In Acts of Occupation, historians Cavell and Noakes deliver the engrossing story of Canada’s early days of Arctic policy. Drawing on a wealth of previously untapped archival sources, they show how one explorer’s self-serving ambition fueled unfounded paranoia about Denmark’s designs on the north, and ultimately served as the catalyst for Canada’s active administrative occupation of the Arctic. A compelling tale that throws new light on a transformative period in Canadian Arctic policy-making, Acts of Occupation offers much-needed historical context for contemporary debates on northern sovereignty.
Introduction: A Policy of Secrecy
1 Taking Hold of the North
2 The Danish Threat
3 An Expedition to Ellesmere Land
4 A Citizen of the British Empire
5 Rasmussen in London
6 Wrangel Island
7 Stefansson in London
