Arctic Indigenous Peoples Facing Climate Change – A Saami

Perspective

By Rune Fjellheim

Head of Arctic & Environmental Unit

Saami Council

An indigenous people of the Arctic

• The Sámi are one of some 40+ Arctic indigenous peoples

• Some other indigenous peoples are the Inuit in the West and Nenets/Komis In the East

One people in four countries

• The Sámi live in four national states

• Common language, culture and traditions

• Common Sámi flag, national day and national anthem

The Sámis’ settlement area

• From the Kola peninsula in the northeast to Engerdal in South Norway

• A minority in numbers in all four national states

• The Sámis are in the majority in parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland

The flag

• Sámi Conference 1986• Designed by Astrid Båhl

Sámediggi Plenary Session

Sámediggi building

• Officially opened 2 Nov. 2000

• 5 300 square metres• NOK 126 million• Architects Stein Halvorsen

and Christian Sunby• Norwegian State

Architecture Prize 2001

Climate Change is here

Sámi observations

Our income diminishes because of climate change, of course,and in a very drastic way. Even my wife has said that it would be time to forget the 33 reindeer. But I tell her always: “Tamara, we depend on these reindeer. If there are no reindeer, we have nothing to do here either.”

Vladimir Lifov, Lovozero, russian Sámi

Sámi observations cont....

“Temperatures used to be well below freezing in autumn and winter came when it was supposed to. It was not mild autumn like now. It used to be longer, snow would fall. Now sleet and rain will fall. Summers used to be to the ‘standard form,’ this means that fair weather would stay longer. We would have the reindeers in the big fell areas because especially the beginning of the summer would be very hot. Insects would be there as well with the reindeers. Now this has changed. The summers are very unstable. Reindeer are staying in the forests now, they do not go up to the fells any more.”

Heikki Hirvasvuopio, finnish Sámi

Sámi observations cont....

“especially the ground birds, we could be talking about almost extermination when compared to the previous amounts. I used to hunt quite much them alongside reindeer herding before so I have a good idea of the stocks. We cannot even talk about the same amounts during the same day. This affects especially ptarmigans, capercaillie, and ground birds. With small singing birds, the same trend is visible. Nowadays it is silent in the forest – they do not sing in the same way anymore. It used to be that your ears would get blocked as the singing was so powerful before. They have disappeared completely as well.”

Heikki Hirvasvuopi, finnish Sámi, Kakslauttanen Finland

Short Term Challenges

1. “Adapt Now!”

2. Prepare for Escalated Exploitation

3. Manage the new unpredictable weather

4. Document Traditional Knowledge

5. Communicate Climate Change Knowledge

6. Address the Cause of Climate Change Now

The “Positive Effects”

• Reduced sea ice is very likely to increase marine transport and access to resources– The continuing reduction of sea ice is very likely to lengthen

the navigation season and increase marine access to the Arctic’s natural resources.

– Seasonal opening of the Northern Sea Route is likely to make trans-Arctic shipping during summer feasible within several decades. Increasing ice movement in some channels of the Northwest Passage could initiallymake shipping more difficult.

– Reduced sea ice is likely to allow increased offshore extraction of oil and gas, although increasing ice movement could hinder some operations.

– Sovereignty, security, and safety issues, as well as social, cultural, and environmental concerns are likely to arise as marine access increases

Access to Resources

• 40% of the world’s remaining Oil & Gas – resources are in the Arctic

• Minerals• Forests• Fish• Rivers• .......• Transportation – Northern Sea Route

Preconditions for Success

• Fundamental Recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Rights

• Partnership between Indigenous Peoples, Governments, Academia, NGOs and Industry

Shift in population

Self Government – a tool for improving health

• Studies of 195 First Nations in Canada showed a decrease in adolescent suicide rates with an increase in self-government.

Redefining the Arctic

• Homeland• Land of discovery• Magnet for cultural emissaries• Storehouse of resources• Theater for military operations• Environmental linchpin• The scientific Arctic• Destination for adventure travelers• The Arctic of the imaginationArctic Human Development Report

The Arctic a Net Exporter of Wealth

• The Arctic is a net exporter of wealth. Still it’s being described as an over subsidized and underdeveloped wilderness that is constantly relying on transfer payments.

• There is a strong link between empowerment of peoples, fair distribution of wealth created from their lands thus establishing viable and resilient cultures/societies participating on an equal footing in the development of resources.

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