| Newsletter - Fall 2000 |
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In this issue: Editorial: New Dynamics of Cultural Research and Representation in Alaska
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EDITORIAL New Dynamics of Cultural Research and Representation in Alaska Alaska Natives number more than 90,000 people and speak 20 indigenous languages. This diversity exists against an historical background of cultural repression and the contemporary resurgence of indigenous rights, resource ownership, political autonomy, and cultural voice. Within this context, the relationship between Alaska Native peoples and cultural researchers from outside their communities has undergone a fundamental transformation. Anthropologists, archaeologists, historians, economists, and other social scientists, as well as the universities, museums, government agencies, private companies, and foundations that employ and support them, all stand on a far different footing with respect to Native communities than was the case until even the last decade.
Today, researchers seek permissions, collaboration, and communication as a matter of course. Information is shared with communities and ethical standards of informed consent, indigenous participation, data sharing, and respect for privacy are pre-conditions for project approval and funding (e.g. Guidelines for Research, Alaska Federation of Natives; Principals for the Conduct of Research in the Arctic, U. S. Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee and the National Science Foundation; Draft Principals for an Arctic Policy, Inuit Circumpolar Conference.) Alaska Native communities have also prioritized self-representation of their cultures in books, media, and museums. In the long history of arctic research, these principles and responsibilities were often unrecognized or ignored. In broad terms the indigenous critique of traditional social science practice indicts researchers for lack of community review and access to publications; disrespect for cultural values; disregard for restrictions on the use of oral traditions; removal of objects without proper permission; disturbance of burials and removal of human remains for study; failure to reciprocate village cooperation; lack of credit and financial return to Native colleagues, and other offenses.
Reform of the relationship between researchers and communities can be credited in large measure to advocacy by regional, national, and international indigenous organizations, as well as to specific U.S. federal legislation. Repatriation laws have had a broad impact, including both the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and the related National Museum of the American Indian Act, which applies specifically to the Smithsonian Institution and its Native American collections. NAGPRA and the NMAI Act reassign legal ownership of many human remains and certain categories of cultural objects (sacred items, objects of cultural patrimony, grave goods) from federally supported museums to tribes. Widely resisted at first by museums and anthropologists, these laws redressed some of the most fundamental grievances of Native communities and shifted indigenous rights to the forefront.
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is the leading source of northern social science funding ($1.4 million in fiscal year 1999 through its Arctic Social Sciences division in the Office of Polar Programs) and has been highly influential by directing its support toward projects that actively involve the cooperation and participation of local communities (Arctic Social Sciences: Opportunities in Arctic Research, ARCUS 1999). Funding is also available through NSF's Human Dimensions of the Arctic (HARC) initiative. The many federal agencies that conduct social science research in the north have also adopted goals and standards that reflect the new priorities. Agency work is coordinated by the U. S. Arctic Research Commission and the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) (see Arctic Research of the United States, published biannually by IARPC).
In recent years the NSF supported creation of the Alaska Native Science Foundation to encourage collaborative project design in such areas as northern contaminants research and incorporation of traditional ecological knowledge into environmental and climate change studies. NSF also provides principle support for the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative, a statewide effort with the University of Alaska and Alaska Federation of Natives to develop culturally integrated science and mathematics curricula for Alaskan schools. The emphasis is on incorporating local knowledge and Native worldviews into science teaching. The Smithsonian Institution's Arctic Studies Center (National Museum of Natural History) has played a role in establishing new working relationships for research and education with indigenous communities in Alaska, Canada, and Russia.
Beyond these specific institutional initiatives there is growing recognition that a collaborative, community-based research model can be applied in a wide range of contexts, and work effectively within the value systems of both villages and scientific disciplines. Archaeological excava-tions, linguistic studies, oral history, cultural landscape studies, subsistence studies, documentation of museum collections, and recording of indigenous knowledge of arctic ecosystems are a few examples of current cooperative work. Both communities and researchers benefit from consultation, information sharing, cost sharing, and co-design of such projects, and many are organized, funded, and/or directed by Alaska Native organizations. Such projects help to support essential goals of Alaska Native communities; the integration of cultural heritage and contemporary identity, social health, education, and management of critical resources. Local involvement and educational outreach can be incorporated through many channels. For example, anthropologists and others contribute to the development of tribal museums, cultural centers, and exhibits, and to educational materials for schools.
A few specific areas of active collaborative research may be highlighted in the present context. For example, human interactions with the changing arctic environment are a focus of interdisciplinary and cross-cultural study. With NSF support, Henry Huntington and the Inuit Circumpolar Conference worked with North Alaskan coastal communities to document traditional ecological knowledge of beluga whales and their migrations. The Marine Mammal Commission (with Caleb Pongawi) has compiled hunters, observations of shifts in whale, walrus, caribou, and seabird behavior. Anthropologists with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game cooperated with the University of Alaska and communities in Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet to develop educational films and interactive CD-ROMs about local subsistence practices and traditional knowledge. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Alaska Nanuuq Commission, and Union of Marine Mammal Hunters of Chukotka recently collaborated on an international study of polar bears that relied heavily on indigenous observations. A workshop held by the Marine Mammal Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and National Marine Fisheries Service focused on linking climate change observations by scientists and Native communities
Archaeology provides a window into cultural history and human-environmental interactions in the past. Archaeologi-cal sites can be ideal opportunities for collaborative study and community involvement because they are often in or accessible to contemporary villages and are easily linked to school programs, training opportunities, local cultural heritage efforts, and tribal museums. The National Science Foundation and the Kodiak Area Native Association co-sponsored excavations by Bryn Mawr College at the Karluk 1 site on Kodiak Island, leading to a wide range of educational efforts and foundation of the Alutiiq Museum in 1995. The Utqiagvik Archaeology Project in Barrow (State University of New York, North Slope Borough, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs) was another landmark project. Research was carried out jointly, including studies made of human remains recovered at the site. Over the past 15 years, many excavations and field schools have featured close cooperation between Native organizations and the National Park Service (especially its Shared Beringian Heritage Program), University of Alaska, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arctic Studies Center, and other agencies and universities.
Museums, collections, and exhibitions are another highly active area of cultural study and collaborative effort. A network of new Alaska Native museums and cultural centers has opened over the past five years, in Anchorage, Barrow, Kodiak, Unalaska, Bethel, and other locations. These organizations house cultural collections and have become focal points for local and regional projects in oral history, archaeology, and traditional arts. These institutions are locally run and supported, and provide an important venue for self-representation of cultural values and perspectives.
The on-going process of repatriation under NAGPRA, which requires extensive consultation between outside museums and tribal groups, has created a new awareness of the wealth of Alaskan collections in U. S. museums and archives around the world. Archaeological and ethnological collections, scholarly reports and publications, photographs, and archival research data gathered during two centuries of scientific contact in the north are of inestimable value to present-day Alaska Native communities. The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History alone holds more than 35,000 ethnological objects from Alaska, of which some portion will eventually go back to the state through repatriation.
Others will return though exhibits developed by the Arctic Studies Center (ASC) in coordination with Alaska Native organizations, the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, and other partners. An example is ASC's Looking Both Ways: Heritage and Identity of the Alutiiq People, which was co-developed with the Alutiiq Museum using information provided by Alutiiq elders and scholars. ASC offers on-going student internships and community scholar opportunities and over the next two years will work on a major project with Alaska Native consultants to document Smithsonian collections and to produce new exhibits, publications, and a web site. The Anchorage Museum's Living Tradition of Yup'ik Masks is another prominent example of community-based exhibition development, and has been followed by further NSF-sponsored study of European museum collections by Yup'ik elders (with curator Ann Fienup-Riordan). Information may be returned in other ways. For example, ASC's Beringian Yup'ik Heritage Project (led by Igor Krupnik, Willis Walunga, Vera Metcalf, and Lyudmilla Ainana) has assembled historical documentary records, notes, maps, and genealogical data from the past century of anthropological research on St. Lawrence Island to create a community sourcebook of Yup'ik heritage and history.
