Circumpolar Musings: Indigenous Issues

'Protect reindeer' say Sweden’s indigenous Sami

Amanda Graham — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 02:58:33 GMT

(Radio Sweden via Eye on the Arctic, 11 March 2013) -- The Sami, an indigenous people living in northern Sweden, want higher compensation for their reindeer that are killed by other animals, reports Swedish Radio news. More than 5,000 bear, lynx, wolverine, and wolves are found in Sweden today. That's double the number of predatory wildlife from the time the reindeer compensation system was put in place in the mid-1990s. Most predatory animals live in reindeer areas. The Swedish National Sami Association says many of the 51 Sami reindeer herding communities are having a tough time. The association wants to reduce the numbers of predatory animals in their areas and get more in compensation for reindeer losses. Lena Ek, Sweden's Environmental Minister, says the issue will be taken up this fall when the government presents its plan for predatory wildlife. Sweden needs to be prepared to pay if it wants to continue to protect such animals, she says.

Reindeer capacity of pastures will be calculated in Yamal

Amanda Graham — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 23:27:10 GMT

(Sever-Press via Yamal.org, 6 March 2013) -- This year the Department of Agro-industrial Complex, Trade and Provision of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug plans to undertake scientific and research work "Elaboration of the methodology for calculation of reindeer capacity of pastures on the territory of the region". The director of the department, Vyacheslav Kucherenko, explained the project to the conference of Yamal Union of Reindeer Herders, and said the methodology is intended to yield information for substantiating and taking administrative decisions on planning economic and nature-protecting activities and also use for practical aims by economic subjects. By his words, intensive industrial development of Yamal brings to decrease in territories of pastures. At the same time, number of domestic reindeer in the territory of Yamalskiy and Tazovskiy districts stays on the high level, which brings to more intensive use of reindeer pastures. Thus, it is necessary to elaborate the methodology and to calculate reindeer capacity of pastures on the territory of the region.

Tlicho to officially sign on to N.W.T. devolution

Amanda Graham — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 02:22:01 GMT

(CBC News, 8 March 2013) -- The Tlicho Government will formally sign on to the N.W.T.’s devolution agreement-in-principle at a ceremony today at 3:30 p.m. in Behchoko. The Tlicho are the last aboriginal group with a settled land claim to sign on to the agreement to transfer control of public land and resources from the federal government to the N.W.T. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected in Yellowknife on Monday, and it is anticipated he will announce a final devolution agreement has been reached. However, the final agreement won't be signed right away as the territorial government still plans to do community consultations before sealing the deal.

Northern leaders react to resignation of Canada's minister of aboriginal affairs and northern development

Amanda Graham — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 01:35:41 GMT

(CBC News via Eye on the Arctic, 18 February 2013) -- hough leaders in Canada's North are mixed on how effective John Duncan was as Canada's minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, some feel his resignation may cause delays in files such as the Northwest Territories devolution. Duncan resigned from cabinet Friday over contacting a tax court judge on behalf of a constituent. He will continue to serve as Member of Parliament for Vancouver Island North. James Moore, minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, will be the acting aboriginal affairs minister until a new minister is named. Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington said Duncan wasn't successful in dealing with First Nations issues. "With the scale and importance of those issues, that job needs a very dynamic and dedicated minister, and Mr. Duncan, who has gone through a period of health issues during his time as minister, I don't think was able to give the portfolio that kind of prominence in cabinet." He said the prime minister needs to choose a minister he has confidence in, and Bevington said he hopes a more senior cabinet minister is assigned to the portfolio. Bevington said Duncan's resignation could slow some bills before Parliament but he doesn't expect it to interfere with files, such as environment assessments, that the minister needs to sign off on. Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus said business for First Nations will continue as usual despite the resignation but their relationship with the federal government still needs improvements.

Sami population declining in Murmansk

Amanda Graham — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:50:05 GMT

(Trude Pettersen/Barents Observer, 13 February 2013) -- The Sami population on the Kola Peninsula is in a hard demographic situation. Their numbers have declined nearly 10 percent in eight years. According to the 2010 population census there were 1599 Sami living in the region. This is 170 less than in the 2002 census. The sex ratio in the Sami population is changing for the worse; while there were 1173 women for every 1000 men in 2002, the ratio was 1236 to 1000 in 2010. The Sami are the youngest nationality in Murmansk, with an average age of only 31.6 years. The average age of the total population is 37 years. While the majority of the Russian population on the Kola Peninsula lives in towns, most of the Sami in are living in non-urban areas. The settlement of Lovozero in the center of the peninsula is known as “the Sami capital of Russia”. The Sami language is also in a difficult situation in the Murmansk region. Only 17 percent of the Sami population in Murmansk considered Sami language to their native in the 2010 census, m51 reports, citing Murmanstat.

Murkowski introduces bill to restore subsistence harvest of gull eggs in southeast Alaska

Amanda Graham — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 06:52:27 GMT

(Office of Senator Murkowski press release via Alaska Native News, 29 January 2013) -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, yesterday reintroduced legislation restoring the traditional rights of the Huna Tlingit to gather glaucous-winged gull eggs in Glacier Bay National Park as part of their subsistence hunting activities. “The Huna Tlingit have gathered gull eggs as part of their traditional subsistence activities for centuries – certainly long before Glacier Bay was made into a national park,” Murkowski said. “Gull eggs are part of their traditional diet and cultural identity, and I believe it’s an activity they should be allowed to continue legally.” Glacier Bay National Park in Southeast Alaska is the ancestral homeland of the Huna Tlingit, who traditionally harvested gull eggs at rookeries from the cliffs of Glacier Bay prior to, and following, establishment of the park. Collection was prohibited in the 1960s under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and National Park Service regulations. The National Park Service determined in 2010 that annual harvests would not harm the gull populations in the park, but congressional action is still required to authorize gull egg collection. Murkowski’s legislation would allow tribal members of the Hoonah Indian Association to collect gull eggs up to two times a year at as many as five locations within Glacier Bay National Park. Murkowski introduced similar legislation in 2011, during the 112th Congress. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, plans to introduce companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Inuk artist Kenojuak Ashevak dies at 85

Amanda Graham — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 22:02:57 GMT

(CBC News, 12 january 2013) -- World-renowned Inuk artist Kenojuak Ashevak died this morning at home in Cape Dorset, Nunavut, at age 85. Ashevak is considered a pioneer of Inuit art. Her drawings, prints and sculptures have been bought and displayed around the world. Her work has also been featured on several Canada Post stamps over the years, including her most famous print, Enchanted Owl. Ashevak was born in 1927 in a camp on Baffin Island and lived the traditional nomadic life on the land before settling in Cape Dorset. Okpik Pitseolak, an artist from Cape Dorset who knew Ashevak personally, said she brought Inuit art to the world but was "very humble about her work." Pitseolak said that when she appeared on the radio to talk about her art, she didn't want to come across "as someone who brags" about it. But she was "thankful for the fact that she was given this gift.” Ashevak died after a long battle with cancer. Director of Feheley Fine Arts Patricia Feheley, a Toronto dealer who handled Ashevak’s work, said she should be remembered as one of Canada’s great artists. ... Ashevak first became famous in her 20s, when the NFB film Kenojuak, made in 1962, showed her at work. She was creating drawings, prints and even sculptures in the 1960s. As her reputation grew, so did the reputation of Cape Dorset, the Inuit studio on Baffin Island that evolved into one of Canada’s most important artistic communities. ... Her legacy in Cape Dorset is “almost immeasurable,” Lalonde said. “She was so important to the print studio, the development of it – she influenced artists in the community to continue their artwork and become artists.”

