I Will Live for Both of Us - (Contemporary Studies on the North) by Joan Scottie & Warren Bernauer & Jack Hicks

About the Book

Joan Scottie's I Will Live for Both of Us is a reflection on recent political and environmental history and a call for a future in which Inuit traditional laws and values are respected and upheld.

Book Synopsis

Born at a traditional Inuit camp in what is now Nunavut, Joan Scottie has spent decades protecting the Inuit hunting way of life, most famously with her long battle against the uranium mining industry. Twice, Scottie and her community of Baker Lake successfully stopped a proposed uranium mine. Working with geographer Warren Bernauer and social scientist Jack Hicks, Scottie here tells the history of her community's decades-long fight against uranium mining.

Scottie's I Will Live for Both of Us is a reflection on recent political and environmental history and a call for a future in which Inuit traditional laws and values are respected and upheld. Drawing on Scottie's rich and storied life, together with document research by Bernauer and Hicks, their book brings the perspective of a hunter, Elder, grandmother, and community organizer to bear on important political developments and conflicts in the Canadian Arctic since the Second World War.

In addition to telling the story of her community's struggle against the uranium industry, I Will Live for Both of Us discusses gender relations in traditional Inuit camps, the emotional dimensions of colonial oppression, Inuit experiences with residential schools, the politics of gold mining, and Inuit traditional laws regarding the land and animals. A collaboration between three committed activists, I Will Live for Both of Us provides key insights into Inuit history, Indigenous politics, resource management, and the nuclear industry.

Review Quotes

"Published in the exemplary "Contemporary Studies on the North" series, I Will Live for Both of Us recounts the history of this effective and organized opposition [to uranium mining] from Scottie's unique perspective while situating the conflict within her own family history and the broader colonialist relationship between Inuit and the government of Canada... It is also the act of resistance of an outspoken female activist, leader, and powerful female hunter, who in her own life defies traditional gender roles within Inuit society."

--Joanna Kafarowski "Études Inuit Studies"

"Along the way, the emotional and physical toll that addressing the distortions, manipulations, and abuse of science that mining companies bring to their pursuit of profit contributes to a text that is both personal and of critical importance to researchers, environmental scientists, and activists. One could hardly ask for more."--Frank Tester "Canadian Journal of Health History"

"I felt as if I could hear Scottie mapping out her long history of activism over a cup of tea, pulling out newspaper articles, old speeches, and photos and sliding them across the table as we sipped and chatted."

--Caitlynn Beckett "Arctic"

"Besides being an excellent piece of academic scholarship, it is a very comprehensible, poignant good read. I recommend this book to the general public from Indigenous and non-Indigenous backgrounds, and to activists and experts in the field... The book shows how long-term and everyday politics and policy-making affect the spaces and environment in which Inuit people secure their livelihoods, values, social relations, and culture."--Gertrude Saxinger "The Northern Review"

"I Will Live for Both of Us is a tremendous work of oral history that intersects with critical studies in environmental history. This book will appeal to researchers, instructors and students interested in history of the North, Indigenous histories, and resource extraction internationally. This story of mining, colonialism and resistance will resonate with other Indigenous nations around the world."

--Heather Green "Oral History Society"

"I Will Live for Both of Us is a well-written and engaging examination of Indigenous struggles to protect culture and land within and against a colonial and land claims framework. The book tackles internal contradictions and disconnections between community interests and representative Inuit governing bodies, and provides a detailed but very accessible account of the real impact of environmental governance in the north."

--Andrea Procter "NiCHE"

"A formidable problem mining in Canada's Arctic has been facing is not below ground but above it--a resolute granny named Joan Scottie. The Inuit elder in Nunavut's Baker Lake is not just a thorn in the side of the mining industry, she's the whole bush."--Barry Craig "Winnipeg Free Press"

"Scholars and students in history, Indigenous studies, environmental studies, and geography, among other disciplines, as well as the general public, will find this a compelling glimpse into Inuit resistance, both before and after the establishment of Nunavut."--Lianne Leddy "Canadian Historical Review"

"Scottie, senior co-author, provides a narrative history of her experience as an Inuit member, particularly in the voice of Inuit women, to the resistance of colonialism and what is now recognized as environmental injustices against her community. This book succeeds in achieving the seamless blend of solid historical documentation contributed by co-authors Bernauer and Hicks with the authentic voice of the community."--Kelly Tzoumis "Pacific Historical Review"

"This book is a fascinating look into a little-known struggle, presented in a format that is deeply personal and emotionally engaging, but also analytical and informative. The specific political and institutional critiques are crucially important to anyone working in or trying to understand the part of the Arctic claimed by Canada."--Jamie Kneen "MiningWatch Canada"

"This book should be read, first and foremost, by young activists who want to read, learn from and perhaps be inspired by a David and Goliath story; by northernists and those interested in the politics of northern development; by environmentalists concerned about how their concerns are dealt with at the extraction end of world; by students of modern treaties and Indigenous rights and culture who want to know what happens after a treaty is settled."--Peter Kulchyski "Canadian Dimension"

"I Will Live for Both of Us is exemplary in balancing in-depth research and personal narrative to produce a consistently critical and intimate look at the topic. The text is altogether generous, thorough, and timely. This new work should be considered essential reading for anyone interested in the negative impacts of mining, Arctic governance, or the relationship between colonialism and resource extraction."

--Riley Yesno "Native American and Indigenous Studies Association"

"I Will Live For Both of Us shows the dynamics of 'resource colonialism' through the life experiences and struggles of an Inuit leader. As such, it draws invaluable political conclusions while providing an inspiring narrative of resistance."

--John Clarke "Counterfire"

"The authors bring detailed insights into the context of neoliberal resource extraction and ongoing processes of colonial dispossession, making the book of great interest for Inuit, Canadian, and international audiences, alike. The text, dynamic and accessible without forsaking depth, will certainly lend itself to research, classroom and popular reading. And its focus on historical and contemporary Inuit resistance will provide inspiration--and, indeed, a suite of tactics--for community organizers."--Rebecca Hall "Canadian Journal of Development Studies"