06/21/2026
Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day! Today, we want to share the story of Inuit during the Cold War.
For thousands of years, Inuit have lived in semi-nomadic family groups across the Arctic, guided by Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (traditional knowledge). Their lives depend on a deep understanding of the land, ice, and waters, strong family relationships, and a profound respect for the environment. That way of life was dramatically disrupted during the Cold War.
Between 1955 and 1957, the Canadian and American governments constructed the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line across the Arctic as part of a defence system against potential Soviet attacks. In just 18 months, airstrips, roads, and military installations transformed Inuit homelands.
As Mary Carpenter (writer) of Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories reflected: "Strangers usurped our traditional hunting and gathering grounds and disrupted our seasonal activities with their stainless-steel infrastructures and Cold War enterprises."
At the same time, federal policies forced many Inuit into permanent settlements, undermining traditional mobility and seasonal practices. Inuit were drawn into a wage-based economy, often through low-paying, precarious, and temporary DEW Line jobs. As traditional ways of life were disrupted, dependence on expensive goods sold through non-Inuit-owned stores increased.
When DEW Line stations were eventually abandoned, governments left behind buildings, vehicles, fuel, electronics, and hazardous waste across the Arctic landscape. The environmental damage persisted for decades.
Nevertheless, this history is also one of Inuit resilience.
Inuit leaders, activists, and communities organized to challenge systemic racism and inequality, pushed governments to clean up contaminated sites, and ensured Inuit workers played a role in remediation efforts. They fought for greater control over their lands, communities, and futures. Today, Inuit continue to assert their rights through self-governance, land claims, cultural revitalization, and the continued practice of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
On National Indigenous Peoples Day, we recognize both the harms imposed on Inuit communities and the enduring strength, leadership, and resilience of Inuit peoples across the Arctic.
To learn more about Inuit experiences during the Cold War, check out our new digital platform, “A Fading Signal: The Cold War in Canada’s Arctic,” made in collaboration with Inuit knowledge keepers: diefenbunker.ca/dew-line
Artwork by Saelym DeGrandpré
