What's New

• 25 November 09
  Statement by the President on Native American Heritage Day
  “Tomorrow, Americans everywhere will observe our National Day of Thanksgiving. It will be a time of celebration and reflection as we gather with family and friends to count our blessings and remember those less fortunate. But it will also be a time to remember how this holiday began– as a harvest celebration between European settlers and the American Indians who had been living and thriving on the continent for thousands of years.” [more]

• 18 August 09
  Touring The Arctic - Nancy Sutley (the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality)
  This week I have joined other Administration officials for an Arctic Observance tour to learn more about how climate change is affecting the Arctic region. We left Washington, DC early Monday morning with our team, which includes Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco, U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen, Deputy Assistant to the President on Energy and Climate Change Heather Zichal, and DOI Deputy Secretary David Hayes, and received a detailed briefing about the specifics of our trip to Alaska and what to expect in the coming days. [more].

• 6 April 09
  50th Anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty
  Opening remarks by Secretary Clinton at the Joint Session of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and the Arctic Council, 50th Anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty held at the State Department.
  

• 1 April 09
  United States to Host Joint Session of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and Arctic Council
  32nd Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting Convenes in Baltimore, April 6-17
  U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will host the first-ever joint session of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and the Arctic Council on April 6, 2009, bringing together the two most important bodies involved with diplomacy at the Poles. This event will mark the beginning of the 32nd Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, which is being hosted by the United States, in Baltimore, Maryland, April 6-17, 2009. [more].

• 12 March 09
  Webchat March 12 at 1 p.m. EDT (17:00 GMT)- United States and Canada in the Polar Regions
  The International Polar Year (IPY) aims to exploit the intellectual resources and science assets of nations worldwide to make major advances in polar knowledge and understanding, while leaving a legacy of new or enhanced observational systems, facilities and infrastructure. Join us for the webcast of a discussion with Dr. Karl Erb, an expert on activities surrounding the IPY.
  Karl Erb is the director of the Office of Polar Programs at the National Science Foundation.
  If you would like to view this webcast, please go to http://www.cpcwebcast.com/state/. No registration is needed. [more].

• 14 January 09
  National Security Presidential Directive and Homeland Security Presidential Directive
  Background:
  The United States is an Arctic nation, with varied and compelling interests in that region. This directive takes into account several developments, including, among others:
  - Altered national policies on homeland security and defense;
  - The effects of climate change and increasing human activity in the Arctic region;
  - The establishment and ongoing work of the Arctic Council; and
  - A growing awareness that the Arctic region is both fragile and rich in resources.
  [more].

• 
  
  Web Chat with the Ambassador on December 11, 2008
  
  U.S. Ambassador to Canada David H. Wilkins has devoted the last three and a half years to building up and enriching what he considers to be the best and most productive bilateral relationship in the world, that between Canada and the United States. As he prepares to leave the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa to return to his home in the United States, Ambassador Wilkins was pleased to participate in a web chat in order to answer questions and engage in discussion on Canada - U.S relations during his tenure as well as in terms of what he foresees for the future.

• 30 October 08
  Arctic Trip - North Warning System
  From October 7 to 10, Terry Breese, the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) of the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, traveled to the Arctic region of Canada to view first-hand the "North Warning System" (NWS) that Canada and the United States operate as part of their joint defense of North America. This was the first Arctic visit for a DCM, and Breese covered over 5400 miles during the four-day trip. [more]

• 11 August 08
  Two Scientific Cruises to Map Arctic Seafloor
  The U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Task Force, chaired by the Department of State, plans two Arctic cruises by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy this summer, one of which will be conducted in collaboration with the Government of Canada. The cruises are part of an interagency effort to collect scientific data about the continental shelf and oceanic basins in the Arctic.
  The first cruise, August 14 to September 5 from Barrow, Alaska, will employ a sophisticated echo sounder that will collect data to create a three-dimensional map of the Arctic seafloor in an area known as the Chukchi Cap. This cruise is led by the University of New Hampshire’s Joint Hydrographic Center, with support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [more] [Related - September 2, 2008]..
  

• 24 July 08
  90 Billion Barrels of Oil and 1,670 Trillion Cubic Feet of Natural Gas Assessed in the Arctic
  USGS – A new Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal from the U.S. Geological Survey gives estimates of undiscovered oil and gas north of the Arctic Circle.
  [Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal] [Press Release].
  
  

• 14 May 08
  U.S. adds Polar Bears to List of Threatened Species
  WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today announced that he is accepting the recommendation of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dale Hall to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The listing is based on the best available science, which shows that loss of sea ice threatens and will likely continue to threaten polar bear habitat. This loss of habitat puts polar bears at risk of becoming endangered in the foreseeable future, the standard established by the ESA for designating a threatened species. [More].
  The proposed ESA special 4(d) rule is available at - http://www.doi.gov/issues/polar_bears.html - for a 60 day public comment period.
  

  
  

• Museums Documenting Indigenous Experience On January 30, Dr. Ramiro Matos, Curator for Latin America at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian discussed how museums document the experiences of indigenous peoples. The webcast transcript will be available soon.

• Internet Tools & Curriculum Design for Young Learners of English: Technology and Classroom Activities: USINFO webchat covered new ways to teach younger learners
  On June 14, English as a Second Language (ESL) expert Judie Haynes discussed new ways to motivate students and make language learning fun. Transcript.

• “The United States, Climate Change, and the Arctic”
  The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Canada and The Center for U.S. Studies and the International Geopolitical Center of the Raoul-Dandurand Chair of Strategic and Diplomatic Studies at the University of Québec at Montréal (UQAM) hosted an online webchat at the at the International Conference, “The United States, Climate Change, and the Arctic”. Montréal, Québec, April 19 – 20, 2007.

• CRS Report : Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): Legislative Actions Through the 109th Congress Updated April 9, 2007.
• CRS Report : Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): New Directions in the 110th Congress. February 8, 2007.

• "Ask the Ambassador" Live Web Chat -- Friday, February 16, 2 pm EST (1900 GMT).
  Ambassador David H. Wilkins was available live to answer questions on this "Ask the Ambassador" web chat. The Ambassador invited Canadians to engage with him on a dialog on issues of concern to Canadians "North of Sixty". Transcript of web chat.

• Traveling Tales: On a plane between Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik recently, U.S. Consulate Calgary public affairs representative Betty Rice began talking with Alana Mero, from Aurora College. Ms. Mero spoke eloquently about the cooperation between U.S. and Canadian rescue teams who put aside questions of nationalism or borders to help Canadians and Americans in need. At our request, Ms. Mero has graciously contributed this article as a guest writer for the U.S. North of 60 Virtual Presence Posts. July 06.
• Ambassador Wilkins' Inaugural Visit to the NWT, May 06.
• Hay River Rotary Assists Children of New Orleans. 16 November 05.
• American Artists Participate in Great Northern Arts Festival. 15-24 July 05.
• In July 2005, the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa donated three Scholastic Book collections to libraries in the Northwest Territories.
• U.S. Embassy Supports the Centre for Indigenous Theatre's 2005 Summer School North in Yellowknife, July 05.
• American and Canadian scientists explain NASA's THEMIS project to Northern audiences. Videoconference Sheds Light on Aurora Borealis Study, 18 July 05
• Ecole Sir John Franklin High School Students take part in an on-line dialogue with former U.S. Ambassador Cellucci. 9 March 05.
• Former Ambassador Paul Cellucci formally launched the "North of 60: U.S. Virtual Presence Posts in Canada" at the Embassy of the United States of America in Ottawa, 2 March 05.