News of ingidenous peoples
27.09.2006 • Murmansk oblast
Indigenous peoples threaten with Kondopoga-conflict in Murmansk
According to the weekly “ Nasha Versya” Sami activists esteem that Murmansk Region could face a national conflict compared with the Kondopoga events. The newspaper has talked with several representatives of the Sami community in the region, who confirms that there is a high level of discontent among the community members.
The reason for the Sami discontent is reportedly the proposed new Development Programme on Indigenous Peoples, presented by the regional administration. The programme, as well as the person representative for indigenous peoples issues in the Murmansk regional administration, neglect the interests of the indigenous peoples and even offends their national feelings, the Sami representatives claim.
http://www.barentsobserver.com/
12.09.2006 Petroleum extraction sharpens interethnic relations in the Arctic
-Some of the biggest oil and gas reserves in the Arctic are located in traditional reindeer herding areas, Anders Oskal from the International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry in Kautokeino , Norway , says. The researcher fears that the oil and gas boom in the North could lead to conflicts between different ethnic groups in the area.
Norway in October this year takes over the chair in the Arctic Council, where one of the main challenges are relations between indigenous peoples and natural resource exploitation in the North. Mr Oskal was last weekend invited to an environmental conference in Fairbanks , Alaska , to speak about the topic.
The high oil prices put lead to a stronger pressure on the indigenous peoples living from reindeer herding in the Arctic , Oskal says to Offshore.no. He does however believe that not only oil and gas, but also alternative energy sources like windmill parks could hamper conditions for the northern peoples. –We are worried about the situation, the researcher stresses.
http://www.barentsobserver.com/
05.09.2006 • Nenets Autonomous Okrug Arctic tourism under development in the Nenets AO
Regional authorities in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug are investing in the development of Arctic tourism, Regnum reports. – We plan to train 20 professional guides and to develop tourist routes on the Nenets AO territory, deputy governor and head of the Yasavey organisation, Vladislav Peskov, says.
-A presentation of the tourist project will take place on the 20th of September in Naryan-Mar, says Mr Peskov. The project is a joint initiative deputy governor Peskov, Rector of the Educational Center of Saami region Lassi Vaalkepjaa and governor of the Finnish Lapland province Hannu Leppoka.
The cost of the one and a half year project is about 200 000 EUR and will be covered over the “Intertek-Tasis” fund.
http://www.barentsobserver.com/
02.09.2006 • Murmansk oblast New cultural heritage centre of Kola Sami
The Centre and a Commission on cultural heritage of Kola Sami are to be established on the basis of “ Murmansk oblast centre of indigenous small peoples of the North”.
The major task of the Centre will consist in preservation the small people's language, in particular – the Kildin dialect of Sami language, according to Novosti Rossi.
Its native speakers die out, and the necessity of the Centre is obvious. Here, text books and manuals on Sami language will be edited and courses will be held.
Experienced linguists and philologists will be invited for lecturing.
An agreement with Petrozavodsk University is planned, at one of its chairs a course is acting on study of Finno-Ugric dialects.
http :// www . sr . se / euroarctic /
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