Kenojuak Ashevak, artist from the Canadian Arctic, dies at 85

Amanda Graham — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 21:32:33 GMT

(Ian Austin/New York Times, 12 January 2013) -- Kenojuak Ashevak, a once-nomadic artist from Canada's Arctic regions whose prints and drawings helped introduce Inuit art to much of the world, died on Tuesday at her home in Cape Dorset on West Baffin Island in the northern territory of Nunavut. She was 85. The cause was lung cancer, The Canadian Press news agency reported. Kenojuak as she was universally known, is probably best remembered for "The Enchanted Owl," a 1960 print showing an owl with wildly exaggerated feathers and a piercing stare. It became one of Canada's most famous works of art, appearing on a Canadian stamp in 1970 commemorating the centennial of the Northwest Territories.

Russia stuns Arctic Council by suspending aboriginal group from meetings

Amanda Graham — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 22:24:18 GMT

(Bob Weber/Globe and Mail, 15 November 2012) -- Canada’s term as head of the Arctic Council could get interesting before it even begins after Russia shut down a group that represents its northern aboriginals at international meetings. Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, who sits on the council and is an Inuk herself, says Canada is concerned about the move and has joined other members in “expressing their concern.” “Canadian officials will continue to monitor the situation closely,” she said on Thursday. “Canada and other Arctic states have requested that Russia and [the Russian Association of Indigenous People of the North] co-operate closely to resolve the situation.” The Russian government surprised Arctic officials from the council’s eight member states this week when that country’s Ministry of Justice suspended the operations of the Russian indigenous group. The group represents more than 250,000 northerners and is one of six organizations that stand for aboriginals on the council. Canada begins a two-year term as the council’s head in the spring.

Canada, Norway, Arctic parliamentarians want Russian indigenous org back at Arctic Council

Amanda Graham — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 22:25:02 GMT

(Jane George/Nunatsiaq News, 16 November 2012) -- Ministers from Canada and Norway, along with Arctic Parliamentarians, want the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East back at the Arctic Council. Canadian officials will continue to monitor what happens to the RAIPON, says Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq, also the federal minister responsible for the Arctic Council. That comment follows a recent move by Russia’s ministry of Justice to suspend the operations of RAIPON, a move that came under fire at a meeting of the Arctic Council this past week in Haparanda, Sweden. “Our government supports the promotion of basic values—freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, Aglukkaq told Nunatsiaq News Nov. 16. Aglukkaq’s statement echoes that of the Nov. 14 statement from senior Arctic officials from the Arctic Council’s eight member nations — including Russia — and from the other five indigenous Arctic organizations which sit as permanent participants on the council. Their statement expressed concern about the suspension and its impact on RAIPON’s absence at the council, asking “the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation to facilitate, as appropriate, the fulfilment of RAIPON’s important role as a permanent participant in the Arctic Council.”

Greenland weighs in for Oscar with ‘Inuk’ film

Amanda Graham — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 23:06:27 GMT

(IceNews, 11 October 2012) -- Greenland’s Oscar Committee has nominated Inuk as the Danish territory’s contender at this year’s Academy Awards in California. The film, which depicts the life of troubled 16-year-old Nuuk resident, will compete with films from around the world for the category of Best Foreign Language Film at the 85th edition of the Academy Awards, officials said on Monday. The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will select five final nominees for the category’s Oscar; their selections will be revealed on 10 January while the award ceremony will take place in Hollywood on 24 February. Inuk has already gathered substantial critical acclaim and has taken home more than 20 awards at various international film festivals. Filmmakers said the production was shot on location amid Greenland’s typical frigid conditions and casting agents commissioned local teenagers from an area children's home as well as area hunters as actors. As reported by Nuntasiaq Online, Inuk co-producer and co-writer Jean-Michel Huctin describes the film: “Created as an original road-movie on the sea ice, Inuk is both an authentic story of Greenland today and a universal story about the quest for identity, transmission and rebirth after the deepest of wounds.” Inuk’s producers are currently amid negotiations for the film’s general release in the US, Canada and Australia, and the full-length feature is already scheduled for an early 2013 release in Germany, South Korea, Switzerland and Austria.

Challenging coexistence in the north

Amanda Graham — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 23:38:30 GMT

(Anja Kristine Salo/Indigenous Peoples in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region, 09 October 2012) -- 130 representatives from the government, indigenous peoples and business met in Tromsø on September 10 to discuss extractive industries in the Barents Region, an area where indigenous peoples have lived their traditional life for centuries. "It is huge uncertainty connected to what's happening up north. The indigenous peoples' opinions are not taken into account as often as we would have wanted. This is a great problem," says the President of the Norwegian Sami Parliament, Mr. Egil Olli. He is one of the participants at the seminar arranged by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry and the Working group of Indigenous Peoples in the Barents Region. Scientists, representatives from the mining industry, local, regional and national government officials were also present at the seminar. Many sensitive, difficult and important question and challenges facing member states, indigenous peoples and business entities in the Barents region were addressed at the seminar. "We face a great risk of evolving conflicts between states, indigenous peoples and other stakeholders in this bonanza of oil, natural gas, minerals and plentiful waters in the Arctic. The indigenous peoples in the Arctic have to find the equilibrium in this boom and tackle these challenges, hopefully in co-operation with the national states, business entities, UN and other, regional and international bodies," says Lars Anders Baer, Chairman of the Working group of Indigenous peoples in the Barents Region. The State Secretary at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that the indigenous peoples must be consulted.

UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples meets on land rights, food security

Amanda Graham — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:47:06 GMT

(Nunatsiaq News, 8 May 2012) -- This week and next, 500 representatives from the 370-million indigenous peoples who live around the world are meeting in New York at the United Nations for the 11th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples. The forum, which meets for 10 days each year, is a high-level advisory body that deals with indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health and human rights. Five years after the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted, a great deal remains to be done to realize the objectives contained in that landmark document, UN deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said May 7 at the opening of the 11th session of the forum. “We continue to hear stories of struggles and exploitation of indigenous peoples around the world. It is time for those stories to change,” Migiro said. “Let us instead move towards the day when indigenous peoples are heard, listened to and empowered.” Almost 2,000 indigenous participants from all regions of the world are taking part in the two-week session to advanced the rights and well-being of indigenous peoples.

After four decades leading the Inuit people, Mary Simon steps down

Amanda Graham — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:48:03 GMT

(Gloria Galloway/Globe and Mail, 1 May 2012) -- The woman who heads the organization representing Canada’s 55,000 Inuit will let someone else lead her people into their future. Mary Simon’s work on behalf of the aboriginal people of the North spans more than four decades. She was one of the negotiators for the Inuit when Canada’s Constitution was being crafted. In her six years as leader of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, she has witnessed the settling of the last major Inuit land claim, she has heard an apology from the Prime Minister for the treatment of the aboriginal children at residential schools, and she has seen increasing recognition of the Inuit title to the vast resources of Canada’s North. “There has never been a day when I didn’t like my job,” she said during a recent interview in her office in downtown Ottawa. But Ms. Simon, 64, has told The Globe and Mail she will not seek a third term when the ITK, which represents Inuit in 53 communities in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Northern Quebec and Labrador, holds its presidential election in early June. As she ponders the road forward, Ms. Simon knows much needs to be done. The progress made by the Inuit over the six years she has led their national organization has been “three steps forward and two steps back,” Ms. Simon said. ...