It is clear that a new paradigm of U. S. arctic social science has emerged in response to broad political, legal, and intellectual trends. The opportunities and challenges are both large. Joining local and scientific knowledge in the area of environmental observation is difficult, and requires the construction of new interpretive frameworks. An increasingly important issue in cultural research is intellectual property. Research protocols signed with indigenous entities now often call for restricted access to the information gathered, in line with cultural values and fears that it will be misused or misrepresented. To what extent will researchers agree to restrictions on publication? Repatriation entails other unresolved matters that may undermine the collaborative efforts of Native communities and museums, including disagreement over what objects fall under the legal definitions of NAGPRA. In general, and across all aspects of social and cultural research, collaboration with indigenous communities requires time, patience to listen, and willingness to share control and to work toward alternative goals.
by
Note: This was a position paper written for the Northern Research Forum 2000 in Akureyi, Iceland. Thanks to Aron Crowell and the NRF 2000 to allow its publication in IASSA Newsletter Fall 2000
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IASSA representation at the Arctic Council In October 2000, the IASSA was given an accredited observer status by the Arctic Council. IASSA Council member Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley attended the Ministerial Arctic Council Meeting in Barrow, Alaska. Here are excerpts from his report:
It was interesting to be at the meeting. The afternoon of the 11th, involved reports from working groups to the ministers. Keen interest in changes taking place in the Arctic as well as contaminants. The Russian participant, among others, was emphatic about participation in Arctic research. [...] The next morning, after the opening sessions, the NSB Mayor George Ahmoagak gave the welcoming address. He mentioned that within their own region that they had been able to fund many of their projects, but now with dwindling resources, they like everyone else will need financial support to carry on the very important studies in their Arctic environment. This was followed by the presentation of the new permanent participants - Arctic Athabascan Council and Gwich'in Council International - with short statements made by their respective leaders. This was followed by the approval of applications for observer status. These nine applications, including IASSA, were approved without incident.
Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley
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Arctic Council Secretariat moves to Finland Finland has assumed the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council as of October 2000. Arctic Council Secretariat functions as well as web site maintenance are transferred to Finland. As of 1 December 2000, Finnish Foreign Ministry has opened with the help of Arctic Centre, Information Service, University of Lapland the new Arctic Council web sites at the address: http://www.arctic-council.org.
Sites provide information related not only to the Arctic Council activities but variety of things concerning the Arctic. Arctic co-operation started in the field of environmental protection, in accordance with the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS) adopted in Rovaniemi, Finland in June 1991. Based on this "Rovaniemi process," the Arctic Council was established by a Declaration of eight arctic states at their Ministerial Meeting in Ottawa in September 1996. With the establishment of the Arctic Council, environmental issues and sustainable development became key elements in the Council's sphere of activities. The Council also distributes information, encourages education, and stimulates interest in arctic questions.
The program for the Finnish Chair of the Arctic Council 2000 - 2002 is available on the above mentioned internet address in English, Russian, Finnish, Swedish and Sami. Finland's priorities during its chairmanship includes, for example, rationalizing the Council's work in order to intensify the protection of the Arctic environment and initiating cooperation between the Arctic Council and the European Union.
The Arctic Council has eight member states: the five Nordic countries, Canada, the Russian Federation and the United States. For bodies representing indigenous peoples the Council has a separate category of Permanent Participants. Moreover, the Council has Observers: states, international organizations and non-governmental organizations. The Council distributes information, encourages education, and stimulates interest in arctic questions.
For further information, questions, or comments, please contact: Arctic Council Secretariat
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Crisis in Northern Research: National Task Force Report NEWS RELEASE-Sept. 21, 2000 (Whitehorse, Yukon) In a report released in September a national Task Force urges Canada to rebuild its university-based northern research capacity in order to help Northerners cope with the unprecedented social, physical, and environmental challenges currently facing the region. The report calls for new partnerships between universities and northern communities and the direct involvement of northerners in research and training.
The Task Force proposes a five-point program to rebuild Canadian northern research: establish 24 university research chairs (12 senior and 12 junior) dedicated to northern research; create 40 northern graduatte scholarships and 40 postdoctoral fellowships; support 70 strategic research projects of high social, industrial, or environmental relevance (modelled on NSERC's Strategic Projects program); build partnerships between northern communities and university researchers (modelled on SSHRCC's Community-University Research Alliance program); and provide funding for critical equipment, infrastructure, and logistical needs. The Presidents of NSERC and SSHRC welcomed the report. "Research is fundamental to economic, social, and educational development in the North", said SSHRC President Marc Renaud. "This is an important report that will be brought forward quickly to the federal government."
The Task Force was made up of 17 members from the university, government, and northern communities whose expertise covers the broad range of natural sciences, engineering, and social sciences. It consulted widely with university researchers, federal government departments, and northern and Aboriginal communities and organizations. The text of the report From Crisis to Opportunity: Rebuilding Canada's Role in Northern Research, including policy recommendations, is available at:
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With an axe against "Lukoil" With an axe against "Lukoil"
The dispute between the famous Nenets poet and writer Yurii Kylevich Aivaseda (Vella) and the "Lukoil-Western Siberia" company in the Surgut area of the Hanty-Mansiiskii Autonomous Region has been on for the third week. On 14 of September, 2000 Yurii Aivaseda with his family and his guests from France and Estonia was travelling from his tribal land to Variegan settlement. He carried his grandsons, who are being trained in the tundra, to meet with their schoolmates from Variegan school, at the school assembly. Having approached the bridge on the Hapleuta river, which has the only road in the area, connecting the remote pastures of the tribe to the settlement, he saw that the workers of the "Lukoil-Western Siberia" company were tearing down the bridge with a power shovel. Yurii Kylevich's request to present the documents that would license the destruction was ignored as well the request to contact the law-enforcement body to resolve the arisen dispute. To stop the destruction of the bridge, Yurii Kylevich cut the tires of the power shovel with an axe.
The "Lukoil-Western Siberia" company sued the owner of the tribal lands for the damage and, simultaneously attacked through mass media trying to depict the known public figure as a hooligan and a troublemaker, and the Hanty people (in spite of the fact that none of the Hanty tribe members was involved) as militant hooligans. At the present moment Yurii Kylevich, supported in this dispute by the Association "the Ugra Rescue" , the Association of the indigenous people of the North, Siberia and the Far East of Russian Federation, is getting ready for the fight in court. We will soon know on whose side is the Law.
The reason of the conflict, as we see it, not in the damaged tires, and not at all in the disassembled bridge. It is one more sample of how the old well-hidden conflict between the indigenous population of the district and the land users may burst out. For a long time in relations to the indigenous peoples (not only in Russia, but also all over the world) the patronizing policy of the state worked quite well. How to live, where to be employed, what one should teach one's children - all this was decided by the state, which was not interested in the people's opinion on. During the last few years at the international level a new principle of partnership and agreement in relations to the indigenous people including the field of economy was proclaimed.
The traditional forms of land use have the same right to exist, as well as the oil companies. But it is true in principle. The existing legislation gives the priority to the industrial land users, and it is understandable. We at present live at the expense of natural resources' export. The budget Hanty-Mansiiskii Autonomous Region being (in the terms of modern Russian political jargon) the "donor-territory", has the budget based on the taxes paid by the oil companies. That results in the inconsistency of the legislation concerning rights of the indigenous people to have access to the natural habitat, as it is proclaimed in the Law "On guarantee of the rights of the national minorities of the Russian Federation". The owners of the tribal grounds Hanty-Mansiiskii Autonomous Region have official instruments of ownership on the grounds, including Yurii Kylevich Aivaseda.
The adoption of a new law on territories of traditional land use could partially ease the tension but the draft of the law has been roaming around the corridors of power for three years already. According to Tatyana Gogoleva the president of the Association "The Ugra Rescue", the Regional Duma deputy, none of the bills in the Region has passed so many revisions and disputes on various levels as this one, but all the same till now was not adopted even in the first reading. So one side of the conflict which emerged in such a form, when the owner of the land with an axe attacks the power shovel, is clear. It is struggle for the right to live on the land of his ancestors, to earn one's living in the traditional way, to care of the rivers and lakes, to save the land for the future generations.
But there is more one latent party of the conflict. On 14 of January, 2001 there will be elections to the Regional Duma of Hanty-Mansiiskii Autonomous Region. The charter of the Region stipulates the creation of the Assembly of the Representatives of the indigenous minorities within the structure of the Regional Duma. In 1997 the Assembly was created. However, whereas the mechanism of the Assembly formation is not clarified completely, out of six elected deputies only two are the representatives of the minorities - Hanty and Mansi and the other four - represent the interests of "oil cities" (Surgut, Nizhnevartovsk, Megion), where the indigenous population is scarce. In April, 2000 the deputies of Duma have accepted the Law, in which candidates to the Assembly members will be nominated by the Congress of the indigenous people the Region, so the chances of getting into the Duma for the representatives of indigenous people appear to be better.
