develop a deep understanding of an issue, country, or region outside the US and to share that understanding with a wider public.
Institute of Current World Affairs - Home Page

Below is a hobbled text version of a PDF document.
In order to read the actual document please click the link below and register if necessary.
(One-time registration is free and very quick.)
Read article

6/8/1966 - The Middle North at Wingspread by David A.W. Judd

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS DAWJ P O Box The Middle North Wingspread Whitehorse Yukon Canada June Richard H Nolte Esq Executive Director Institute Current World Affairs Madison Avenue New York N Y 10017 U S A Dear Mr Nolte The middie north twentieth century phenomena In nineteenth century everything north industrial revolution Arctic place rushes bearded Old Testament missionaries Canada Mounties patrol Most Siberia million square miles earth Lapland fairy Alaska course Seward Folly No distinctions there tones shades Everything coloured white eternal The faded slowly There always sharp difference between arctic northern forest nineteenth century distinc known academics bushwhackers Civilization settlement Shelby Montana Prince Albert Saskatchewan Kirov Russia strenuous enough Any pioneer energy could dissipated close double bitted plough digger The middle north until these artifacts became fashionable antique The technology which least century making north It after environment north began feasible advantages nature ready By environment which could packaged shipped north places without excessive A Whitehorse could spend should pursuit leisure diversion minutes manipulating thumb forefinger provide light shelter plumbing andtransportation It longer alive Until twenty years Yukon carried groceries provided stable bibulous citizens Hogmanay Now huskies malamutes siberians family Like their masters overfed The isolation What Washington Moscow Juneau Noril If northerner upset metabo easily anyone travelling between breakfast midnight snack around world This exchange information people north picture It reduced prototype stereotype It Rube anymore The backwoodsman slicker practically indistinguishable It after strategy north The influence effect DEW Lines bases polar submarines probably south where money where spent Much modern armoury adventure arctic beyond limits middle north Air transport supply lines frogged The bases which middle north however contribution local development But strategy change overnight The modern version ghost deserted military installation This mingling twentieth century technology strategy middle north arctic liveable degree profitable It south money wealth energy before What spent north sacri priorities needs south So change development epidemic middle north since Mines power stations mills gigantic spotted northern How appear fifty years depend largely copes universal conundrums population materials The middle north offer respite pressed south Undoubtedly there space abundance storehouse natural resources pamphleteers written about decades Certainly knowledge north resources paltry discovered obvious concentra tions natural wealth After seventy years effort instance about percent Yukon thoroughly prospected So prologue It ideas which Wingspread place given talking thinking The Arctic Institute North America sponsored symposium discuss The Middle North Future The Johnson Foundation Racine Wisconsin played symposium available their splendid facilities Wingspread The Wingspread Symposium arranged conversatlon among arctic buffs There hands present Governor Eske Brun Greenland participants southerners little ialized experience knowledge middle north They there because middle north their backyard growth change substantially response plans needs south A conference planning paper symposium would consider North American north potentaial development suggest desirable courses action To effectively needed other parts world other facets knowledge The symposium proved mixture background outlook among participants effective produce debate ideas realism I claim least residence affiliation north For years I worked lived northern Canada process gathered impressions ideas about future place I Wingspread listen particular attention southerners As I listened I In three later scratch paper I remarkably doodles There little gather after magnificent Wingspread cuisine The discussions moved Jickly The atmosphere light Ideas ments propositions prophesies flowed sometimes quichly scribbler keeping track I began write summary I heard ended producing editorial rather report What follows therefore record Wingspread meetings commentary coloured reactions opinions THE MIDDLE NORTH AS EO H OR AS A STATE OF MIND Where Middle North This first question Symposium hails defensive He quick explain icebergs penguins perpetual winter night romance polar dashes Franklin buttons Oates Nans Fram The region defies precise description lends itself generalizations It international Russia U S A Canada Greenland Scandinavia share portions Great Britain Japan Iceland China peripheral historical interests region In north America Scandinavia north urban industrial areas north super highways trunk railways In Russia north It sparse settlement where cities existent where indigenous people usually ferent racial stock dominant southerners large centage population It place where agriculture never dation economy chief settlement It usually trees mammals In places harvest water mammals It