Inupiat tribal leader wins prize for opposing offshore drilling

Amanda Graham — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:11:57 GMT

(Lisa Demer/Anchorage Daily News, 16 April 2012) -- Her father was a Point Hope whaling captain. Her mother taught her how to butcher the bowhead and care for the meat. The family depended on the sea and land for so much. Caroline Cannon's lifelong connection to the Arctic Ocean pushed her to become one of the state's most vocal opponents of offshore oil drilling. Now, just as Shell Oil is poised to drill exploration wells off Alaska's northern coast, her advocacy has won her a coveted environmental award. Cannon, an Inupiat mother of nine and grandmother of 26, is one of this year's winners of the Goldman Environmental Prize, described as the world's biggest for grassroots environmentalists. Cannon and the other five winners from around the world were officially announced Monday. Each will receive $150,000. Cannon is the former president of the Native Village of Point Hope, the tribal council that has been involved in a number of lawsuits aimed at stopping oil exploration and drilling in the Arctic. She lost her spot on the village council in a close election last year but expects to get back on soon. Point Hope, a village of about 700 people, is 330 miles southwest of Barrow on a gravel spit that forms the western-most extension of the northwest Alaska coast. The village is one of the oldest continuously occupied Inupiat areas in Alaska, according to the state Division of Community and Regional Affairs. Cannon has spoken up against offshore drilling countless times. At a national tribal summit with President Barack Obama in 2009, she told him "we are not prepared for this." She has sat down with environmental leaders and with Shell. She's traded barbs with Pete Slaiby, Shell's vice president for Alaska operations, and didn't quiet down after he corrected some of her assertions in a letter to the editor. "When you have something you feel strongly about, there's no turning that light off," Cannon said in an interview. "Meaning it's stronger than me."

Speed limits on Arctic shipping urged to protect marine mammals

Amanda Graham — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 08:05:58 GMT

(Randy Boswell/Postmedia News ᔥ canada.com, 16 March 2012) -- Environmentalists and Arctic aboriginal groups are urging speed limits on ships and other rules to protect marine mammals as the Northwest Passage and other polar transportation routes become more heavily travelled in an era of retreating sea ice. The U.S.-based Wildlife Conservation Society and native organizations, including the Inuit Circumpolar Council, issued a call on Friday for northern countries to acknowledge the rising risks to northern marine creatures resulting from the "rapid increase in shipping in the formerly ice-choked waterways of the Arctic." Of particular concern, the groups stated after a three-day workshop on the issue, is the Bering Strait between Russia and Alaska, an ecologically rich but relatively narrow choke point for ships travelling through both the Northern Sea Route north of Russia and the Northwest Passage through Canada's Arctic islands. Among the species at risk from increased shipping are bowhead and beluga whale, walrus, several kinds of seals and the polar bear, the groups said.

Lynge talks future of Inuit people

Amanda Graham — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:14:30 GMT

(Stephanie Mc Feeters, The Dartmouth, 8 February 2012) -- Greenlandic Inuit welcome the possibility of economic opportunity that comes with the growing international interest in regional oil and mineral resources but worry about the effect it may have on their environment and traditional lifestyle, Aqqaluk Lynge, chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, said in a lecture to a packed Filene Auditorium Tuesday afternoon. Greenland has one of the most extensive green energy programs in the world, with over 60 percent of its electricity coming from hydropower, he said. At the same time, despite the environmentally friendly nature of Greenland’s energy programs, the potential influx of oil and mineral resource corporations poses a threat to the nation’s environment. Furthermore, the possible disappearance of sea ice could drastically change the composition of the circumpolar region by introducing new trade routes and more investment, he said. “Traditionally, we care about the environment because we live off the land,” he said, adding that the Inuit are the “guardians of the Arctic.” The environment is “silently changing,” and Inuit are facing a conflicting desire between combating climate change and embracing the potential for economic growth through foreign investment, Lynge said in an interview with The Dartmouth following his lecture.

Sami mining protest in Arctic Sweden

Amanda Graham — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:57:23 GMT

(Radio Sweden via Eye on the Arctic, 1 February 2012) -- This week is festival time in the Arctic Circle town of Jokkmokk in Sweden's Far North. But not all the Sami, the indigenous people of Sweden's Arctic, will be celebrating. Mining, forestry and hydroelectricity provide lucrative business opportunities across northern Sweden. But exploiting natural resources often leads to conflict with Sami herders when reindeer grazing areas are blocked or damaged. High mineral and iron ore prices have led to an explosion in prospecting in recent years and increased the number of conflicts, with a regular stream of objections being brought to court. One of them centres on a mine planned just 40 kilometres west of Jokkmokk. The mining company Beowulf has been accused of illegal test drills that damage Sami grazing lands. Mattias Pirak from the Jåhkågaska Sami reindeer herding community told Sami Radio that opportunities to make big profits from iron ore should not be an excuse to destroy the environment. ... Pirak and other Sami herders are organising a demonstration to coincide with one the most visible demonstrations of Sami culture. Every year the Jokkmokk parade provides a blaze of colour in the dark of winter as herders lead their reindeer through the snow in traditional dress. The market is expecting about 40,000 visitors many of them foreign tourists, and the Sami protestors will also target them with flyers printed in English. However Mattias Pirak says that after the market protest his community will continue with their campaign — and that they will never give up.

Arctic Winter Games to showcase northern life

Amanda Graham — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:37:44 GMT

(CBC News, 25 January 2012) -- Organizers for the 2012 Arctic Winter Games’ cultural events took the stage Tuesday. Eight presenters got a chance to lay out their plans for the week of shows in Whitehorse which will take place alongside the sports. The theme for this year is "Winter Living". "We're trying to create that atmosphere where people get together and they go in the backyard and they light a fire and there's some music and they go inside to warm up. It's about celebrating who we are as a northern people. I just thought that weather-wise, you know, it's sort of how we winter. That's kind of the theme that inspired some of the work," said Laurel Parry, vice-president for culture and ceremonies for the games. Some of the features will include an exhibition of circumpolar beading. There will also be local dancers, musicians and snow carving. The new Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre and the MacBride museum will feature displays. The budget for the cultural games is $300,000. Patrick Roberge, who directed the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2007 Canada Winter Games is coming back to produce this year’s event on a $40,000 contract. The Arctic Winter Games start March 4.

Languages under threat as Sami migrate south

Amanda Graham — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:02:49 GMT

(YLE, 21 January 2012) -- Experts believe that the Sami languages could become casualties of rural depopulation in Finland. More than half of Sami-speaking children now live outside Sami regions, in areas where language instruction is difficult to access. Linda Länsman is one of the few Sami teachers in the capital city region. Having moved south ten years ago, Länsman now works at a daycare centre in the Helsinki suburb of Kulosaari. Her work there includes, among other things, teaching Sami to six-year-old Joika Partin. Joika is lucky, as language instruction is hard to find for Sami children. There are just a few students in the capital city region, even though there are estimated to be hundreds of Sami children living in the area. They often do not even use their language at home. “If one of the parents is Finnish, they speak Finnish at home, and the child does not learn Sami,” says Länsman. Preserving the Sami language was a struggle up until the 1960s. After the war Sami were threatened by assimilation policies, but now urbanisation is a bigger threat. “The Finnish language law only provides for the protection of Sami languages in the Sami regions,” says Sami language and culture lecturer Irja Seurujärvi-Kari of Helsinki University. “From the start of the century it has been apparent that more and more Sami are moving to the cities.” The government acknowledged the situation a year ago, and set a ‘Sami resuscitation programme’ in motion. A working group due to report early this year is expected to recommend improvements in the organisation of language tuition, and a Sami centre in the Helsinki area. “If there is no support for language learning from outside the home, then language acquisition by the next generation will not happen,” says Seurujärvi-Kari. “If the next generation does not speak the language, then the language dies.”