Such arrangement does not suit some of the deputies who do not wish to part with their places in the Duma. D. Ogulchanskii (Surgut) and V. Grebennyukov (Nizhnevar-tovsk) have proposed to permit self-nomination to the Assembly. If this initiative had found support among the Duma majority, the named deputies (as the representatives of the small peoples) would continue to protect their interests in the following convocation. But the Duma at the extraordinary session on 5 of October has left the Law without change. Such decision has hardly satisfied of the representatives of certain circles and institutions structures wishing to have of the "pocket" deputies, therefore with the help puppet mass media they have started a campaign of discrediting the indigenous people of the Region and their leaders.
After the scandal with Yurii Aivaseda, Tatyana Gogoleva became the target of the Lukoil attack. The company officials have forwarded the angry letters into the address of the broadcasting company "Yugra" and the chairman of the Regional Duma of the Hanty-Mansiiskii Autonomous Region, where they accuse Gogoleva of damaging the company's business reputation by her report broadcasted by the company "Infosevice". They also ask "to look into the matter and discuss the actions of the deputy". Who is next?
O. Moldanova,
Note: The following email was sent on IASSA.Net on December 4, 2000
Dear friends, The conflict about Jurij Ajvaseda (Vella) the nenets activist is not settled. Jurij is now officially accused to rowdyism and needs all support. LUKOIL seems to start a broad campaign also in mass media to defame Jurij and the indigenous reindeerherders.
We would like to ask you to support the interests of the indigenous population of the Russian Federation. The conflict between the indigenous population of Western Siberia and the oil industry is escalating. Yuriy Ajvaseda (Vella) a Nenets reindeerherder, writer and human rights activist in the Khanty Mansijskij Avtonomny Okrug is accused by the oil company LUKOIL of having threatened oil-workers with an ax. He expects court procedures nd imprisonment. Yuriy Ajvaseda (Vella) has for years been engaged in the interests of reindeerherders against the regardless oil and gas extraction. He co-operates with many environmental and human rights NGOs and last year received an award of the Sorros Foundation for his achievements. Yuriy Vella is supported by the Russian NGO " Rodnik ", which represents natives in legal conflicts.
We ask you to influence in the context of your possibilities that constitutional norms and human rights will be assuredin the conflict between the indigenous population and the oil industry. Please send a letter in support of the interests of the Western Siberian indigenous population to the decision makers in Russia. You can find further information on the Internet page:
Yuriy Ajvaseda has a mobile telephone at his living place in the taiga. When desired we can pass the telephone number on. For further information please contact also the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North:
RAIPON
With best regards, Stephan Dudeck
* * * * Information on the Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV) The triennial congress of the International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA) The Power of Traditions: May 16 to 20, 2001 The objective of the congress is to share ideas and results on social sciences research done in the Arctic. It is also hoped that the congress will promote and stimulate international cooperation.
Suggested sessions included so far are: archaeological and historical heritage in Nunavik; arts and artists; community-oriented projects in archaeology; dictionary making for Inuit languages; education; economy; environmental changes and society; food security; governance and aboriginal people; languages and oral traditions, memory and history; oral history research; rapid cultural changes in the North; teaching aboriginal languages; third worldization of Northern Russia; transition in health status and medical practices; University of the Arctic; zooarchaeology.
Congress location: ICASS IV will be held at the Hotel Loews Le Concorde in the old part of Quebec City. A large number of rooms has been booked for ICASS IV participants at the special rate of 149$ Ca (taxes not included) for single or double occupancy. The deadline to make reservations is April 16, 2001. Please mention ICASS IV when making your reservations at: http://www.loewshotels.com/leconcordehome.html
Costs: Participants are expected to pay their own travel, accommodation and local costs. Only paid-up members of IASSA are allowed to participate to the congress. Congress fees will be as follows: Before March 1, 2001: After March 1, 2001:
Congress languages: Papers can be presented in English or in French. No translation services will be provided during presentations. More information on ICASS IV: Can be found on http://www.fss.ulaval.ca/iassa
ICASS IV SESSIONS: Sessions organized so far are listed below: Access to archival material and copyright issues Archaeological and historical heritage in Nunavik Archaeological research in Northern Europe Archaeological research in Northern Russia Arctic economy Arts and the artists in the Arctic Circumpolar mobility program Community-oriented projects in northern archaeology Communicating scientific knowledge to peoples of the Arctic Circumpolar mobility program Dictionary making in Inuit languages Environmental changes and society in the Arctic Film/video on indigenous peoples of the North Governance and Aboriginal People Higher education in the Arctic Justice in the circumpolar North Living conditions in the Arctic Language and oral traditions in the Arctic Media and northern identities Memory and history in the Arctic Museum representations of northern peoples Narrative that Heals Navigation and travel in the Arctic: the power of tradition Northern cultural projects on the web Northern Research Forum Rapid cultural changes in the North Religious mediations Social sciences research in Kamchatka Suicide among circumpolar peoples Sustainable Development and Food Security in the Arctic Teaching of Aboriginal languages Towards a social archaeology of paleoeskimo peoples Transformation of health status and medical practices in the Arctic University of the Arctic
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CALL FOR PAPERS Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV), The Power of Traditions: Identities, Politics and Social Sciences, May 16 to 20, 2001 Final Call For Papers Please submit titles of papers and abstracts and/or titles of sessions you would like to chair by February 10, 2001
We prefer email but you can also reach us at: ICASS IV Organizing Committee Tel.: (418) 656-7596
See below for some abstracts of sessions at ICASS IV:
Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV), Session on Arts and the artists in the Arctic, May 16 to 20, 2001, Quebec City, Canada Session organizer: Céline Saucier < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it > Like any other society, the people of the Arctic are confronted with the necessity of protecting their cultural achievements, their language, their oral and religious traditions and their works of arts and other artistic means of expression, at a time when the globalization of markets and social transformations are affecting the whole world through new technologies in fields such as information. The Arctic communities are situated in the same space of ideas or materiality as their neighbours whether close or remote. Can a potential source of conflict be seen in this situation? In dealing with it, some are strong protectors of the ancestral heritage, while others are champions of accelerated economic development.
For the past few decades, the Western world has been informed by exhibitions, publications or scientific symposiums that display the inuit object - in particular the sculpture and the print. Illustrating Inuit culture with the object raises fundamental questions if we are looking at a model proposed for external markets with preeminence given to ethnic heritage? Can it be claimed that the object has become a cultural property recognized by aboriginals? If artistic production is considered to bear a historical conscience can't equally be claimed that this art has given birth to a social conscience? It might also be admitted that reference to a commercial conscience would be more fitting.
We can see the problems brought on by globalization on the one hand and the fragility of the Arctic cultures on the other. In these circumstances, it may be asked if it would not be appropriate for Northern societies to contemplate the possibility, at the cultural level of a point of no return which would let political decision makers and community leaders know when to take action to prevent everything from disappearing - not only the objects themselves but also all the other elements of culture constituting an intangible heritage?
Could we not propose the promotion of these cultures works of art, their crafts and other means of expression represented by cultural property, whether material, movable and intangible be put in the larger context of " Arctic cultural heritage " thus encompassing the notion of an identity bearing the seal of authenticity? Is it not time to express a more formal balance of power in a statement that could safeguard a cultural heritage faced with the demands of marketing and become an agent for lasting development, a source of profitable economic activity?
Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV), Session on Circumpolar mobility program, May 16 to 20, 2001, Quebec City, Canada Session organizer: Fae L. Korsmo < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it > A great strength of circumpolar social science is its international character. Yet the funding of circumpolar social science tends to be national in scope, with limited opportunities for scholarly and educational exchange. This session explores the possibilities for enhanced international exchange of scholars and graduate students between circumpolar countries and regions through a review of current funding possibilities and an examination of proposed new mechanisms such as a circumpolar mobility program.
Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV), Roundtable on Communicating scientific knowledge about the peoples of the Arctic, May 16 to 20, 2001, Quebec City, Canada Session organizer: Louis-Jacqueas Dorais The communication of scientific knowledge about the peoples of the Arctic has, until now, principally been left to the written media: journals, research reports, books, or specialized series. Two factors, however, are now challenging this situation: 1) Aboriginal knowledge is increasingly been considered as scientific - on an equal footing with academic "science" - even if its communication often occurs outside the recognized media; 2) the advent of the new electronic technologies challenges the primacy of the printed word. It is, thus, important for people involved as editors, writers, readers, or else, in currently existing journals and series dealing with arctic social sciences, to get together in order to discuss these challenges. This is the objective of this roundtable which is proposed by the journal ?udes/Inuit/Studies.
Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV), Session on Dictionary Making for Inuit Languages, May 16 to 20, 2001, Quebec City, Canada Session organizer: Lawrence Kaplan < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it > Ever since the languages of the Inuit were first written over 200 years ago, both Inuit and non-Inuit language specialists have had dictionary making as a central concern. Numerous Inuit language dictionaries have been published over the years, and currently there are more than a dozen dictionary projects underway. Presumably, these dictionaries share some similar goals: dictionaries should list individual lexemes and be linguistically accurate while not overly technical, so that they are accessible for non-specialists.
