Amazon in the Arctic

E-Commerce, Infrastructure, and Alimentary Assemblages in Nunavut, Canada

Bibliographic Data

ID7473523
AuthorsKatrin Schmid (0000-0001-8379-0359, University of Vienna, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume55
Issue1
Pages110-131
Publication date2026-02-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Contemporary Ethnography (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0891-2416 • E-ISSN: 1552-5414
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/08912416251398435
PMID41624988
OpenAlexW4417154196
LanguageEN
References cited21

Since establishing a delivery hub in Iqaluit, Nunavut in 2020, Amazon.com, Inc. has become an essential resource for many Nunavut residents, providing affordable access to goods otherwise constrained by high costs and limited availability in the Arctic. This article explores the significant yet underexamined role of the Amazon corporation in Nunavut, Canada, as a response to the territory’s infrastructural and economic challenges. By combining an alimentary understanding of infrastructure with the theoretical concept of assemblage theory, I analyze Amazon’s operations as part of a complex system shaped by global logistics and local agency. My research based on ethnographic fieldwork highlights how Inuit residents adapt Amazon’s services to navigate gaps left by government programs. This nuanced perspective challenges assumptions about e-commerce as a purely homogenizing force, illustrating how residents adapt global platforms to meet local needs, and underscoring the interplay between global corporations, local infrastructure, and Indigenous agency in shaping Arctic livelihoods

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