5. The North’s Canadian Rangers

Military wealth: How money shapes Indigenous‐state relations among Canadian rangers

“…The Ranger Organization has been applauded as a cost-effective way for the state to maintain a military presence in sparsely populated regions of the north (Lackenbauer, 2013). For many of the Instructors I spoke with, the costeffectiveness of the organization was often cited as benefiting the individuals and the community.…”

“…As he explains it, while the income made as a Ranger may seem small in comparison to the extremely high cost of living in the north, it goes a long way in some places. “Although the influx of several thousand dollars into a community at the end of a Ranger patrol or military exercise might appear paltry, this Ranger pay can constitute a substantive part of an Indigenous economy that balances short‐term paid labour with traditional harvesting activities, thus supporting a social economy that does not conform to Western models” (Lackenbauer 2019, 75). As Lackenbauer highlights, the income made through working as a Ranger has undeniable positive effects in the north.…”

“…Located in almost 70 communities across the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, the Yukon, and Atlin, BC, Canadian Rangers in 1CRPG are viewed as a critical part of the arctic defense strategy. Since the organization's inception in 1947, employing local and Indigenous personnel has been advertised as a cost-effective way to bring money, skills, and employment to the north (Lackenbauer, 2013). Due to their geographical location and the unique living conditions, most Canadian Ranger patrols are comprised of Indigenous personnel who use skills accrued from generations of living on the land to do their work.…”

“…Due to their geographical location and the unique living conditions, most Canadian Ranger patrols are comprised of Indigenous personnel who use skills accrued from generations of living on the land to do their work. Because Rangers are expected to come to the organization fully trained, with extensive knowledge of "living on the land," their traditional knowledge is re-branded as the foundation of arctic military training (Lackenbauer, 2013(Lackenbauer, , 2019. Each patrol is administratively supported by a non-Indigenous regular force, 2 combat arms sergeant, called a Ranger Instructor (Instructor) posted to the north for a three-year term who acts as a liaison between the patrol and the larger military institution.…”

“…Each patrol is administratively supported by a non-Indigenous regular force, 2 combat arms sergeant, called a Ranger Instructor (Instructor) posted to the north for a three-year term who acts as a liaison between the patrol and the larger military institution. While patrols control their own day-to-day function, Instructors are responsible for the administrative and financial operations (Lackenbauer, 2013(Lackenbauer, , 2019.…”