Dictionaries also differ in their goals and their organization: they may cover a single dialect or many dialects; they may be organized alphabetically or by topic; they may or may not use special symbols to communicate linguistic information such as transitivity or part of speech; they include example sentences or not; they include varying degrees of supplementary cultural information; they employ a stem and sub-entry format or else keep all entries on one level only; main entries may be abstract word stems or else inflected forms; treatment of neologisms varies; place names and personal names may be included in the main section or in an appendix or not at all. Format may vary with the goals of the dictionary and the views of the particular lexicographer, or in some cases language and dialect differences may dictate a particular treatment of the morphemes listed.
This session will provide an opportunity for those interested in Inuit language dictionaries to meet and discuss their projects and particular areas of concern in Inuit lexicography, in hopes that an exchange of ideas with others who are facing the same issues will illuminate our otherwise solitary task. Participants are asked to prepare specific questions and concerns of interest to the group for general discussion and possibly bring in sample materials to clarify the organization of their dictionary. The session will take up issues particular to Inuit lexicography, such as questions of format, orthography, and audience, and not general subjects such as the difficulty of translating from one language to another.
Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV), Session on Governance in the North, May 16 to 20, 2001, Quebec City, Canada Session organizer: Oran R. Young < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it > Throughout the circumpolar world, recent decades have witnessed experiments with new forms of political organization. Many of these experiments involve a devolution of authority and power from national (or regional) governments to regional or subregional governments. In 1972, the residents of Alaska's North Slope formed the North Slope Borough (NSB); similar arrangements have emerged in other remote parts of Alaska. Denmark created the Greenland Home Rule by act of parliament in 1979.
Nunavut, a new territory in the Canadian Arctic, came into existence in 1999 as a product of a negotiated settlement between the residents of the eastern Canadian Arctic and the national government of Canada. The Barents Euro-Arctic Region (BEAR), formed in 1993 at the initiative of national governments, accords a prominent role to the northern counties of Fenno-Scandia, the Republic of Karelia, and the Murmansk and Archangel Oblasts through the establishment of a regional council. In Siberia, on the other hand, a period of de facto devolution following the collapse of the Soviet Union may now be coming to an end as a consequence of renewed efforts on the part of the central government of the Russian Federation to exert control over outlying areas.
This session will examine these shifting patterns of authority and power seeking, in the process, to bring a comparative perspective to bear on the evolution of core/periphery relations in the Arctic. Each paper will address a common set of questions with regard to a particular sector of the Arctic. What is the content of the bundle of authority and powers granted to (sub)regional governments? How are regional governments in the Far North funded, and how does the nature of the funding mechanism employed affect the performance of these governments? How has devolution affected socioeconomic and environmental conditions in the Circumpolar North? What are the implications of the fact that regional governments in the Arctic are public governments for efforts to secure the rights of aboriginal/indigenous peoples? Does the experience of the Russian North differ fundamentally from the course of devolution in other parts of the Arctic? What are the prospects for devolution in the Far North during the foreseeable future? The discussion will explore similarities and differences among the various parts of the Arctic with regard to these matters and ask whether there are lessons to be drawn for the future.
Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV), Session on Justice and the articulation of state power and tradition in the north, May 16 to 20, 2001, Quebec City, Canada Session organizers: This session explores how the idea of tradition figures in the relationship between state and local practices. From colonial and imperial administrations of the nineteenth century, to national management bureaus and eventually increasing native autonomy in the twentieth century, illuminating similarities and contrasts occurred in state-indigenous relations across the countries of the North. Increasing claims for social justice by native groups and state responses to them bring tradition to the fore within bureaucratic, local and personal contexts. The articulation of state power and tradition through mechanisms of governance and justice raises important issues for both social science research and native communities. Together, the papers in this panel consider the interaction of state bureaucracy, legal structure and local agents in the definition of traditional practices and related notions of identity.
Koester's paper examines various historically grounded contextual layers that give meaning to current notions of tradition which were created by changing state policies, community transformations and individual initiatives in native communities in Kamchatka, Russia. Brown's work considers the relationship between legal codes and the construction of identity in her analysis of the role of Athabascan tribal courts in native child welfare proceedings.
Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV), Session on Languages and Oral Traditions in the Arctic, May 16 to 20, 2001, Quebec City, Canada Session organizer: Andr?ourcier Faced with the combined effects of settlement, christianization, forced education and the constant assault of mass media on their ancestral language, many Aboriginal People today have no choice but to answer a very difficult question: Is it possible to preserve and bequeath Oral Traditions to posterity in a different language than the one used by a given community to create them in the first place? This question of course brings forth many problems of identity for Aboriginal people but it also raises many methodological problems for researchers in Social Sciences. It seems highly important to define the place of Aboriginal languages in Oral Traditions. Are they simply inert material supporting universal concepts or should they be seen as an essential component of that tradition? What kind of scientific value can we give to a translation? How can we evaluate the competence of an interpreter in a language erosion context? How far can poetic license can go before destroying the essence of the message? Is a word-for-word translation more precise? What is the importance of prosodic features and body language in the transcription of Oral Traditions? What is the social relevance of a translated Oral Tradition?
The problems raised by this question are complex and any hint of an answer will naturally be tinged by the ethnic heritage or the research field of the participant. The goal of this session is to present and analyze some leads on how to tackle this question in a multidisciplinary context. This session is open to everyone that has to work with Oral Traditions: Aboriginal people, researchers in Social Sciences, linguists or poets.
Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV), Session on Memory and History in the Arctic, May 16 to 20, 2001, Quebec City, Canada Session organizer: Fran?s Trudel In the Arctic as elsewhere, human groups continually mobilize their traditions or various elements of their past, history and memory to defend their interests, assert their rights and protect their social and cultural identities. Such an infatuation for traditions takes quite many forms locally and regionally: valorization of elders and of traditional knowledge; gathering of oral tradition data; projects of oral and local history; creation of databases, museums and heritage centers; materials development for classroom, schools and community; integration of tradition in the newly developed socio-political structures; preservation of memory, through the use of writing and the new technologies; efforts to develop original perspectives on history, etc., etc.
It must be added that the memory and history of many Arctic populations have recently been mobilized in other settings. In Canada, for example, the land use and occupancy projects (in the 1970s and 1980s) prepared the important socio-political agreements (such as Nunavut) nowadays being implemented; the public consultations of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal peoples (in the 1990s) revealed great social and cultural dramas (residential schools, relocations of Aboriginal communities) and forced the Canadian government to pay important monetary compensations. In view of all of this, it is not surprising that there is a great deal of interest for traditions, memory and history, since it enables groups to better understand the past, as well as to manage the present and prepare the future.
In the Arctic, which place do tradition and traditions continue to occupy? Why? How is the past being represented? By whom? How can we interpret this infatuation for oral tradition, oral history and traditional knowledge? To which use are oral tradition databases to be put? How is history being made and written? Is there an original Aboriginal perspective on history? On the point of view of the study of memory and history, which collaboration can be established between the southern researchers and the inhabitants of the north? Which role do individual and collective memories play in the making up of the present and the future? Where do memories engrave themselves? How do they evolve? Are there "inventions of traditions"?
This session is open to all types of contributions and aims to let those interested in such questions make public their research, put their ideas in common, establish comparisons between different regions of the Arctic and maybe establish future collaborations. For additional information, contact:
Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV), Session on Museum representations of northern peoples, May 16 to 20, 2001, Quebec City, Canada Session organizer: Nancy Wachowich < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it > Since the mid-nineteenth century, museums have acted as historical sites for the production of cultural identities. Artifacts from northern regions have been exhibited in museums in manners that have fostered growing southern fascinations with northern peoples and their place within southern historical paradigms of: nature, civilization, science, modernism, nationalism, technological progress, and human history. Museum collecting and display practices More recently however, museum scholars have been focussing on the power and politics of museum exhibitions and the emerging cross-cultural dialogues taking place in these public spaces. Arctic and subarctic peoples, once the objects of museum displays, now actively participate in the exhibition of their own cultures through their involvement as curators, as interpreters, or as museum audiences. National museums now take their place among community-based exhibitions and cultural heritage centres. Contesting north/south narratives of cultures and histories are increasingly being negotiated in museum sites in the context of broader discussions related to land claims, environmental protection, sustainable development, and hunting rights.
