In the Introduction to this Special Issue, Heather McGregor and WPJ Millar overview the coverage of the education system in Canada’s three territories: the nature of the system; how and why historical coverage of it has been conducted; and how this should change.  Four essential considerations underpin their summary regarding key northern education issues: the impact of the harsh climate on the culture; the nature and impact of Euro-Canadian settlement in relation to the indigenous community; the post-war reality of formalized “schooling” in the region evaluated in juxtaposition to other traditional ways of northern learning; and the need for consideration of and collaboration with northern peoples as research is conducted.  By examining northern history in this way, it can “enrich our understanding of the history of education in Canada as a whole.”