Breaking the Ice: From Land Claims to Tribal Sovereignty in the Arctic

Breaking the Ice is a comparative study of the movement for native land claims and indigenous rights in Alaska and the Western Arctic, and the resulting transformation in domestic politics as the indigenous peoples of the North gained an increasingly prominent role in the governance of their homeland. This work is based on field research conducted by the author during his nine-year residency in the Western Arctic.

Zellen discusses the major conflicts facing Alaskan Natives, from the struggle...