Indigenous Leaders Highlight Development, Climate Change as Arctic Council Priorities
NEWS RELEASE 26/10/2006
Leaders of Indigenous Peoples from around the Arctic wrapped up their meeting with the Arctic Council in [GP:Salekhard] today. The end of the meeting marks the end of Russia’s two-year chairing of the eight-nation Council. It was attended by Foreign Ministers from several countries, as well as the Indigenous Leaders. While the Indigenous Leaders praised the achievements of the Council over the past two years, they also took the opportunity to point out to the Ministers that many pressing issues in the Arctic remain. The Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North ( RAIPON ) told Ministers that development pressures, particularly in areas such as the Amur River watershed are facing development pressures and pollution that are threatening reindeer pastures, hunting and fishing activities, and sacred sites.
“We are not against economic development,”
said RAIPON President, Sergey Kharuchi.
” But we are against development that threatens to wipe Indigenous Peoples off the map of Russia. Some parts of the Russian Federation, such as the Yamal Nenets Okrug, are managing development more wisely, and should be taken as a pattern for the rest of the country.”
Development pressures also featured in the presentation of the Saami Council .
“The Saami have watched states build a large part of their wealth on our rivers, fjords, mountains and forests,”
noted Saami President, Alexander Kobelev,
“We will watch no longer. We have to enter a new phase where governments and multinational corporations stop doing the wrong things, and start doing the right. We have never given up our inherent right to our territories, however, for large parts of the Saami area our land and governance rights are still not respected.”
Arctic Athabaskan Council President Gary Harrison called on Ministers to be more vigilant in addressing the increasing appetite of oil and gas companies for indigenous lands.
“The impact of industrialization on the cultural integrity of indigenous communities - the changed economic base and its impact on cultural patterns and activities, and the problems of colonization, assimilation and issues relating to cultural identity will need to be addressed as resource extraction increases. We look forward to the Hydrocarbon Assessment and will pay special attention to the Socio-Economic Impacts chapter.”
A major oil and gas assessment being undertaken by the Arctic Council is looking at the impacts and other issues surrounding hydrocarbon development. Results of the assessment are expected to be released next year.
The issue of cultural preservation was also taken up by the Aleut International Association. Vera Belobrova, Vice-President of AIA Russia told the Ministers that disappearance of the Aleut language is becoming an acute problem.
“Preservation of culture of any people is inextricably related with preservation of language,”
she said.
“As languages disappear so do knowledge, culture, traditions, and a sense of cultural identity. The Arctic Council can and should promote programs to assist Indigenous Peoples in the preservation of their languages.”
Indigenous Leaders also highlighted the continuing need for action on climate change. Despite the release of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment two years ago, follow-up work has been slow to materialize. This was pointed out to Ministers by Inuit Circumpolar Council spokesperson Carl Christian Olsen.
“You should use the ACIA and sponsor significant and far-reaching work on adaptation to climate change. States around this table disagree on timetables and targets for mitigation. But nobody disagrees about the need for adaptation now and in the future.”
The Indigenous Leaders all thanked Russia for its Chairmanship of the Arctic Council over the past two years, and expressed strong hopes for the Norwegian Chair over the next two years.