This Way Up

Thirty years after the Arctic Council was established, has it stood the test of time?

What can rally a community to come together and make a real difference in everyday life? That’s right, we’re talking about trash. Because in remote villages with no roads and limited infrastructure, managing waste is both a real challenge and an inspiration. 

This episode explores how two remote Arctic communities have turned waste management challenges into opportunities. From community-driven initiatives like turning plastic bottles into 3D printer filament in Nunavut to large-scale cleanups in Sámi communities in Russia, this episode features inspiring stories about how local leadership and community collaboration can make a real difference even when resources are limited. Whether you’re curious about sustainable solutions or just want to hear inspiring stories from the Arctic, tune in to hear how Arctic communities are proving that even trash can spark meaningful change.  

Guests, in order of appearance: 

Michele LeBlanc Havard, Government of Nunavut 

Patrick Huber, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Julius Mihkkal Lindi, the Saami Council 

We also would like to thank Shankell Mack of Aleut International Association. Her insights helped inform this episode. 

The music in this episode is by Emil Kárlsen, used with permission. Sound design by Både Og Studios.

This Way Up is produced by the Arctic Council Secretariat and Indigenous Peoples' Secretariat. The views expressed in this podcast are the personal views of the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the views of all Arctic States and Permanent Participants. 

In the Arctic, salmon is more than a fish. It's food, connection, culture and identity. In this episode, we travel to the Deatnu River on the border of northern Norway and Finland in Sápmi, where declining Atlantic salmon stocks have led to fishing bans and disagreement on how to move forward in the future. We speak to a fisher from Alaska, where declining salmon stocks in rivers there raise similar questions about food security and what it means when the very foundation of a culture is in crisis.

Through the voices of local fishers and a scientist, we explore the ongoing salmon crisis in the Arctic and what food security and food sovereignty mean in practice. You'll learn about why some salmon species are rapidly declining, new invasive species on the rise and how measures to conserve them have upended the foundation of communities. You'll also learn about different cultures' connections with salmon, how Indigenous Peoples are adapting to new realities and why management decisions can't be made on science alone. This is a story about knowledge, identity and building bridges that raises the question - how do you manage a river and species in crisis, and who gets to decide the future?

Guests, in order of appearance:

Áslat Holmberg, Saami Council

Jaakko Erkinaro, Natural Resources Institute Finland

Deenaalee Chase-Hodgdon, formerly Arctic Athabaskan Council

We would like to thank Camilla Brattland of the University in Tromsø and Rolf Rødven of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme. They provided their insights for this episode.

The music in this episode is by Emil Kárlsen, used with permission.

This Way Up is produced by the Arctic Council Secretariat and Indigenous Peoples' Secretariat. The views expressed in this podcast are the personal views of the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the views of all Arctic States and Permanent Participants.

Welcome to This Way Up, the new Arctic Council podcast. In this introductory episode, hosts Jessica Cook and Rosa-Máren Magga set the stage for the season ahead. They share their own Arctic journeys, put Arctic Council representatives to the test with elevator-pitch challenges and answer questions from curious students about everything from Indigenous participation to navigating political tensions. With a mix of storytelling and behind-the-scenes insights, this episode introduces listeners to the people, priorities and spirit of cooperation that define the Arctic Council, and what you can expect in future episodes of This Way Up.

How does one advocate for one of the most rapidly changing regions on Earth? In this episode of This Way Up, we bring together three voices with unique perspectives on Arctic advocacy:

• Sara Olsvig, International Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, on why Indigenous Knowledge and human rights must be at the core of Arctic policy.