seldom tundra It empty inhospitable because preserve group industrialized vanced nations needed either lebensraum wealth In bureaucratic jargon surplus requirements Its future mainly depend needs motives south It which suffers least mislead epithets frontier storehouse natural resources The first inaccurate second probably exaggera It shares reputation every terra incognita It which people couldn about When mentioned usually frighten inform THE MIDDLE NORTH AS VARIETY Although middle north shares characteristics important variations reckoned No description suffice parts It described Symposium several speakers SliBERIA The Soviet north three times north American count erpart supports times population The routes between Barents Sea Bering Strait hundred three hundred ships carrying somewhere between million goods A fleet icebreakers lengthens season months The Soviet government plans icebreakers appears ready route On rivers flowing north hydrofoils making appearance The models carry between passengers travel Air services within Siberia Urals dense There flights between Moscow Yakutsk Overland transport restricted roads The trans siberian railway seven lines built northwar between Urals Lake Baikal Not these parallel Mineral resources extensive Diamonds nickel probably leading importan economy The Noril close latitude Inuvik Canada built adjacent large deposit nickel The population The Soviets effort north Americans harvesting northern biological resources Fur ranching trapping widespread timber exploitation important particularly valley Yenisey River A mesticated reindeer further estimated contain million hides The fisheries northern Atlantic Pacific business Russians planning techniques vessel forty trawlers Z Z Q Z Conditions employment Siberia intriguing Workers there receive three times salary benefits which earned Urals significant Soviet north living appreciably higher Moscow Leningrad The Soviet worker should money pocket comparatively northern stint Canadian counterpart The turnover labour parts Siberia places Four reasons given fresh amomlous scales within where instance employee regional administration Moscow based utilities housing climate The convict labour diminished considerably economics development factor which Soviets reckon The future Siberia matter pride national security Russia source material needed Russia NORWAY AND FINLAND The Norse Finns professionals northern development The Russians Canadians Alaskans tenderfeet Settlements Scandinavian Finnish north often centuries The ditions local government close political concern northern areas established accepted In Norway there fresh interest north after Norwegian government about repair extensive damage Germans Since Norway participated number international ventures building reindeer fence Finnish border operative power development Russia GREENLAND Settlement Greenland confined fringe along southern coasts This country Middle North which appears great poten further settlement industrial development It however place which bears close looking The society evolving there unique perhaps nelghbours Modern settlement began early century Greenland treated metropolitan Denmark It however bounds indiscriminate settlement In century clined social economic natives began undergo profound change classic transition stone modern world steel electricity The Danish government encouraged guided change viding basic services state still environment where until recently native protected frequent contact world Greenland population growth order These people Greenlanders mixture marriage European Eskimo There Eskimo country CANADA The geography economy Canadian Middle North received treatment Wingspread Most remarks about introspec heartsearching Canadians suffer handicap The problems schisms confederation dominate future Canadian middle north Aside these fashionable constitutional issues durable facts Canadian small population limited investment capital political necessity malntaining costs second highest standard living world The north compete attention attention immediate money making proposition Sov ereignty investment future pride curiosity little place among Canadian motives northern development least being ALASKA Alaska still expensive proposition United States Ameri probably still happy acquired territory Russia before might become Arctic Cuba The strategic significance State still overshadows other assets unless course measure romantic appeal Alaska seems residents southern Just vicarious easure millions metropolitan bound little chance facing terrors Alaska highway If military importance Alaska wanes perhaps moment truth State arrived Will support present population twentieth century standards The answers problem which sought Canadians would close Alaskan events THE MIDDLE NORTH AS OPPORTUNITY One suggestions Symposium middle north useful asset south laboratory study experiment social scientific The classic confrontation between stone society twentieth century producing profound changes social structure havior natives north For initial shocks The Fatal Impact process change adaptlon train In Alaska northern Canada cultural social problems Indians Eski predominant They facts everyday solved Z LIJ Z Z But native people social challenge The north others terms twentieth century alcoholics anarchists dreamers professionally unemployed Experiment conveniently isolated small environment might point conclusions remedies severe dangerous flaws Great Society The middle north