Published in 1989, The Modern North examines the experience of the peoples of the Yukon and Northwest Territories from the Berger inquiry of 1975 and on-wards.

Untangling the varied strands that make up the Northern tapestry--its resourceful peoples, its awesome physical landscape, its political and economic agenda in the late 1980s--they portray in vivid colours a society struggling to cast off the chains of colonialism and define its own future.

The Modern North offers a sensitive assessment of the people and forces shaping the Yukon and Northwest Territories in the 1980s.

Ken S. Coates was raised in Whitehorse and has a long-standing interest in northern themes. Titles include Canada’s Colonies, The Sinking of the Princess Sophia, The Modern North, North to Alaska (on the building of the Alaska Highway) and many academic books. He has worked on north-centred television documentaries and served as a consultant to northern governments and organizations. He is currently Professor of History and Dean of Arts, University of Waterloo.

Ken S. Coates' profile page

JUDITH POWELL is a graduate of the University of Victoria and a research associate with Northern Heritage Consulting.

Judith Powell's profile page