Record warm temperatures affecting indigenous reindeer herders in Arctic

Amanda Graham — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:00:19 GMT

(Sami Radio Sweden via Eye on the Arctic, 5 December 2011) -- Mild weather continued throughout the fall in the traditional Sami territories in northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northwestern Russia. This has been the warmest fall since the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) began recording temperatures. SMHI meteorologist Sverker Hällström reports that this fall has had primarily southerly and westerly winds. Sameradion (Radio Sami) compared the temperatures of several locations in northern Sweden and Norway. In all locations, this fall's average temperature has been from three to eight degrees warmer than the normal average temperature. In Kiruna, Sweden's northernmost town, the average temperature in the first half of November was over 1 degree Celsius. November's average temperature is usually minus 6.5 degrees Celsius. "November as a month and this entire fall will be the warmest on record, and we've been measuring for over 100 years," says Sverker Hällström. The reason is a low pressure system over the Atlantic causing warm air to blow from the south or west, resulting in wind and rain with some snow in the mountains. And the warm weather will continue, according to meteorologist Sverker Hällström. "We still can't see a real cold air outbreak, so the temperature will remain on the milder side," says Sverker Hällström, adding that the climate is changing. "A mild fall like this fits right into the pattern: we're slowly but surely moving toward slightly warmer conditions," says Hällström.

RCMP 'herded' native kids to residential schools

Amanda Graham — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 19:16:25 GMT

(CBC News, 29 October 2011) -- Former aboriginal students who say the RCMP herded them off to residential schools are expressing a sense of validation following the release of a report into the Mounties' role in the notorious school system. However, not all the survivors believe the report will help with their healing. The RCMP released the report Saturday at a Halifax session of the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which is looking into how 150,000 aboriginal children were taken from their families over more than a century. The 463-page report found that the RCMP had a major involvement in bringing students from First Nation communities to the residential schools. Various data sources were collected over a 30-month period between April 2007 and September 2009 to answer questions about the RCMP's relationship with schools, students, federal agencies and departments. ... The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has been holding public sessions in Halifax since Wednesday. The report says that at times, RCMP withheld information from parents of residential school students about what was happening with their children, and at times they acted like truant officers to schools. "Students saw themselves herded like cattle and brought into RCMP cars and taken into school. What they say is that these stories have come out throughout the years, but what this does today is validate those stories and show that they were true," CBC reporter Michael Dick said in Halifax. RCMP stress in the report that the force did not know what was going on behind the schools' walls, where abuse was rampant, and that they were trying to act in the best interest with the information they knew at the time. The Mounties stressed that the abuse in residential schools happened all over the country. Approximately 150,000 aboriginal children were forced to attend residential schools. The Mounties were summoned to forcibly take the children to the schools if their families resisted sending them away.

For Inuits dealing with climate change, science can be slow and bumbling

Amanda Graham — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:05:13 GMT

(Carol Berry/Indian Country, 25 October 2011) -- An Inuk woman practicing a traditional craft finds the sealskin she’s working with doesn’t have the nice fur of times past and it has rotten patches that tear easily. Her husband finds that hunting seals is more difficult than in the past because the formerly stable edge of an ice-floe has broken off and fewer seals are there. He carries a gun as protection against increasing numbers of polar bears. They are among Native people in the circumpolar North who experience climate change in their everyday lives and for whom conventional science, despite its ability to describe the change, sometimes has been unhelpful. One Inuk hunter accuses wildlife biologists of “meddling [that] is causing problems” by putting radio collars on bears so they “can’t hunt properly” or using helicopters that destroy animals’ hearing. Carcasses of over-drugged bears have been found, he says, and wildlife policies “make our lives difficult” even though “we know our wildlife intimately.” His and others’ experiences are told in Qapirangajuq: Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change, the last film in the Eighth Annual Indigenous Film & Arts Festival, presented Oct. 12-16 by the International Institute for Indigenous Resource Management (IIIRM), Denver. The festival’s theme was “Adaptation: Finding Balance in a Changing World.” Mervyn Tano, IIIRM president, said both ground-level science and science policy are needed to “cut through some of the conventional wisdom” to discern, for example, what the role should be of wildlife biologists crafting wildlife regulations. Government inflexibility in wildlife rules is difficult to change, one scientist found after doing research in the remote northwest interior of Alaska. Shannon McNeeley, with the Integrated Science Program, National Center for Atmospheric Research, conducted a post-film panel with Tano and talked about changes in moose behavior patterns with climate change. ... That change is indeed occurring is documented by the film’s co-director, Zacharias Kunuk, who interviewed elders on Baffin Island, located in the eastern part of Nunavut in the Canadian polar North. Environmental change “is dangerous to people worldwide—it affects both Inuit and Southerners,” said Mary Simon, Inuk, Canada’s first Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs. “These big money-makers in the world are all contributors to climate change.”

President Barnard makes statement of apology at Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Amanda Graham — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:16:54 GMT

(University of Manitoba Newsroom, 27 October 2011) -- In an address to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission today, University of Manitoba President and Vice-Chancellor David Barnard offered a statement of apology and reconciliation on the subject of the Indian Residential School system. “We feel it’s important to stand with our Aboriginal students, staff and faculty in making this statement of reconciliation,” said Barnard. “Our best opportunity for a brighter future is to build a foundation of academic success and ensure that the values of First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultures and communities infuse scholarship and research across the university.” Barnard said while post-secondary institutions did not fund or operate Indian Residential Schools, the University of Manitoba failed to recognize and challenge the Indian Residential School system and damaging assimilation policies that were at the core of the system. “We did not live up to our goals, our ideals, our hard-earned reputation or our mandate,” said Barnard. “Our institution failed to recognize or challenge the forced assimilation of Aboriginal peoples and the subsequent loss of their language, culture and traditions. That was a grave mistake. It is our responsibility. We are sorry.” The president said the university also educated clergy, teachers and politicians who created and ran the residential school system.

