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Last month Greenland celebrated the devolution of more powers from Denmark but translating nominal political power for the mostly Inuit population into real independence will take a long time, and economic clout.
The Inuit of Canada won some powers a decade ago, while the Sami, Komi and Sakha peoples also have some autonomy.
Climate change, oddly, may boost Inuit bargaining power.
Thinner sea ice is making it easier to drill for oil and gas in the region: the United States Geological Survey estimates that the Arctic could hold 90 billion barrels of oil and 47 trillion cubic metres of gas, much of it off Greenland (though other surveys are more modest).
But would-be extractors will also have to take into account the determination of local people to claim a share of the action, as well as heeding the state interests of Canada, the United States and (for the time being) Denmark.
In northern Norway the Sami, having won legal rights to some local resources under a 2005 law, are pushing for more compensation from firms exploiting minerals and oil and gas.
Source: The Economist, July 2009.
