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For the Sami people of northern Norway, the post-World War II era marked the beginning of significant technological change.

"In the 1950s, we started to rebuild the North Sami region after the devastation of the war," said Jan-Erik Henriksen, professor at UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

"We went from living in turf huts to building houses, but many didn't know how to live in modern homes. Some of these houses were destroyed because people weren't taught how to maintain them."

From rowboats to snowmobiles: A technological evolution

Transportation technology also evolved rapidly. From the introduction of snowmobiles to the use of drones for reindeer herding, these advancements bring both opportunities and challenges, as they intersect with cultural preservation, environmental concerns, and economic pressures.

"Until the 1960s, my family used rowboats for fishing in the Varangerfjord. When my grandfather bought a 2.5-horsepower outboard motor, it was like heaven. Before that, rowing against the eastern wind could take three hours just to check the nets," Henriksen recalled.

In reindeer herding, the shift was equally dramatic.

"My wife's father used to ski to the mountains to tend to the reindeer, sometimes staying away for months," Henriksen explained.

"The first snowmobiles arrived in the 1960s, and by the 1980s, herders started using ATVs. Today, many use six-wheel ATVs and even drones to monitor their herds."

The Inuit perspective: Adapting to a changing Arctic

For the Inuit of Greenland and Canada, transportation has always been deeply tied to educational, economic, and cultural exchange across Inuit Nunaat (Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Russia), and ontological identity.

"The sea and the ice are our lifeline and our teachers," shared Miyuki Daorana, a master's student at UiT and an indigenous knowledge holder from Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) at the student course Arctic Future Pathfinders.

"We used to travel through infrastructures of various seas and ice with dog sleds and kayaks, but the nationalist borders and the Anthropocene directly affects our lives, generational learning and sustainability," said Daorana.

The melting sea ice, a result of man-made climate crisis, has disrupted traditional transportation routes and hunting practices.

"The ice used to freeze thick enough for trucks to drive on it, but now, when it should be solid, the ocean is shown. This affects not just transportation but also food security, health, education and the passing down of knowledge," Daorana explained.

Modernization and cultural tensions

While technological advancements have made life easier in many ways, they have also introduced new challenges.

"Modernization is a kind of colonization," Henriksen noted, referencing the work of German sociologist Hartmut Rosa.

In Greenland, the Danish had a modernization process on Inuit in the 1950s–1960s. Daorana asks, "Is it modernization to forcefully put IUDs in 12-year-old girls?"

"The world is accelerating, and this process alienates us from ourselves, from others, and from nature," Henriksen said.

It can also be understood as "developmental aggression" that categorizes people in "developing countries" and "underdeveloped countries".

The Sami and Inuit have expressed concerns about the environmental and cultural impacts of modernization.

"Why do windmills and hydroelectric power lines always have to be built on herding land? Couldn't they be built in Oslo or somewhere else? This is what we call green colonialism," Henriksen said.

A path forward

Despite these challenges, Indigenous communities are also finding ways to integrate modern technology with traditional practices.

"Some young reindeer herders are using drones to monitor their herds. It's sustainable because you don't need to use an ATV as often. Others are using GPS collars on reindeer to track their movements," said Henriksen.

As Indigenous communities navigate these changes, they are calling for upholding existing human and Indigenous rights.

"It's not just about adopting new technologies—it's about ensuring they align with our values and ways of life. We need to teach younger generations not just how to use Western tools but also how to sustain our Indigenous practices," Henriksen said.