In whale hunt, Eskimos use modern tools to satisfy tradition

Amanda Graham — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:38:25 GMT

(William Yardley and Erik Olsen/New York Times, 16 October 2011) -- BARROW, Alaska - The ancient whale hunt here is not so ancient anymore. “Ah, the traditional loader,” one man mumbled irreverently. “Ah, the traditional forklift.” That morning, the first of the annual fall hunt, a crew of Inupiat Eskimos cruising the Arctic Ocean in a small powerboat spotted the whale’s spout, speeded to the animal’s side and killed the whale with an exploding harpoon. By lunchtime, children were tossing rocks at the animal’s blowhole while its limp body swayed in the shore break like so much seaweed. Blood seeped through its baleen as a bulldozer dragged all 28 feet of it across the rocky beach. At one point, one man, not Inupiat, posed beside the whale holding a small fishing rod, pretending for a camera that he had caught it on eight-pound line. Eventually the heavy equipment gets the job done, and the whale is lowered onto the snow — and the shared joy is obvious. Big blades emerge and the carving commences. Steam rises when the innards meet the Arctic cold. Within an hour, nice women are offering strangers boiled muktuk — whale meat. People mingle. “Congratulations,” they tell the family of the crew. ... Here in Barrow, the snowy flats by the beach where the whales are butchered (the snow covers an old runway used by the former Naval Arctic Research Laboratory) are splashed with patches of blood and guts until more snow falls. Some blubber ends up in the trash, no longer prized as fuel for heat and light when a drill rig nearby makes natural gas cheap and easy. The whale hunters know what some people think of all of this, and many are wary when news crews show up with cameras. They know what the animal-rights people will say — and insist they will misunderstand. “We’ll never stop doing this,” Fenton Rexford, a candidate for mayor of the North Slope Borough, the northernmost municipality in the United States, said as he watched the festivities. “No one can stop what our fathers and forefathers have done for thousands of years. But we’re highly adaptable people. We use what tools are available to us to make life easier.”

National Geographic: Scandinavia's Sami Reindeer Herders

Amanda Graham — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 21:02:04 GMT

(Jessica Benko with photos by Jessica Larsen/National Geographic, November 2011) -- Two hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle, near the jagged tips of Norway's crown, the sun does not set for weeks on end during the summer months, and the midnight sun bounces off fields of midsummer snow. The solstice comes and goes, but the Sami reindeer herders are too busy to pay much attention. "We're always in the middle of calf marking at this time," Ingrid Gaup says, referring to the yearly ritual in which the herding families carve their ancient marks into the ears of the new calves. In the Sami's homeland, spread across northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia, the notion of time is untethered from the cycles of the sun and is yoked instead to something far more important: the movement of the reindeer.

Vigils for missing, murdered aboriginal women to be held

Amanda Graham — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 07:01:01 GMT

(CBC News, 4 October 2011) -- Groups across the country will be gathering to remember and honour missing or murdered aboriginal women, including several communities in Yukon. The Sisters in Spirit campaign, part of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, has dedicated Oct. 4 as a day of vigil and will also hold events in nine provinces including Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec and Nova Scotia as well as the Northwest Territories. There are more than 582 missing aboriginal women in Canada, according to data released Sisters in Spirit. Jayla Rousseau-Thomas, who is co-ordinating the vigils in the Yukon, said that includes 29 from the territory. “That’s more than one per community,” she said. “That’s more than one per First Nation. That’s a lot of women who are no longer with us, who’ve been missing or remain missing or are murdered.”

Sámi reindeer herders prepare for changed climate in Sweden

Amanda Graham — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 06:56:07 GMT

(Eye on the Arctic, 26 September 2011) -- Reindeer owners in the Sámi reindeer herding community of Vilhelmina Norra, in the northwestern Swedish province of Västerbotten, will work with researchers to find new ways for reindeer herders to adapt to changes in climate. The community is conducting the project in collaboration with the Department of Government at Umeå University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). There, studies are already underway to examine reindeer herding conditions and how they may be affected by future climatic changes. A meeting was recently held and attended by 20 members from the Sámi reindeer herding community, representatives from the Sámi Parliament, the Swedish Forest Agency, Umeå University and SLU. An important conclusion reached during the meeting is that it's impossible to isolate the climatic challenges from other factors that can influence reindeer herding. "We have therefore placed the climatic changes in a larger context in the project and investigated how the Sámi reindeer herding community can expand its capabilities to take action within other areas, so as to be able to meet future changes to the climate," says Annette Löf, political scientist, Umeå University.

Bethel band plans Yup'ik language rock album

Amanda Graham — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:56:30 GMT

(Anchorage Daily News via The News Tribune, 15 September 2011) -- How about some Yup'ik language rock? Maybe you missed the fledging Bethel-based band Frozen Whitefish at the state fair -- and on Discovery's "Flying Wild Alaska. There's still time to catch up on the group's MySpace and Facebook pages before their full-length album hits next year. I asked frontman Mike McIntyre to tell the group's origin story. Here's what he had to say: Frozen Whitefish is a Bethel based Alaskan Native Yupik Rock band formed in 2010 and all lyrics are written in the Yupik Eskimo language. Frontman Mike McIntyre was raised in the small village of Eek and spoke Yupik as his first language before moving to Bethel as a young child. Frozen Whitefish was first a project started by Mike after he returned from a trip to Greenland where he played drums for the Kuskokwim Fiddle Band in the Inuit Circumpolar Conference in 2010. He was inspired by the influence of their Native language in their own music and wanted to do the same here in Alaska. Soon after he started recording his music in his home studio, he got a request from a Native radio station in Washington to send his songs over to a TV producer with the Discovery Channel, which was gathering Native music for the "Flying Wild Alaska" TV show.

Yukon First Nations Party established

Amanda Graham — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 22:30:35 GMT

(Nadine Sander-Green/Whitehorse Daily Star, 9 September 2011) -- Only three days before Premier Darrell Pasloski announced the territorial election, one Burwash Landing resident started a political party. Gerald Dickson, a member of the Kluane First Nations, registered the Yukon First Nations Party on Tuesday. He already has the mandatory two candidates to be considered an official party in the election. Dickson, 47, is the leader of the newly-formed party and will also run as a candidate in Kluane. Stanley James, longtime Carcross resident, will represent Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes. Dickson said Thursday there also might be a candidate interested in running in Pelly-Nisutlin. Stacey Hassard defeated incumbent Justice Minister Marian Horne for that riding’s nomination last month. Dickson said the reason he started the party is simple: his elders’ voices are not being heard. Action, he said, is required to manifest the traditional laws of respect, honour, love, compassion and harmony. And Dickson believes only First Nations people can really understand First Nations issues. “We want the natural laws to be honoured and respected,” he said. Sustaining First Nations’ natural and cultural resources, Dickson told the Star, is at the very heart of the party’s beliefs. He did admit, though, that he hasn’t yet sat down with James nor other people interested in the party to flesh out its policies and platform.

QIA wants Ottawa to acknowledge dog slaughters

Amanda Graham — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:07:04 GMT

(Nunatsiaq Online, 9 August 2011) -- The Qikiqtani Inuit Association says it applauds the Quebec for acknowledging the dog slaughter that took place in Nunavik decades ago. “This is an important step towards building a more meaningful relationship based on trust between Inuit communities and government in Nunavik,” QIA President Okalik Eegeesiak said Aug. 9 in a news release. Quebec premier Jean Charest signed an agreement with Nunavik leaders Aug. 8, which recognizes the suffering that many Inuit families endured when their sled dogs were killed in the 1950s and 1960s. Now, the QIA hopes the federal government will acknowledge the findings of its Qikiqtani Truth Commission, which looked into similar allegations of dog slaughters in Nunavut communities and other traumatic events stemming from government policies. Those wrongdoings must be acknowledged in order for Inuit to move forward, Eegeesiak said. ... “The Inuit truth must be acknowledged by the federal government before the healing can begin for our region,” she said.

Reality show about reindeer herders?

