Abstract
As a result of complex historical processes initiated by expansive colonization policies of European countries and the United States, indigenous people in the High North had been marginalized for centuries. Today, indigenous peoples have become a nucleus of political and social changes in the Arctic region. A perception of the region through the categories of autonomous aspirations of the local communities changes the picture of today’s Arctic and makes it incredibly interesting as those trends imply a possible redefinition of the interest of several countries in the High North. In the North, in the eight Arctic countries, approximately 4 million people live. The context requires drawing attention to the problems of the people inhabiting this region in order to emphasize their ethnic and cultural diversity as well as specificity of difficult coexistence of the “old” with the “new” in a much dynamic and rapidly changing social, economic and political reality.
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Notes
- 1.
More on the subject in Sharing Knowledge. Workshop on Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Strategies for Arctic Indigenous Communities, September 20–21, 2008, Copenhagen, TemaNord 2009:521. Copenhagen: Nordic Council of Ministers.
- 2.
The Russian Federation has not ratified the Convention no. 169.
- 3.
- 4.
Grønland in old Scandinavian languages means a “green land,” while the Inuit called the island Kalaallit Nunaat which translates into “our land”.
- 5.
More on the subject in Maliina Abelsen, Minister for Social Affairs, Greenland, Copenhagen, May 26, 2010, titled: Arctic on the threshold of change; see http://www.norden.org/en/nordic-council-of-ministers/ministers-for-co-operation-mr-sam/the-arctic/calender/arctic-changing-realities/speeches-and-presentations/maliina-abelsen-arctic-on-the-threshold-of-change. Retrieved October 01, 2011.
- 6.
More on the subject in Adaptation of Arctic Communities to Climate Change. Possible themes for cooperation. The Top-level Research Initiative—A major Nordic venture for climate, energy and the environment, see www.toplevelresearch.org for more information.
- 7.
Extensive body of information regarding culture, family customs and social behavior of the Eskimo is published in a book by Adamus (1989).
- 8.
For example, the Inuit had no established sacred spots or any permanent religious places, and they never created any images of supernatural beings. Eskimo spirit never demanded to be worshipped in structures especially erected for this purpose.
- 9.
In the 20th century, Protestant missionaries and various organizations launched very active campaigns to change the mode of life and culture of the Eskimo. In the later part of the previous century, their culture practically disappeared and it was replaced by new problems: unemployment, crime, alcoholism, and drug abuse.
- 10.
After Rybicki and Deklaracja Nuuk (2010). On the basis of www.inuit.org, www.itk.ca.
- 11.
In fact, the selection constitutes main points of the Declaration. For more on the subject see appendix and http://inuit.org/en/about-icc/icc-declarations/nuuk-declaration-2010.html.
- 12.
See Jernsletten and Klokov (2002).
- 13.
See Reindriftsforvaltningen (2012).
- 14.
A very interesting depiction of these problems is presented by H. Reinert, S. Mathiesen, E. Reinert, Climate Change and Pastoral Flexibility, pp. 189–204.
- 15.
The very same goal led the researchers engaged in The International Polar Year—IPY 2007–2008 which was the largest ever undertaken research program in the polar regions of the Earth, following the footsteps of the First and Second International Polar Years (respectively in 1881–1883 and 1932–1933), and the International Geophysical Year 1957–1958. An estimated 50,000 researchers, local observers, educators, students and support personnel from over 60 countries participated in more than 228 international IPY projects (170 in scientific research; 57 in Education, Outreach and Science Dissemination and one in Data Management) related to national efforts and endeavors. IPY has generated intensive research and observation in the Arctic and the Antarctic within the period of two years (March 1, 2007–March 1, 2009), including many projects surpassing that window of time. IPY invigorated polar science, led to an unprecedented level of action, and attracted global attention to the polar regions at a critical moment in the changing relation between humanity and the environment. More on the subject at www.arcticportal.org/ipy-joint-committe, http://www.arcticportal.org/ipy-joint-committe, http://www.icsu.org/, http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/pr_911_en.html.
- 16.
For the text of UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, see http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf.
- 17.
For the text of UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, see http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf.
- 18.
For the full text of the speech, see http://www.barentsindigenous.org/co-existence-in-the-arctic-010.147246.en.html (retrieved November 25, 2012).
- 19.
The University of the Arctic Institute for Applied Circumpolar Policy (IACP) is a collaboration between the Dartmouth College, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the University of the Arctic.
- 20.
This group also undertook developing research which is to deal with the critical health issues faced by Arctic communities, and recommended methods of fighting those problems. The experts unequivocally conclude that concentrating on the well-being and flexibility of the North communities is a more effective way to solve the existing problems than resorting to routine approaches of the established medical care.
- 21.
The growing demand for renewable sources of energy such as wind power, hydropower, and nuclear power plants increases the pressure regarding these territories as never before. When the states examine the possibilities of introducing renewable sources of energy, it invariably appears that certain industrial structures together with roads, mines and the necessary infrastructure would be best located on the traditional territories of the indigenous people.
- 22.
It is worth-mentioning that Poles constitute today the largest ethnic group in Iceland.
- 23.
More on the project at http://www.arcticlivingconditions.org.
- 24.
Human Development Index—HDI is a composite statistic of life expectancy, education, and income indices used to rank countries into four tiers of human socio-economic development, hence sometimes called the socio-economic indicator. The system was invented in 1990 and introduced by the UN for international comparisons. Since 1993, it has been used by UNDP in its annual reports.
- 25.
At the same time, Denmark took over the chairmanship from Sweden for the following 2 years, and the Danish Foreign Minister, Lene Espersen, announced that the Commonwealth of the Realm's Arctic strategy was to focus on the Arctic people and their opportunities. That is one more opportunity for SLiCA project to prove very useful.
- 26.
The UN Declaration passed in 2007 which recognizes the rights of indigenous peoples in every country of the world to the ownership of the territories inhabited by them.
- 27.
More on the subject in Alfredsson, G. Human Rights and Indigenous Rights. In: Polar Law Textbook, p. 148 and following.
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Czarny, R.M. (2015). Peoples of the High North. In: The High North. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21662-1_4
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