Diverging Antarctic heritage discourses: the geopolitical ramifications of non-state actor engagement with the state-sanctioned version of Antarctic heritage

The governance of heritage in Antarctica has always been centred on thenation-state and the dissemination of its Antarctic narrative both withinthe state and between states. However, non-state actors outside of thestate offer alternative conceptions of Antarctic heritage. What are thegeopolitical consequences of their engagement with objects and places ofheritage on and around the frozen continent? Are non-state actorsaccounted for within the current, official and dominant discourse onheritage under the Antarctic Treaty System? These questions align with abroader enquiry into the systems capacity to adequately account fornon-state actors and their increasing presence in the polar region 60years on from the signing of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. In an attempt tobetter understand the nature of non-state actors interaction withAntarctic heritage and the conditions under which it occurs, this paperwill investigate how three non-state actors conceive of and engage withAntarctic heritage: the tourism industry, environmental activists, andindividuals. It will then consider the implications of their engagementwith Antarctic heritage under the current framework for heritagemanagement, before considering the potential obstacles the system mayencounter in the future