Amanda Graham — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:06:23 GMT

(YLE, 7 August 2011) -- Plans are underway to create a reality TV show about the lives of reindeer herders. The Promotion Centre for Audiovisual Culture AVEK has committed 7,500 euros in funding to produce the pilot episode of this show. The Tampere-based production company Standup etcetera filmed the material for the show’s first episode in July in Käsivarre, western Lapland. If a Finnish TV channel buys the idea, a 40-episode reality TV show about the lives of reindeer herders will take off. The decision one way or another will likely be made in September. The original idea of the TV show belongs to Sven Pahajoki, a journalist and writer from Lapland.

Voices of Vision: Yukon Aboriginal Self-Government

Amanda Graham — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 16:22:52 GMT

(Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada) -- The Yukon is a land of trailblazers in Aboriginal self-government. Since 1995, 11 of Yukon's 14 First Nations have become self-governing, and account for more than half of the national total of self-governing First Nations. In this podcast series, Voices of Vision: Yukon Aboriginal Self-Government, some of the key people who have been involved in the continuing journey of self-government and implementation share their stories in their own words. The podcast series, Voices of Vision: Yukon Aboriginal Self-Government, was created in partnership with the Council of Yukon First Nations, the Government of Yukon, the Government of Canada and Self-Governing Yukon First Nations.

Aboriginal Peoples: Mapping the Future - Land Claims

Amanda Graham — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:36:17 GMT

(CBC News, June 2011) -- Land: the great misunderstanding between Aboriginal Peoples and governments throughout Canadian history. In aboriginal spirituality, land cannot be separated from the creatures that it supports and feeds, including humans. Still today, the Ojibwa speak of Pimachiowin Aki, land that gives life. For a modern industrial nation, the word "land" means wealth: agriculture and industry, mines and forests, cities and suburbs, roads and pipelines. For over 200 years, native Canadians have been relegated to the outskirts of their original land. But they have not renounced their rights and they wish to take part, too, in the country's economic life. This special report presents the context of discussions between governments and native groups on this issue.

Anchorage is Alaska's biggest Native 'village,' census shows

Amanda Graham — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 23:15:49 GMT

(Mike Dunham/Anchorage Daily News, 11 July 2011) -- Anchorage is home to more Athabascans than Fairbanks, more Yup'ik than Bethel and more Inupiat than Barrow, the U.S. Census shows. The city has long been known as "Alaska's biggest Native village." With new numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau it can now claim, more specifically, to be home to both the largest Yup'ik and largest Inupiat communities. According to information from the 2010 Census released on June 30, Anchorage has a Native American population of 23,130. That's about one in 13 residents. Yup'ik remain the single largest Alaska Native group in the state, followed by Inupiat and Athabascans, the figures show. The new numbers offer a closer look at where members of different Alaska Native groups live around the state. The previous Census, in 2000, made no distinction between Yup'ik, who have historically resided along the Bering Sea coast from the Alaska Peninsula to Norton Sound, and Inupiat, who occupy the coast north of Unalakleet and along the Arctic Ocean. In 2000, the two ethnic groups were lumped together as "Eskimo" and 5,607 were reported as living in Anchorage. That changed with the 2010 Census. In answering the survey, a respondent could identify himself or herself as belonging to a single tribe, as having two or more Native American tribes in their background, or in any combination with non-Native groups.

Work on self-government for Nunavik will continue: Makivik

Amanda Graham — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 20:49:43 GMT

(Sarah Rogers/Nunatsiaq News, 29 April 2011) -- KUUJJUAQ - Nunavimmiut will continue to work towards self-government, despite saying a clear “no” to a proposed Nunavik Regional Government this week, says Makivik Corp. president Pita Aatami. The region’s April 27 referendum sunk a proposal to merge existing regional organizations and set up a new Nunavik Assembly, after two-thirds of voters said “no” to this plan. If the “yes” side had won, there would also have been further negotiations needed to give the NRG more powers, Aatami said. “We wouldn’t have been at a stage where we could say that we had our own government yet,” Aatami told Nunatsiaq News in an interview from Montreal. “We’ve been in discussions for over four years on this – what’s another few months or years? “There’s still a lot of work to do.” Aatami said the referendum result came as no surprise. The concerns that people raised about protecting the Inuit language and culture were legitimate, he said, because the content and direction of the second round of negotiations were “unknown.” But many people misunderstood the final agreement, or didn’t give themselves the time to absorb its contents, he said. “In no way were we even trying to give up rights that Inuit have under the James Bay agreement,” Aatami said. ‘We were very clear, form the beginning, that further negotiations would [determine our autonomy].” Aatami defended the process adopted by the negotiators. Aatami said Nunavimmiut had the chance to stay informed through the NRG website and could ask questions in person during a field trip to Nunavik communities this past February and March. Asked if the NRG Facebook group had anything to do with the “no” vote, Aatami said he was aware of resistance to the final agreement even before that group had formed. “I had an inkling, from all the people I was speaking to,” he said. Aatami said he was pleased to see Nunavimmiut participate in the referendum’s democratic process.

Quebec Inuit vote against self-government plan

Amanda Graham — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:21:17 GMT

(Eye on the Arctic/CBC News, 29 April 2011) -- Inuit in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec voted this week to reject a self-government plan that was proposed for the region. About 70 per cent of citizens who cast ballots in a referendum Wednesday voted against adopting a final agreement on the creation of a Nunavik regional government. The final agreement was drafted by the federal and Quebec governments along with Makivik Corp., which represents Nunavik Inuit as set out by the James Bay and Northern Quebec agreement. But of 4,242 valid ballots cast in Wednesday's referendum, 2,842 said No to the proposed agreement while 1,400 said Yes, according to Elections Quebec. "It's back to the drawing board," Makivik Corp. president Pita Aatami told CBC News on Thursday. The three parties agreed in December 2007 to work towards establishing new self-government powers in Nunavik, with the goal of empowering Inuit in the region to govern themselves. The agreement they developed proposed merging three existing public agencies in Nunavik, namely the regional municipal administration, school board, and health and social services board. ... Despite the outcome of the referendum, Aatami said the desire remains for self-government in Nunavik, a predominantly Inuit region in northern Quebec. Aatami said he just hopes negotiations with the federal and Quebec governments can continue. "I'd like to sit down with the two governments right away, but are they open to sitting down with us right away after ... the votes that were cast?" Aatami said. "But we won't give up," he added. "We're going to keep going and try and get some more control over the region."

Sami Parliament demands more powers

Amanda Graham — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:57:39 GMT

(SR via Eye on the Arctic, 30 March 2011) -- In a new report to be sent to the Swedish government in May, the Sami Parliament in Kiruna will demand greater self determination for the country's indigenous people. But how united are Sweden's estimated 20,000 Sami? How many feel represented by their parliament? Today only about one in ten Sami have traditional land rights but their parliament in Kiruna is still dominated by land-related divisions and disputes. Although only 5 percent of the Sami are reindeer herders, they occupy 55 percent of the seats in the Sami Parliament. “Swedish legislation has given the limited rights that indigenous people have to land and water use to the reindeer herders,” explains Peter Sköld, head of the Centre for Sami Research at Umeå University. And that gives them a better political ground to speak from – the others are totally excluded.” Since 2007 the Sami Parliament has responsibility for the reindeer industry in Sweden. But the president of the parliament, Ingrid Inga, says that's not enough - she says the government must fully recognise the Sami people's right to decide over their own affairs. "We want reforms that give us powers over areas that affect us - language, education, land use and so on. We need this so that the parliament becomes a real decision making body and not just the state agency which we are at the moment," she tells Radio Sweden.The Sami parliament has less power than a Swedish county council and is not formally consulted by the Swedish government, despite being in existence for almost two decades. “There has been a process over the last two decades where we first set up a Sami Parliament and then gave it responsibility for reindeer husbandry and now school boards,” says Eskil Erlandsson, the Swedish government minister responsible for Sami affairs. “We made a proposal [about consultation] two years ago and the Sami parliament refused it and said they wanted to think about it before deciding if they would accept the proposal.”