share problems other underdeveloped regions world If needs education health utili services kinds successful economic develop techniques pitfalls venture certainly Africa Asia South America The north place periment international relations particularly delicate between Although strategic importance dwindling there still resources parcelled information chores shared A pattern operation evolved relatively sterile litlcal environment Antarctica A similar achievement north would signiflcant Go north The Middle North place shibboleths capitalism communism environment where dogmas south exposed fresh thinking In northern Canada ingredients government industry already mixed according different recipes In northern Russia there tendency judge success balance sheet conformity Party rubrics Finally north another place where adapt environment doing increase control elements THE MIDDLE NORTH AS FUTURE An outsider listening Wingspread would obably future indefinite summing heard There seemed clear consensus about happen decades middle north This doubt precise informa Symposium about natural resources important velopments underway northern parts Canadian provinces As Siberia difficult Russians really whether making money running political inspiration The Symposium careful perhaps pessimistic approach future middle north probably generated specific ideas shortage knowledge however The first which might grown conviction conference middle north would never place settlers In twentieth century cities The rural population parts world shrunk century there steady withdrawal particularly United States highwater marks settlement nineteenth century towards warmer parts conti This trend possible scientific farming Fewer fewer people Something pattern expected tractive industries which middle north probably increase number thirty years The relatively large numbers miners drivers clerks labourers longshoremen diminish instead industries north south manned cadre highly skilled technicians engineers As employees grows smaller tunities reasons settlement shrink The other concept which dominated Symposium prophesy mankind sources materials energy would radically different Hydro power metals timber natural fibres forth might conceivably become antique curiosities about useful twenty first century philosopher stone The middle north would obsolete before chance modern It might become continents place leisured classes admire midnight Anyone understands mosquito blackfly backyard north little different California patio Cape Cod cottage I suspect touted northern holiday would lifetime experiencel I wonder these assumptions Changing technology undoubtedly going profound influence middle north It ready during century technique skill seems worked favour northern development against Air travel hydro power petroleum products metallurgy electronic communicati radar easier profitable iddle north Technology change radically within present knowledge skills because development middle north proposition It something which chances thirty fifty years Mineral production Canadian north risen million million years The Yukon alone produce million worth There report morning newspaper Japanese looking carefully deposit grade Snake River Yukon This world largest If mined figure million Yukon could double Siberian figures impressive The middle north developing within technology social patterns twentieth century It place small cltles large mines water developments ranches mills And there people north congestion organization place money where individual still voice heard They people conform general pattern misfits perhaps undoubtedly pioneers THE SYMPOSIUM AS AGENDA The sessions Wingspread offer pointers future seminars about middle north We about middle north sources potentlal communications economy people there Without knowledge discussion tends arctic jargon examples which sometimes misleading middle north I believe there often tendency confuse sociological problems natives those future Since trade indigenous people north important factor northern strategy economics technology They valuable people deserve benefits emancipation which understanding study bring Their treatment yardstick maturity But future middle north their The middle north economic problem How where should governments industry invest development What should overall scheme Where improvement needed tools techniques resource exploration harvesting Are incentives necessary These vital questions discussion middle north future The middle north cannot talked about itself It tegral south Russta unless China takes shine region Plans policles priorities forecasts motives middle north understood parcel hemisphere national international patterns FINISHING OFF I suppose I should orthodox entitle section something It conclusions lines action Should symposium produce conclusions The Greeks invented civilized institution would never reduced mundane level board meeting They intelligent conversation convivial atmosphere itself cocktail party If followed Greek pattern better symposium above education another compulsive attempt produce execu decisions It obvious however think classical custom The closest language session Well Wingspread It international spanned immense breadth knowledge experience history topical modern future science fiction People people should known years names biographies Plans further discussion research And I believe stirred curiosity interest The Middle North needs large dollops these Yours David A W Judd