This panel will focus on the politics and practice of museum representations and their relation to northern peoples. What narratives are highlighted in contemporary exhibits and how do these intersect with historical narratives of northern peoples' pasts? How are Arctic and subarctic peoples made to seem different than southerners in museum narratives? What elements of northern cultures are emphasized and what are downplayed? Who assigns value to the different ethnographic objects? How are traditions and identities constructed and treated through these displays? What are the stories about northern peoples that are being told in museum sites? Whose historical visions are being served by these productions of cultural difference? What role do local community museums and cultural heritage centres play in local processes of identity construction? How do local exhibitions differ from metropolitan museum settings? What are the current forms of collaborative museological practice in the north? How are issues of conservation and preservation being dealt with in terms of the contemporary politics of repatriation? This session is open to all those interested in the changing relationships between museums
Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV), Session on Narrative that Heals, May 16 to 20, 2001, Quebec City, Canada Session organizer: Wendy H. Arundale Healing can take many forms and is a culturally shaped concept. Two common definitions of healing involve restoring health following a wound or illness, or the long-term promotion of wellness as a state of being. Healing can occur at several different levels: individual, family, community, or cultural group. For a very long time, perhaps throughout human existence, stories, oral history, and other forms of narrative have played a healing role in human life. Elders may recount stories that help a community draw together and recognize its underlying commonalities. An adult may retell the story of his or her life as part of the developmental task of gaining perspective and attaching meaning to his or her actions in the past. Family stories, retold on various occasions, can increase understanding of idiosyncratic behavior, relate family history, inject leavening humor, and draw members together. Stories told in therapeutic settings, such as substance abuse treatment, can dispel secrets, lift burdens, help people understand that they are not alone in their feelings or experiences, and assist them in moving on. These are only a few examples among many.
Perhaps because they have long understood their healing power, northern peoples have always valued stories and other forms of narrative. Over the past 15-20 years they have shared their stories more widely, bringing about a wider appreciation of them, and worked more vigorously for their preservation. Anthropologists, and their colleagues in folklore have long collected narratives and stories, but in recent years they have given them more attention. These scholars have helped us think about the complex political and social implications of stories, and appreciate the variety of forms they can take. More recently psychologist have also shown an increased interest in narratives and their power to heal. They have sought to understand the importance of narrative in developing identity, looked at the role of stories in building resilience, even organized an important new therapeutic modality around narrative. And these examples are so limited, they almost do a disservice to what has been happening. With the ever-increasing pressures of rapid cultural change and the resulting stress for northern peoples, the need for healing becomes more and more urgent. Narrative is a healing resource that may be readily present in everyday life, if people appreciate its importance and know how to use it.
This workshop/symposium will provide an opportunity for story-tellers, scholars, and practitioners from a variety of settings across the North to come together and share their thoughts and experiences around the growing range of ideas and issues related to narrative and healing.
Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV), Navigation and travel in the Arctic: the power of tradition, May 16 to 20, 2001, Quebec City, Canada Session organizer: Joseph Sonnenfeld < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it > Tradition is viewed as a conservative force when it comes to understanding the persistence of environmental knowledge. Yet, traditional environmental knowledge is difficult to sustain in the absence of that which gives it meaning; and when it ceases to be of practical use, it can be lost. The environmental knowledge which contributed to success in traditional subsistence travel was clearly essential, in particular considering the character of the arctic as travel environment, the extensive areas over which the Inuit and Inupiat hunted, and the navigational and wayfinding techniques available to them as individuals and as communities. Over time, subsistence values have changed. Traditional dog teams and sleds have been replaced by motor driven snowmachines; and new navigational techniques have made access to traditional means of orientation and wayfinding less critical. The importance of place-specific environmental knowledge the safety of traditional travel has also been affected as new vehicles, and new routes between traditional destinations, and new destinations have altered the relevance of such knowledge.
There is historical and practical value in establishing inventories of the traditional environmental knowledge that still exists among those Inuit and Inupiat who remain active in subsistence travel, and who still depend on some of this knowledge. But there is also value in identifying and probing the kinds of environmental knowledge that have replaced the traditional, since surface travel obviously continues, if it has also not expanded for most Inuit and Inupiat communities. Is contemporary surface travel supported by environmental knowledge equivalent to that which was available traditionally? And how have social and community relationships contributed both to the accumulation and transmission of such knowledge?
Papers on some of these issues have been volunteered by a number of researchers active in the study of Inuit and Inmupiat travel systems. These include a review of Inuit traditional wayfinding knowledge (John MacDonald); a consideration of GIS and GPS techniques, which make electronically generated spatial data available at a scale suitable for subsistence travel (Claudio Aporta); and a consideration of some social dimensions of the geographical
Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV), Session on Seal Hunting: a multi-millenary activity, May 16 to 20, 2001, Quebec City, Canada Session organizers: - sites and techniques of exploitation;
Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV), Session on Teaching of Aboriginal languages, May 16 to 20, 2001, Quebec City, Canada Session organizer: Irene Mazurkewich The teaching programs of Aboriginal languages have played an important role in the areas of language retention, revival and maintenance. Native peoples have especially been concerned at the lack of heritage language skills in the younger generation and the loss of indigenous knowledge that results when the language is no longer passed on to the next generation. Over the past several decades, this has led to the introduction of an ever increasing growth of Aboriginal immersion and First Language programs in an effort to meet the challenge faced by communities in which the Aboriginal language is either no longer spoken, or else, spoken only by the older generation.
The language programs that have been designed are based on a wide variety of teaching methodologies that depend on the learner age, the goals of the program, the availability of Native teachers and teaching assistants, the development of appropriate teaching materials, as well as other factors. However, the effectiveness of such programs also reveal a variability that often reflects individual situations. At this session on the teaching of Aboriginal languages, we will bring together program developers, teachers, and researchers, both national and international, who will present research findings based on the programs developed in their communities.
Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV), Session on Social archaeology of paleoeskimo peoples, May 16 to 20, 2001, Quebec City, Canada Session organizer: Bryan Hood < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it > For the past 30 years, Eastern Arctic Paleoeskimo archaeologists explored vast archaeologically unknown regions to construct a basic culture-historical framework. As this framework took form, variations in Paleoeskimo distributions and culture change over time were often attributed to environmental causality. Eventually, perceived weaknesses in the framework led to questioning of the received culture-historical categories and calls for more formal systematization of unit concepts. The climate/culture change correlations also became increasingly problematic. More recently, fragments of a Paleoeskimo social archaeology have emerged. It is time that a concerted effort be made to develop a range of social approaches that treat Paleoeskimos as people -- active agents rather than adaptive entities.
A social archaeology for Paleoeskimo peoples could benefit from an engagement with recent trends in archaeological theory that focus on agency, practice and meaning, although these approaches cannot be considered sufficient for dealing with the many levels of interpretation and analysis that an ecumenical social archaeology should involve. While symposium participants are encouraged to engage the aforementioned themes, conceptual pluralism is highly desirable. One goal of the symposium could be to sketch out what a Paleoeskimo social archaeology might look like.
Several conceptual issues seem central. What is the relationship between stylistic variation and social practices, seen in terms of both the "functional" demands of technological organization and socially and cognitively mediated technological choices? What is the relationship between people and their natural environments? Can we reconcile or integrate traditional adaptation thinking with more recent discussion of landscape phenomenology? How can we explore social relations of production and gender in Paleoeskimo society? What can Dorset art and other forms of symbolic expression (e.g. longhouses) indicate about meaning construction in Paleoeskimo society and what kinds of frameworks are most useful for such interpretation?
Finally, most of our interpretations are implicitly or explicitly based on some form of ethnographic analogy. What are the constraints on analogical reasoning and how can we best employ Inuit analogies to avoid reproducing the ethnographic record in Paleoeskimo prehistory?
While these theoretical issues are important, interpretive narratives remain poorly grounded without relevant methodological strategies for linking concepts and data. Consequently, another focus of the symposium could be on methodologies appropriate for addressing social questions: lithic analysis, zooarchaeology, spatial analysis, etc.
American Folklore Society 2001 Annual Meeting, "Partners in Knowledge", Anchorage, Alaska, October 17-21, 2001 This year's theme, "Partners in Knowledge," invokes two concerns that lie at the heart of current folklore scholarship and practice. The first is methodological, pointing to new ways of establishing and enacting partnerships, moving toward a disciplinary practice that highlights collaboration over colonization, and engaged dialogue over monologue. The second is epistemological, referencing our understandings of the nature of knowledge, challenging us to reflect on different worlds of knowing and the ways that they're granted legitimacy. Together, these issues invite us to rethink our roles as creators, receivers, presenters, and partners in the production of knowledge.