Yukon First Nation adopting own justice system

Amanda Graham — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 06:36:52 GMT

(CBC News, 21 February 2011) -- The Teslin Tlingit Council in southern Yukon has signed a historic agreement to run its own justice system, allowing the self-governing First Nation to enact its own laws and set up its own court. Teslin Tlingit Chief Peter Johnston signed the Administration of Justice Agreement with federal Indian and Northern Affairs Minister John Duncan and Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie at a ceremony Monday in Teslin. "The Teslin Tlingit Council now has the legislative, executive and judicial powers over its self-government jurisdictions, enabling us to further enshrine the Tlingit way of life into everything we do," Johnston said in a release. "We look forward to working with Canada, Yukon and our citizens to continue advancing our social, economic and constitutional visions." The agreement allows the First Nation to enact its own laws in a variety of areas, including wildlife protection, control of the First Nation's settlement land, controlling overcrowding of homes, local zoning and planning, adoption, the solemnization of marriages and wills and inheritances, according to the release. The First Nation will establish a "peacemaker court" to prosecute violations of its legislation, impose penalties and resolve disputes based on traditional Teslin Tlingit processes. As well, the First Nation will set up its own corrections programs and services for those who receive sentences from the peacemaker court. The Teslin Tlingit will not take over criminal law cases or matters under federal jurisdiction, such as national security, according to federal officials. The Teslin Tlingit becomes the first among Yukon's 11 self-governing First Nations to sign a justice agreement with the territorial and federal governments. As part of the Umbrella Final Agreement, which was signed by the federal, Yukon and First Nation governments in 1993, the parties have committed to reaching justice agreements with each self-governing First Nation. The Teslin Tlingit's justice system will not only apply to its own citizens — regardless of where they are in Yukon — but also to non-citizens who are visiting or residing on Teslin Tlingit traditional lands.

Eskimo whalers call for subsistence whaling law before 2012

Amanda Graham — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 06:19:53 GMT

(Jake Neher/The Arctic Sounder, 21 February 2011) -- The Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC) is calling on Alaska's Congressional delegation to introduce subsistence whaling legislation before 2012. Officials say legislation is needed in case an international regulatory body fails to pass a harvest quota renewal for subsistence hunters. AEWC members and officials passed this and four other resolutions last week during the commission's two-day Mini-Convention in Barrow. The current five year block quota for native subsistence whaling is ending in 2012. At that time, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) will decide whether or not to renew or adjust the quota for another five years. But AEWC officials say the international body is dysfunctional, and has used the quota as a bargaining chip in negotiations on other issues unrelated to Native subsistence whaling. They fear political gridlock in 2012, which could leave the 11 communities in the AEWC without a set quota. A subsistence quota renewal needs the approval three-quarters of IWC member nations to pass. Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission Vice President George Ahmaogak says it's time to start considering all options to protect against a quota denial from IWC. "It's getting harder and harder to work with the International Whaling Commission," Ahmaogak says, "even though we abide by all their rules, do the census work, a lot of the requirements and mandates by the IWC. Unfunded mandates, if you will. It's getting harder and harder. In 2012, it's going to be a challenge. So, I think we're better off going for domestic legislation. That's why we pushed this resolution on the floor." According to the AEWC resolution, the International Whaling Commission does allow subsistence whaling without a set quota "to meet cultural and nutritional need" under domestic national legislation. It says such legislation needs to correspond with IWC requirements.

Sami reindeer-herders can sue the state

Amanda Graham — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 18:17:36 GMT

(Sveriges Radio, 18 February 2011) -- A district court in northern Sweden has ruled there is no reason why indigenous Samis there cannot sue the Swedish state for infringing on their fishing and hunting rights. The court rejected the argument of state lawyers that there were legal errors in the suit. The Sami parliament, which has only advisory powers, had argued that the Sami people should have a major influence over fishing and hunting rights, rather than the Swedish state. Speaking with Swedish Radio, Mattias Åhrén of the Sami Council, the organization representing the Samis across the Nordic region, says the ruling will have a major impact.

North Russian indigenous group protests Gazprom pipeline

Amanda Graham — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 03:48:55 GMT

(RIA Novosti, 15 February 2011) -- An indigenous group inhabiting Russia's northern region of Yakutia has called for the rerouting of a planned Siberian gas pipeline. The planned pipeline, which will link Yakutia's Chayandinskoye oil and gas deposit with the Far Eastern Russian city of Khabarovsk, is to be constructed near an indigenous Evenk settlement. "We are not against progress or economic development, but we feel like we are the ones who will suffer from this," the group said in a petition, signed by 213 people. "Our reindeer pastures and hunting sites are being seized, rivers are being poisoned and fish are disappearing." The Evenks have sent letters to the regional and national governments calling for the rerouting of the pipeline. They say their habitat is already under threat from the construction of the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean oil pipeline and the development of gold and iron ore deposits in the republic. Russian energy giant Gazprom, which is constructing the pipeline, has said an alternative pipeline would be much longer and would cost around 49 billion rubles ($1.67 billion) more in construction expenditures "The sparsely populated Evenks, who have inhabited these territories for centuries, will be most affected by this decision," Yakut deputy parliamentary speaker Andrei Krivoshapkin told RIA Novosti. The Chayandinskoye oil and gas deposit to be developed by Gazprom is one of the largest in Russia, with gas reserves estimated at 1.24 trillion cubic meters and oil and gas condensate reserves of 68.4 billion tons.

Nunavik residents to vote April 27 on new regional government

Amanda Graham — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:57:57 GMT

(Nunatsiaq News, 12 February 2011) -- Nunavimmiut will vote April 27, 2011 on the creation of the Nunavik Regional Government. The final agreement, which spells out the proposed governance model for Nunavik, has been made public in time for a regional tour, which starts Feb. 14 in Kangiqsualujjuaq. The tour gathers negotiators from all three levels of government, regional, provincial and federal, who will visit each of the 14 communities in Nunavik to explain the agreement at public meetings and answer questions. That’s so Nunavimmiut have time to absorb the new model before the April referendum, when they will vote to either accept or reject the agreement. The Nunavik Regional Government, or NRG, would amalgamate existing regional bodies like the Kativik Regional Government, the Kativik School Board, and the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, putting them under the authority of a new elected body called the Nunavik Assembly. The assembly would be made up of 20 members; a representative from each of the region’s 14 communities (elected locally), four executive council members and a leader (elected regionally) and one member from the Naskapi nation. Executive council members would hold full-time jobs.Nunavimmmiut will vote April 27, 2011 on the creation of the Nunavik Regional Government. The final agreement, which spells out the proposed governance model for Nunavik, has been made public in time for a regional tour, which starts Feb. 14 in Kangiqsualujjuaq. The tour gathers negotiators from all three levels of government, regional, provincial and federal, who will visit each of the 14 communities in Nunavik to explain the agreement at public meetings and answer questions. That’s so Nunavimmiut have time to absorb the new model before the April referendum, when they will vote to either accept or reject the agreement. The Nunavik Regional Government, or NRG, would amalgamate existing regional bodies like the Kativik Regional Government, the Kativik School Board, and the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, putting them under the authority of a new elected body called the Nunavik Assembly. The assembly would be made up of 20 members; a representative from each of the region’s 14 communities (elected locally), four executive council members and a leader (elected regionally) and one member from the Naskapi nation. Executive council members would hold full-time jobs.

