Reindeer Blog

Парламентская газета “Тюменские известия”. Осенью в ЯНАО пройдет заседание координационного совета ассоциации коренных малочисленных народов Севера «Ямал — потомкам!». Его главным вопросом станет разработка концепции развития этнического населения региона на ближайшие десять лет.

Предыдущая стратегия жизни тундровиков была рассчитана на такой же срок. Окружная Дума утвердила ее в 2000 году. Время прошло быстро. И не впустую, как утверждает президент ассоциации депутат Государственной Думы ЯНАО Александр Евай. Основные положения принятого десятилетнего жизненного плана для охотников, оленеводов и рыбаков в целом выполнены.

Новая концепция развития КМНС будет составлена с поправкой на новое положение дел в регионе и в стране. Вектор промышленного развития округа устремлен на полуостров Ямал, где «Газпром» начинает разработку ожерелья газоконденсатных месторождений. Ждут освоения и нефтеносные залежи близ поселка Новый Порт. (English Summary Below) Read the rest of this entry »

Gold, copper and platinum fever continue to pass over Finnmark. Test cores in Kvalsund had chief geologist Kjell Nilsen enthusing

This is Norway’s largest copper find…We’re talking about billions. With today’s prices, we have found values of between eight and ten billion kroner (1.25 bn Euros)

Other materials in a 6 kilometre ridge include platinum, silver and gold. Nilsen told Finnnmark Dagblad said Nussir ASA intends to apply for permission to extract the minerals and if successful, production might start in year 2011, he adds. This is an area of reindeer husbandry and herders have already expressed their concerns about mining activity, as reported in the Reindeer Blog and in NRK, where herder Berit Kristine Hætta stated that reindeer need peace in this area after calving, a claim questioned by a Nussir spokesperson.

Meanwhile, in Karasjok, Store Norsk Gull are drilling 15 test holes (in their search for gold) in Ráitevárri and Rivkkaoggi (the heart of the winter pastures in this area) and reindeer herders are not happy about it, as reported in NRK yesterday.

In a letter to the Områdestyret for East Finnmark reindeer herders Lars Larsen Anti, Marit Kirsten Anti Gaup og Samuel John L. Anti wrote that the company has made no attempt to dialogue with them

This has not happened, and, therefore, we require full stop of the business until Store Norske Gold have met with us and clarified their activities in the area. We demand direct negotiations and clarification from the company.

The reindeer herders are considering engaging a lawyer if activities are not halted.

(Pic - Torill Kolbu) There was an interesting interview with south Sami reindeer herder Jon Anders Mortensson in Ostlendingen today. Mortensson herding area is the Elgå reindeer district in the mountainous region of southern Norway. In this region there are six herding families, in all about 35 people, herding around 3000 reindeer.

Mortensson stressed the importance of the intergenerational transfer of knowledge and that older herders don’t retire, rather play a critical role in educating the future generations.

We cannot survive with these big losses to predators, year after year. It makes me question more whether it is appropriate that my children become full time reindeer herders. Do they have a profession in the future, or will they get an education in another occupation? These questions and thoughts arise ever more frequently in my head

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While this story might seem more appropriate elsewhere, for the residents of Chukotka, the majority of whom are Chukchi (there are also Yupik, Yukaghir, Even and others) several thousand are engaged in reindeer husbandry, it it is important news. The collapse of the Soviet Union was a disaster for Chukchi reindeer husbandry, and the decline in herd size was more dramatic there than anywhere else in Russia (from nearly half a million to 100,000 reindeer). Abramovich’s tenure as Governor saw a enormous investment in the social and cultural capital of Chukotka as he poured millions of his personal fortune into the regions infrastructure and housing. He also prioritised reindeer husbandry and the livelhood has stabilised, been reinvigorated (See EALAT Information presentations from Chukotka) and seen substantial investment. He has not been without his critics, but noone doubts that citizens of Chukotka are better off now than they were when he started as Governor, 8 years ago. Read the rest of this entry »

Most office workers would not appreciate the ashes of somebody’s recently passed away family member or loved one being spread around their workspace. Sami reindeer herders in Sweden have decided to draw attention to the fact that it is becoming an increasingly common occurence in the mountains that they call their workplace, according to a recent story in UPI and The Local

UMEA, Sweden, July 5 (UPI) — Spreading the ashes of a lost loved one in northern Sweden’s mountains is “unpleasant” for area reindeer herders, they say.