To speak of "knowledge" is to talk not only of ways of knowing and things known, but also of how knowledge gains authority, how it earns legitimacy in realms other than those from which it arises. This, in turn, leads us to consider what gets defined as "knowledge," who does this defining, and who benefits from the act of definition. Questions of intellectual property rights, and of the colonization and commodification of knowledge, all rise to the fore.
Conflicts over the definition, ownership, and legitimization of knowledge all point to the need for new modes of partnering, where research and practice emerge as fully shared endeavors. Collaboration becomes the keyword here, pressing toward a model of shared voices, shared authority, and shared goals. Collaboration, of course, can take many forms. It can unfold with those who are our consultants; with those for whom we're asked to serve as consultants; with colleagues in other disciplines; with public, private, and community-based organizations; with others within our own discipline (for example, between academic and public folklorists). Models for such partnerships already exist. Artists, folklorists, and public agencies work together to protect natural resources vital to those artists' livelihood. Traditional healers, folklorists, and health workers negotiate public health policies. Schoolteachers work with folklorists and musicians to re-center curricula around local aesthetics. Folklorists and archaeologists explore the lifeways of past peoples. The key lies in collaborating from positions of equality, while struggling to recognize the biases and presumptions that have historically undermined such sharing.
We strongly encourage you to submit your proposals for individual paper presentations electronically through the online submission page available at the AFS web site (http://www.afsnet.org/annualmeet). This option increases efficiency in processing submissions and accuracy in preparing and publishing the final program for the meeting. Advanced registration fees may be paid on-line through a secure web page at the site.
Deadline: All proposals must be submitted electronically or postmarked on or before April 16, 2001. On-line submissions will be accepted exclusively through the Society's web site (http://www.afsnet.org/annualmeet) and only through the established deadline. Submissions postmarked and mailed later than April 16, 2001, will be returned unopened by the AAA staff. We will send notifications of acceptance electronically or by mail (following the applicant's stated preference in the Submission Cover Sheet) by May 28, 2001.
You may address questions or inquiries to Amy Craver at the Alaska Native Science Commission, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Dr., Anchorage, Alaska 99508 (e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).
7th Circumpolar University Co-operation Conference, Troms?rway, August 19-21, 2001 The objectives of this conference are to encourage increased interaction among people of different cultures in the north and to exchange traditional knowledge and academic learning in a closer partnership for securing better management of the area in the future. The scope of the conference is multidisciplinary. Presentations from all scientific fields are invited.
Theme 1: Dynamics of atmospheric-ocean coupling and impact on the Arctic environment Marine production - a condition for all life in the Arctic Marine resources in the Arctic
Theme 2: This session will focus on social, political, and economical aspects of co-operation. How to improve cross-border trade, transport infrastructure, investment, workforce mobility, cultural exchange, etc. Experiences from utilisation of natural resources of the North such as oil, gas, fisheries, forestry and mining, success or failure of commercial joint ventures. Case studies and theoretical issues are welcomed. The Centre - periphery dichotomy has been predominant in many countries in the North. Strategically based decisions have resulted in a planned increase in the population in the circumpolar region. What problems does the introduction of a market economy create? Well-intended politicians have promoted the formal establishment of new, and the revival of old, regions like the Barents region. What were the aims of these initiatives and what success have they had?
Theme 3: As a region, the Circumpolar areas provides several, if not most, of the major reasons for telemedicine: Vast areas, long distances, scattered population, harsh climate, difficulties with recruiting and keeping health care professionals and indigenous people speaking various minority languages. These conditions have forced the people living in the Arctic to investigate new solutions to old challenges. In this context telemedicine in the circumpolar regions has had better chances to succeed than in urban areas. This session calls for Telemedicine and Health Telematics experiences as adequate means in providing health care services to the population. Key-areas which should be addressed: - Telecommunications Infrastructure in Sparsely Populated Areas
Theme 4: In what way is 'the North' articulated as a component of the national ideological, political, and economic strategy in countries geographically defined as circumpolar?
How have the different Arctic rim nations used the term 'North' as a symbol for the nation? What does 'North' stand for in the context of each individual nation? Has 'North' changed its meaning in the nation's history, and if so then how has this taken place?
Theme 5: Indigenous People Indigenous resource management and control of territory is a fundamental principle of "sustainable development." As the Brundtland Report and follow-up Agenda 21 of the Rio Earth Summit 1992 clearly outlined, the traditional use, ecological knowledge, land, sea, and freshwater rights, and their political and legal implications must be clarified and asserted for the good of the whole world no less than for its indigenous peoples.
This session will look at progress underway, identify problem areas, share experience, and encourage cooperation and networking among indigenous peoples rather than rely simply on fond hopes of goodwill from national and sub-national governments.
Theme 6: Higher Education in the Circumpolar North Higher education in the circumpolar north is offered at a few
In this network of education one is searching for a balance between disciplinary and interdisciplinary courses. Interacting with different cultures and educational systems needs flexibility and adjustment of teaching accordingly. It is also a challenge to utilise the modern tools for distant learning in an optimum pedagogical way and to adapt this to the technological capacity of the different users. We invite contributions to this session that can bring forward ideas concerning some of the challenges referred to above.
Call for papers You are hereby invited to submit original papers on topics of the conference. The language of the conference is English and no translation will be available. Prospective authors can submit an A4-page abstract of their proposed paper, not later than 15 January 2001. Abstracts must include sufficient details to permit their review and selection. The author will be notified of the acceptance of the abstract not later than 15 March 2001. Advanced acceptance can be given to authors who need a confirmation before the end of the fiscal year 2000.
The complete papers should be submitted to the Organising Committee before 30 June 2001 for review.
Key dates Abstracts are due by: 15 January 2001 For more information on this conference, go to the Circumpolar Universities Association web site at:
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CONFERENCES
The Ashkui Symposium: Knowledge, Culture and the Innu Landscape, January 25, 2001, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada This symposium brings together Innu elders and leaders, academic and government researchers who have been involved in the "Labrador project". The project is a multidisciplinary, collaborative study of the landscape of Nitassinan (Labrador) as known to the Innu. The objective
Sponsored by the Gorsebrook Research Institute, Innu Nation & Environment Canada in conjunction with the meetings of the Canadian Polar Commission and in association with the Arctic Research Committee, Saint Mary's University & the Treaty and Aboriginal Rights Research Centre, Truro, NS. For more on the symposium:
On the project:
For more details contact:
Bering Sea Summit 2001, October 1-5 October 2001, Egan Center Anchorage, Alaska Purpose
Who should participate?
Why?
Outcome
How to get involved
For more information Suzanne Marcy
Workshop on arctic social sciences research, January 18-20 2001, Seattle, Washington The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) is organizing and convening a workshop on arctic social sciences research on behalf of the NSF Arctic Social Sciences Program. The workshop will be held 18-20 January 2001 in Seattle, Washington at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center. We are now soliciting expressions of interest from people interested in participating in this planning process, either by attending the workshop or reviewing and commenting upon the recommendations that will arise from the workshop.
The goals of the January 2001 workshop are:
Workshop participants also will make recommendations for a large, community-wide arctic social sciences conference to be held in the fall of 2001.
This planning workshop is intended to bring together academic arctic researchers with social scientists based in other regions, federal and state agency scientists, and policy and decision-makers working on related issues. Key themes of the workshop include exploring interdisciplinary linkages between the social sciences as well as interrelationships between social and physical and biological sciences. The workshop's format will include oral presentations, posters, panels, and round-tables, with ample opportunities for brainstorming and informal discussions.
Small working groups will focus on the themes of: (1) the role of humans in northern environmental history and pre-history; (2) institutional development in the Arctic, such as self-governance, common property management, and informal decision-making; (3) linkages between identity and socioeconomic transitions in the Arctic; and (4) traditional knowledge and the intersection between the social sciences and the humanities. In addition, the Polar Research Board is organizing a round-table discussion focused on the perspectives on arctic social science research from federal and state agencies.
For more information about the workshop, see the web site: http://www.arcus.org/ASSP_workshop/index.html. or contact: Sue Mitchell, Project Manager
80th annual meeting of the Canadian Historical Association May 25-27, 2001, Laval University, Quebec City The following themes have been selected for 2001: 1) Heritage and Culture: Yesterday and Today
These themes are not limited to Canadian history and the participation of non-Canadianists is encouraged. Proposals for papers and sessions on other topics are also welcomed.