Dramatized recording of New Testament to help strengthen Inupiaq preservation

Amanda Graham — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 21:49:51 GMT

(Alex Demarban/The Arctic Sounder, 4 February 2011) -- A missionary couple in Kotzebue is looking for Inupiaq voices to create a digitally recording of the New Testament. Once passages have been recorded in the Kobuk dialect, the tracks will be sent to a studio where music and other sound effects, such as thunder during Jesus' crucifixion, will be added for dramatic flair, said Kay Finley. The dramatized track will eventually be downloadable in MP3 format and available on CD. It will open the Bible and the recovering Inupiaq language to new audiences, said Lorena Williams, language coordinator at Aqqaluk Trust in Kotzebue, whose mission includes language preservation. "For me, it's a two-fold benefit," she said. "First, it's the Bible, so it's spiritual, but you can also listen to Inupiaq at the same time." Problem is, only a few volunteers have signed up. Kay and her husband, Dan, hope to recruit many more. The effort is non-denominational, so Inupiaq speakers of all churches are welcome to help, Kay said. The Finleys also need proof-listeners, a critical role utilizing experts in Inupiaq to ensure words aren't butchered or left out. "They will catch the mistakes, because my husband and I do not speak Inupiaq. I know aariga, which means like, 'great' or 'wow,' " said Kay. The Lutheran couple from Ohio do the work for an Albuquerque, N.M., group called Faith Comes By Hearing [http://faithcomesbyhearing.com], which has recorded the New Testament in hundreds of languages.

Nunavut heritage sites face climate threat

Amanda Graham — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 06:16:46 GMT

(CBC News, 28 January 2011) -- Nunavut archaeological sites threatened by climate change may be saved thanks to new high-tech equipment, says the territory's director of culture and heritage. Doug Stenton said new 3D technology and a ground-penetrating radar system can be used to quickly map the surface and sub-surface, and could be used to deal with sites affected by coastal erosion and melting permafrost. The University of Manitoba has received funding to buy the technology and plans to use it in the Arctic. "It will help us identify areas that need special attention...and help us plan strategies to protect the site, [such as] stabilization methods," Stenton said. He added that there are about 12,000 documented sites in Nunavut, dating back as many as 4,500 years. Discoveries can include stone tools, clothing, bone and stone carvings, and masks. As an example of a threatened site, Stenton pointed to photos of a site containing artifacts from the Tuniit or Dorset people, who predate the Inuit. A large section of the site near Pond Inlet, Nunavut, has washed into the ocean.

Swedes, Finns slam door on Sámi rights, reject ILO Convention on Indigenous peoples

Amanda Graham — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 06:50:01 GMT

(Rick Harp/mediaINDIGENA, 25 January 2011) -- YLE News reports that Finland and Sweden steadfastly refuse to ratify the nearly 22-year-old ILO Convention on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, aka Convention 169, “the only [European Union] countries yet to do so.” The Scandinavian holdouts are embroiled in land disputes with their respective Sámi populations. If you’d like to learn more, Minority Rights Group International has published summaries of these struggles in Finland and in Sweden. (Norway, meanwhile, ratified the Convention way back in 1990, an interesting contrast when you consider it has the region’s largest Sámi population by far.)

Alaska Natives team with software maker in language project

Amanda Graham — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 17:10:01 GMT

(Kyle Hopkins/Anchorage Daily News, 20 January 2011) -- And now an Inupiaq language lesson. Qaqasauraq. Noun. The modern Inupiaq term for a computer. Loosely translated, it means "little brain." Ready to learn more? Fire up the qaqasauraq for the latest of three new computer programs designed to teach variations of the fading Alaska Native language. The North Slope Borough and Rosetta Stone software company plan to unveil a program this spring specially designed to teach the North Slope Inupiaq dialect, using the photos and voices of Inupiaq people recorded in Barrow. There are as few as 1,500 fluent speakers of Inupiaq in Alaska, estimates Fairbanks linguist Michael Krauss. Once, it was the primary language of the northern and northwest regions of the state. Barrow-born Edna MacLean, a former Inupiaq professor for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, spent two years working on the Inupiaq program. She translated thousands of words and phrases from English to the North Slope Inupiaq dialect of the Inuit language. The job is nearly done. Soon the program will be available to schools and households. Just in time for Inupiaq language experts like MacLean, 66.

Recording residential school

Amanda Graham — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 23:14:19 GMT

(Roxanne Stasyszyn/Yukon News, 17 January 2011) -- The Truth and Reconciliation Commission wants to establish a museum for Canada’s residential schools. In 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized to Canadian aboriginal communities for more than two decades of forced assimilation of First Nation’s culture through the 130 schools. The fallout of that federal-sanctioned policy has affected generations of people. A year after the apology, Harper signed the settlement agreement which established the five-year mandated Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Its job is to educate Canadians about what happened to the estimated 200, 000 aboriginal Canadians forced to attend the schools. The commission has been touring communities and holding events to gather and record peoples’ own stories, memories, artifacts and art. Last week, the commission announced it wants to house all this material in a research centre. In March, experts and survivors will gather in Vancouver to decide what the centre should look like and how it should work.

UN report slams Sweden over treatment of Samis

Amanda Graham — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 07:56:28 GMT

(Eye on the Arctic, 13 January 2011) -- A United Nations report on the human rights situation of Sweden's indigenous Sami population, stretching over northern Norway, Sweden and Finland[,] has sharply criticised the country for not respecting Sami rights. James Anaya, the UN special reporter on the human rights of indigenous people, said more needed to be done to ensure the Sami's [sic, Sami] - and particularly reindeer herders - have more say over land use when large windfarm projects are being decided. He also said the Sami Parliament in Kiruna should be granted greater powers and that more attention needed to be paid to recruiting Sami speaking [sic, Sami-speaking] teachers.

Labrador Inuit want to hunt more caribou

Amanda Graham — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 07:09:00 GMT

(CBC News, 14 January 2011) -- The Nunatsiavut government is asking for rule changes that would allow its members to hunt more caribou. Right now Nunatsiavut beneficiaries can kill as many caribou as they want on Inuit lands in northern Labrador, but outside that area, they're subject to the same rules as every other resident of the province. Newfoundland and Labrador limits hunters to just one animal per year. Some Inuit leaders want that to change. "It is very important that special consideration be given to beneficiaries," said Nunatsiavut First Minister Darryl Shiwak. He won't say exactly how many more animals they want but he did say that people in Nunatsiavut want Caribou to thrive in Labrador. "The conservation of this herd is very important but what we heard loud and clear is that people want to be able to harvest some caribou," said Shiwak. He also raised the idea of letting hunters transfer licences so one hunter can kill animals for several people. That's something the provincial government just abolished. The province hasn't responded to Nunatsiavut's request.