Tomas Nejne, who spoke for a group of reindeer herders, said the funerary practice may be soothing to grieving relatives, but has “unpleasant’ after-effects on herding activities, The Local reported Saturday.

“This has become a working environment problem for us. We think that it is unpleasant to be in and walk over areas where people are buried,” Nejne said.

Current law allows scattering ashes in the mountains thanks to a county administrative board decision. But the herders are asking county court officials to make an immediate change.

The Local said if the herders’ efforts are ultimately unsuccessful, two more people’s cremated remains will be released in the regional mountains.

So said Toomas Ilves, the President of Estonia, as he marched his delegation out of last weeks Finno Ugric Congress in Khanty Mansisk. Ilves even called for the European Union to become engaged in protecting Finno Ugric languages. These remarks were designed to irritate Russia, no doubt, as more than 2 million Finno Ugrian people live in Russia (and many are reindeer herders) Nenets, Sami, Khanty, Mansy, and Komi. However, and this point was made in the Moscow Times in yesterdays editorial, many of Russia’s indigenous peoples are not benefiting from the recent rise in Russia’s wealth and this is all the more evident in areas that are rich in oil and gas such as Khanty Mansisk, Yamal Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Nenets Automous Okrug).

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Sami reindeer herder Olav Mathis Eira was in London recently to make a direct appeal to the British Prime Minister.

“Climate change is threatening our economy as reindeer herders. Because this is part of our traditional way of life, if the economy goes, probably the entire Sami culture would go with it.”

The story was covered in the London Independent, Read the rest of this entry »

(Article from The Local 03052008)The Sweden Democrats have called for an end to privileges enjoyed by Sami reindeer herders at their annual party congress which began in Karlstad on Friday. The far-right Sweden Democrats gathered in the western Swedish town of Karlstad on Friday for their annual party congress. They were met by a large police presence and groups of anti-racist demonstrators.

The meeting will address 31 motions and according to Svenska Dagbladet one of these motions concerns the privileges enjoyed by Sami reindeer herders in the remote northern areas of Sweden.

“Citizens that do not derive their livelihoods from reindeer are treated like second class citizens,” said Olle Larsson from Jämtland. The motion calls the distinct status held by Samis in Sweden “undemocratic” and calls for the re-distribution of funds and support to all “regardless of ethnic identity and line of business.” Read the rest of this entry »

(ROSBALT NORD) САЛЕХАРД, 21 апреля. Освоение Бованенковского месторождения (Ямало-Ненецкий автономный округ) согласовано с коренным населением, сообщает ИА «Север-Пресс».

«Вторжение промышленности в зону хозяйствования коренного населения происходит крайне осторожно и цивилизованно, — заявил заместитель генерального директора компании «Газпром добыча Надым» Игорь Морозов. — Все решения по строительству инфраструктуры и трубопроводов в районе Бованенково принимаются только после детального обсуждения с коренным населением и прохождения соответствующих согласований и экспертиз в местных администрациях».

(Operator Gazprom has got the necessary consent from regional indigenous peoples for the development of the huge Bovanenkovskoe field in the Yamal Peninsula. English summary below) Read the rest of this entry »

The Local, Sweden Two Sami reindeer herders were narrowly missed by a falling space rocket launched from the Esrange space station in northern Sweden in the beginning of April. Saarivuoma Sami village has demanded that safety be improved.”It was lucky that the rocket did not fall on our heads. Otherwise we wouldn’t be sitting here,” said one of the reindeer herders, Per Ola Blind, to news agency TT.

En raket från rymdbasen Esrange slog ned nära två renskötare i början av april.
– Tur att man inte fick raketen i huvudet, säger en av renskötarna. Nu kräver Saarivuoma sameby att säkerheten förbättras
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