For more information, please contact:
7th Circumpolar Universities Co-operation Conference, When Distance is a Challenge, August 19-21, 2001, Tromsø, Norway email:
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4th Mummy Congress, Nuuk, Greenland, September 4-10, 2001 For more information, please contact:
National Council on Public History 2001 Annual Meeting, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, April 18-22, 2001 For further information, contact:
9th North-American Caribou Workshop, April 23 to 27, 2001, Kuujjuaq, Qu?c, Canada In april 2001, we'll be expecting you in Kuujjuaq, in Quebec's Far North, for the springtime gathering of the 9th North-American Caribou Workshop. Holding a scientific conference of this scale in a small northern village is somewhat rare. We invite you to join us in writing a fascinating page in the great history of the Caribou! The scientific program we are proposing will enable us to take stock of our knowledge of caribou herd management, as well as the relationship between man and beast.
In additional to hearing from renowned experts and leading researchers in the field, we have decided to focus attention on the culture and traditional knowledge of our First People and to delve into the Inuit, Cree, and Naskapi Nations' long relationship with the caribou. A series of field excursions will complement the program af activities and provide an apportunity to take in the exceptional landscapes of Nunavik, which is home to the largest herd of wild ungulates in the world. For more information: Yves Savard-Désilet Telephone (514) 481-7408
4th Congress of Russian Ethnographers and Anthropologists, Nalchik, Republic of Kabardino-Balkariya, Russia, September, 2001 We are planning to discuss ethnological and anthropological approaches on a problem of time and how time changes approaches of researchers for the same most problem. Besides we will discuss other important problems, which is connected with formation and development of peoples and cultures, linguistic, ethnocultural and ethnopolitical situations and processes, in particular the Caucasus region; scientific development's questions, ethnographical museology and others. Results of last researches in area of physical anthropology, gender studies, ethnogenetical studies, folk and State law, ethnoarchaeological and ethnodemographical investigations will be presented.
For more information:
Russian-American conference on the problems of Bering sea bioresources conservation. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, April 3 to 6, 2001. North of the Pacific Ocean, Russia and the United States have common interests in the protection of living resources in the Bering Sea, one of the most productive seas of the ocean, whose resources --especially those of pollock and salmon-- are a national patrimony for both countries. These resources have continued to decrease and have caused much speculation from the point of view of conservation as well as economic sustainability of fishing companies in Russia and the United States in the North Pacific region.
That is why Pacific Environment and Resources Center (PERC, United States) and Charitable Voluntary Fund for conservation of bioresources of Northern Pacific (Northern Pacific Fund, Russia) are preparing a Russian-American conference on the problems of conservation of Bering Sea bioresources, which is planned to be convened in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski, Russia in the Spring of 2001.
The conference aims to unite and strengthen activities of large populations (first of all those of fishermen) for both nations and to work out various types (including public) of joined control and management of living resources of the Bering Sea, which are common and indivisible into Russian and American but playing a vital role in determining the way of life of people in coastal areas of these two countries.
Anyone interested in this conference may take part in it (intramurally or extra-murally). Materials about the extra-mural conference (starting with this appeal in the "Pacific Herald") will be released in this newspaper regularly as well as on the Internet in the "Northern Pacific" server (http://np.rybvod.kamchatka.su, "Hot line").
Please send your proposals, requests, materials, report theses, and articles to either of the following addresses: Sergei Vakhrin David Gordon
Western Regional Science Association Fortieth Annual Meetings, Sessions on Remote Regions / Northern Development, Palm Springs, California, February 25-28, 2001 General topics include the analysis and discussion of economic, political, and social-cultural change in remote and sparsely settled regions. While papers on any topic consistent with the general theme are welcomed, examples of specific topics might include: the effects of government expenditures; the conditions of success or failure of development projects; sustainable development; relations between the subsistence and market economies; Native labor force participation; regional benefits and costs of development; economic integration and cultural preservation; migration; changing social patterns; housing, health, education, and community development; Native sovereignty and federalism; comparative Native claims; political movements, settlements, and outcomes; development of local and regional political institutions; resource ownership and management regimes.
For more information, please contact:
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GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS
Scholarships for Native Peoples from the U.S. and Canada The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) is pleased to announce the SAA Arthur C. Parker Scholarship and National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships for Archaeological Training for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians for the year 2001. Together, these scholarship programs will provide four awards of $3000 each to support training in archaeological methods, including fieldwork, analytical techniques, and curation. These scholarships are intended for current students--high school seniors, college undergraduates, and graduate students--and personnel of Tribal or other Native cultural preservation programs. Native Americans and Pacific Islanders from the U.S., including U.S. Trust Territories, and Indigenous peoples from Canada are eligible for these scholarships.
Individuals may apply for these scholarships themselves, or they may be nominated by a current professor, high school teacher, or cultural preservation program supervisor. The SAA Arthur C. Parker Scholarship is named in honor of the first president of the SAA, who served from 1935 to 1936. Parker was of Seneca ancestry through his father's family, and he spent his youth on the Cattaraugus Reservation in New York. The NSF Scholarships for Archaeological Training for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians are made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation to the SAA.
Application or nomination materials for these scholarships must be postmarked no later than February 15, 2001. To learn more about the application or nomination procedures, please contact:
Society for American Archaeology
The William E. Taylor Award The Canadian Museum of Civilization has established an award in memory of former director and arctic scholar William E. Taylor. The award is worth $5000 and is presented each year to recognize research or scholarly excellence in the fields of Arctic Archaeology, Arctic Anthropology, or Arctic History, including Native Studies. The purpose of the award is to encourage young or new scholars. It is therefore not open to professional archaeologists or anthropologists, university professors or lecturers, museum curators, or other established professionals. Attendance at a university is not a requirement, nor is possession of any particular academic degree. Native applicants are encouraged to apply. Applicants should be Canadian citizens or residents of Canada. The deadline is December 31, 2000.
Please send your applications with a c.v. and an outline of proposed or current research, either electronically or by post, to: Dr. David Morrison
Jacobs Research Funds Grants are awarded for research in social and cultural anthropology or linguistics among living American native peoples. The primary focus is on the Pacific Northwest, but other are in Canada, Mexico, and the continental United States, including Alaska, are considered. Field studies that address cultural expressive systems, such as music, language, dance, mythology, world view, plastic and graphic arts, intellectual life, religion, including ones that propose comparative psychological analysis, are appropriate.
Deadline: February 15, 2001 URL to view this opportunity:
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JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS
Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track Position) in The Department of Anthropology at Memorial University of Newfoundland invites applications for a tenure-track position, subject to budgetary approval, at the rank of Assistant Professor in sociocultural anthropology, beginning September 1, 2001. The successful candidate must possess a Ph.D. in anthropology and must be prepared to teach in both undergraduate and graduate programmes. First consideration will be given to candidates who have a demonstrated record of research on Newfoundland and Labrador and/or the Eastern Arctic or Subarctic. Applications will be accepted until December 31, 2000.
Please send applications, together with a curriculum, vitae, samples of writing and the names of three referees to. Dr. Michael Deal, Head Fax: (709) 737-8686
Memorial University is the largest university in Atlantic Canada. As the province's only university, Memorial plays an integral role in the educational and cultural life of Newfoundland and Labrador. Offering diverse undergraduate and graduate programs to almost 16,000 students, Memorial provides a distinctive and stimulating environment for learning in St. John's, a very safe, friendly city with great
Memorial University of Newfoundland is committed to employment equity. In accordance with Canadian Immigration regulations, this advertisement is directed to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.
Assistant Professor (tenure-track) in Anthropology at the University of Northern British Columbia The Anthropology Program at the University of Northern British Columbia is seeking to fill a tenure-stream position in social-cultural anthropology at the assistant professor level. Demonstrated strength in theory and method is required. Topical and areal specialities are open although it is our intent not to duplicate existing strengths. We currently have individuals specialized in archaeology, biological anthropology, and social anthropology with expertise in indigenous studies, Russian studies, nationalism, ethnicity, colonization, and material culture.
We are looking for an individual who will provide additional areas of expertise that complement and extend these existing strengths. The individual should be comfortable teaching and conducting research working within a multi-disciplinary environment. We are looking for an individual with a completed or nearly completed Ph.D. The appointment will start on July 1, 2001.
Applications received before March 1, 2001 will receive full consideration, but applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Please forward your C.V. and the names and addresses of three references (including telephone and fax numbers) to: Dr. Deborah Poff,
For further information contact Dr. Jim McDonald, Chair, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, Canada V2N 4Z9. Fax: (250) 960-5545.
In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, priority will be given to Canadian Citizens and permanent residents of Canada. The University of Northern British Columbia is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from women, aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities.
Assistant Professor of Linguistics (tenure-track), Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska The Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, seeks applicants for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Linguistics specializing in Alaska Native langagues, to begin Fall 2001. (PCN # 216215.)
Minimum Qualifications: Ph.D. in Linguistics or a related field is preferred, ABD considered with expectation of completion within the first year of employment. Demonstrated field experience with an Alaskan or related language.
Typical Duties: Fieldwork in an Alaskan language for purposes of documentation and support of local language efforts. The person hired will write grammars, compile dictionaries and collections of texts in Native language(s); perform outreach to Native communities and organizations; and teach in the field of Alaska Native languages in the classroom or through distance delivery. Duties will include coordinating language efforts with statewide and local institutions such as museums, libraries and cultural heritage centers; establishing and overseeing contacts with national and international organizations dealing with Native languages; writing grant proposals; and assisting with collecting, archiving, and disseminating written materials and tapes in and on Alaska Native languages.
Application: Applicants must submit a signed University of Alaska employment application, a cover letter addressing interest and qualifications, photocopies of transcripts of all graduate coursework, a current resume or curriculum vitae, and the names, mailing and email addresses, and telephone numbers of three professional references to: Search Committee
All materials must be postmarked by the January 15, 2001.
A copy of the UA Employment Application Form can be obtained from any of the UA Human Resources offices or downloaded from:
Person(s) hired by the University of Alaska Fairbanks must comply with the provisions of the Federal Immigration Reporting and Control Act of 1986 and are expected to possess a valid social security card. The University of Alaska Fairbanks is an equal employment opportunity/ affirmative action employer and educational institution. Application for employment with the University of Alaska is subject to public disclosure under the Alaska Public Records Act. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application and screening process should contact the Assistant Director at 907/474-6259.
Curator of Archaeology University of Alaska Museum and Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Alaska Fairbanks. Position begins with academic year, August 2001. Teach one course per year, with undergraduate and graduate offerings in archaeology. Responsible for a collection of 750,000+ Alaska and circumpolar artifacts and will be expected to develop and secure funding for research program in UA Museum. Salary $37,000 to $45,000 DOE.
Minimum qualification: Expertise in archaeology, completed PhD at time of hire, teaching experience, circumpolar research interest preferred and experience working collaboratively with Native people required.
Application:
Applications must be received by January 31, 2001. Send letter, curriculum vitae, three letters of reference, publication re-prints, and documentation of teaching experience to:
Director of the Canadian Circumpolar Institute (CCI) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada The University of Alberta invites applications and nominations for the position of Director of the Canadian Circumpolar Institute (CCI). The institute is located at the University of Alberta and carries out a broad northern research mandate that is national and international in scope. Specific elements of the CCI mandate are to promote and support research on the Canadian and Circumpolar North; to promote and support the Canadian Circumpolar Library as a distinctive Northern research collection of international importance; to foster communication among Northern-oriented researchers; to encourage the involvement of Northerners from all circumpolar nations in the activities of the Institute; and to disseminate information about the Circumpolar North. Details about the CCI can be found at: www.ualberta.ca/~ccinst/polar.html.
The Canadian Circumpolar Institute is an important part of the University of Alberta's clear vision: to be indisputably recognized nationally and internationally as one of Canada's finest universities. CCI currently involves over 50 faculty and several visiting scholars, and provides direct financial support to approximately 60 graduate students annually. It is recognized as one of the strongest institutes of its kind nationally and internationally. The CCI is seeking an individual with a strong record of research leadership and an interest and ability to manage an academic unit that focuses on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research. A PhD in a relevant discipline is expected of the successful candidate. The individual must be prepared to lead the CCI effectively and dynamically and to take full advantage of current opportunities in Northern research, including the recent recommendation to establish a Northern Chairs Program to be co-sponsored by NSERC and SSHRC.
The Director reports to an Associate Vice-President (Research) and is guided by an External Advisory Board and the University of Alberta Northern Research Committee. Current CCI-administered funding is primarily in support of graduate students and new faculty and the Director is responsible for promoting new collaborative initiatives to increase funding for the Institute's various programs.
Written nominations for the position or applications supported by a curriculum vitae, names of three referees, and a one-page statement of vision for CCI, should be submitted by January 31, 2001, to Dr. Paul Sorenson, Associate Vice-President (Research), 3-5 University Hall, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2J9.
The appointment for the position of Director of CCI will take effect July 1, 2001 or as soon as possible thereafter. The appointment is expected to be for 3 years and is renewable by negotiation where appropriate. The incumbent Director has completed his term and is not a candidate. The
The University of Alberta is committed to the principle of equity in employment. As an employer we welcome diversity in the workplace and encourage applications from all qualified women and men, including Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities. The records arising from this competition will be managed in accordance with provisions of the Alberta Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPP).
Head, Native Studies Department, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada Applications are invited for a tenured position as Head of Native Studies Department at the University of Saskatchewan as of July 2001. Salary is negotiable. Candidates should have a distinguished record of scholarship, a Ph.D. (or the equivalent), experience in graduate student supervision as well as demonstrated administrative ability and experience. Aboriginal scholars are encouraged to apply.
The Department has four tenure-tracked professors and a number of term and sessional positions. The Department has received an additional two tenure-track positions for 2001/2002. The new Head will lead the Department in recruiting suitable candidate to fill these positions.
Applicants are to send a curriculum vitae and ask three referees to write directly to Robert Bone, Acting Head, Native Studies Department, College of Arts and Science, University of Saskatchewan, 106 Wiggins Road, 123 McLean Hall, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E6 by February 15, 2001. However, applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Candidates are invited to visit www.usask.ca/native_studies for additional information about this appointment, about the Department, and about the University including its various programs for Aboriginal students.
The University of Saskatchewan is committed to the principles of Employment Equity. While applications from all qualified candidates are welcome, women and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply and are invited to identify themselves as members of these designated groups on their applications. Although preference will be given to Aboriginal applicants who are permanent residents of Canada or Canadian citizens, applications are invited from qualified individuals regardless of their immigration status. University of Saskatchewan
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NEW PUBLICATIONS
Canadian Journal of Native Studies, vol. 20(1), 2000 Table of Contents - Kendrick, Anne. "Community Perceptions of the Beverly-Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board." - Silverstein, Cory and Zeek Cywink. "From Fireside to TV Screen: Self-Determination and Anishnasbe Storytelling Traditions." - Blackstock, Michael D. "The Aborigines Report (1837): A Case Study in the Slow Change of Colonial Social Relations." - Romaniuc, Anatole. "Aboriginal Population of Canada: Growth Dynamics Under Conditions of Encounter of Civilisations." - Burns, George E. "Inclusiveness and Relevance in First Nations/Public Education System Schooling: It's All About Praxis of Aborginal Self-Determination in the Tuition Agreement Education Field." - Greymorning, Stephen. "Culture and Language: The Political Realities to Keep Trickster at Bay."
Publications Office
Community Viability, Rapid Change and Socio-Ecological Futures: Papers from the Conference on Societies in the Vestnorden Area, Jónas G. Allansson and Ingi R. Edvardsson (eds) For more information see http://www.svs.is/.
List of Contents: Forewords by Þosteinn Gunnarsson Introduction by Jónas G. Allansson and Ingi R. Edvardsson 1. Vestnorden Societies and Rapid Change: Global Processes, Local Effects and Sustainable Development Rural Development and Social Changes in Vestnorden Societies by Bjarki J??nesson, Institute of Regional Development, Iceland
Barriers to the Sustainable Uses of Living Marine Resources by Mark Nuttall, University of Aberdeen Coping Strategies in an Icelandic Coastal Village by Unnur D. Skaptad??r, University of Iceland He Was Schooled by the Salty Sea: Practical Knowledge among Icelandic Fishermen by J?? G. Allansson, Stefansson Arctic Institute 2. Rural Development and Northern Universities and Colleges The University of Akureyri and Northern Development by Ingi R. Edvardsson and Fiorsteinn Gunnarsson, University of Akureyri The University of the Faroe Islands: National Ambitions and Moderns Demands by Malan Marnersdottir, University of Faroe Islands The Importance of the UHI Project in Regional Development in NW Scotland by Frank Rennie, University of Highlands and Islands Project Discipline, Governance and Inclusion in Education by Ing??r ? J??nesson, University of Akureyri 3. Communication and Culture in the Vestnorden Management and Co-operation in the Greenlandic Labour Market by Wolfgang Kahlig, University of Greenland Locality beyond Locality: Negotiating Greenlandic Identities on the Web by Neil B. Christensen, University of Copenhagen
Available in paperback. 156 pp. ISBN: 9979-834-26-9 (English) To place an order, go to: http://www.svs.is/ Études/Inuit/Studies vol. 24(2), 2000 FILMS/VIDEOS - curatorial texts WEB SITES OF INTEREST Subscribing to "IASSA.Net" |