| Newsletter - Fall 1999 |
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In this issue:
Editorial: IASSA-IASC Priority Research Program on Rapid Cultural and Social Changes
IASSA-IASC priority research program on Rapid Cultural and Social Change in the Circumpolar North At the initiative of IASSA, a work group on "Rapid Cultural and Social Change in the Circumpolar North" has been established under the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). This work group has drafted a priority research program which was printed in the Fall 1998 issue of the IASSA Newsletter.
In that issue, members of IASSA were encouraged to submit their research project proposals when they felt that they would fit in that priority program. This will allow the work group to draft an implementation plan and to propose it to IASC. The endorsement of IASC does not imply any kind of funding, but it should be an advantage for researchers when approaching research councils and other donors. Furthermore, as IASSA Chair G?rd Duhaime wrote in his editorial to the Fall 1998 Newsletter, "the promotion of projects development in the Arctic is at the core of IASSA's concerns. Funding for social sciences has been and is still greatly neglected in the Arctic. Making visible projects linked to ongoing and future research in the Arctic is extremely important to demonstrate to funding agencies that we need their support." The work group met under the auspices of the Nunavut Research Institute in Iqaluit last October 21-23. It confirmed the actuality of the priority research directions which it had drafted earlier (and published in the IASSA Newsletter, Fall 1998), and decided to add to them, for projects taking place in Russia, the "recommendations for priority research directions" which were established at a workshop which took place recently in Moscow. The reasons for this addition are that these recommendations have been defined and endorsed by users in Russia, and that they fit particularly well within the "Rapid cultural change" problematic identified by the IASSA work group; they reflect circumpolar priorities and simultaneously address the particular situation within Russia. The "conclusions and recommendations" of that workshop are published below, and a copy in Russian is sent to Russian members of IASSA.
The projects which were presented to the work group until December 1999, and accepted, will be proposed to IASC for endorsement early in 2000. In the view of IASSA and of the work group, identification of priority research, facilitation of project development and promotion of projects for funding, are an ongoing fundamental concern of our association. In the next issue of the Newsletter, we shall therefore provide information about the future expansion of the IASSA-IASC priority research program. Participants in the work group meeting in Iqaluit : Boris Chichlo, Yvon Csonka, Jens Dahl (chair), Gérard Duhaime, Susanne Dybbroe, Ludger Müller-Wille, Marit Myrvoll, Murielle Nagy, Bruce Rigby, Mary Wilman. Members of core work group (new) : Yvon Csonka (chair, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland), G?rd Duhaime (IASSA; Quebec), Marit Myrvoll (Nordic Sami Institute; Sapmi), Karo Thomsen (Nuuk, Greenland); Mary Wilman (Nunavut Social Development Council; Nunavut), NN (representative from Russia through RAIPON)
Yvon Csonka
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Conclusions and Recommendations of the International Workshop on Priority Research Directions for Solving the Key Problems of the Indigenous Peoples of the Russian North Moscow, September 17-18, 1999 The International Workshop on Key Problems of the Indigenous Peoples of the Russian North was organized by the International Arctic Science Committee, the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON) and the Russian Academy of Sciences, with the support and active participation of the Russian Ministry of Regional Policy (restored now as the State Committee of Russian Federation for Northern Affairs--Goskomsever). IASSA was invited to participate in the organization of the conference and several of its members attended.
The workshop coincided and was coordinated with the Third Arctic Leaders' Summit (Associations and Organizations of Indigenous Peoples of the North) which took place on September 14-16 and which was dedicated to health problems faced by indigenous peoples with special attention to the Russian North, Siberia and the Far East. This timing provided a unique opportunity to fully integrate the representatives of regional RAIPON branches into the workshop. There was also an opportunity for the foreign guests to participate in the workshop's discussions. The workshop organizers proposed the following research topics for discussion: 1) Legal based regulation of natural resource use and land tenure in areas where indigenous peoples of the North live.
The objectives of the workshop were to: 1) Analyze current conditions using materials gathered in the field;
A total of 112 people, including 33 foreigners, participated in the workshop. Russian Academy of Sciences has been represented by members from Moscow, St-Petersburg, Syktyvkar, Irkutsk, Vladivostok, Magadan, Murmansk, Norilsk and Yakutsk. Regions were extremely well represented as well. In addition to regional branches of RAIPON, the workshop's organizing committee also invited land tenure and natural resource use specialists to the Summit. Physicians, lawyers, and teachers whose professional activities are directly linked to the problems (legal, employment, health, education and culture) faced by indigenous peoples were also invited. Scientists from the USA, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Switzerland were among the foreign participants. Most of these countries also sent representatives from both their federal and regional level administrative structures, people who are responsible for making decisions affecting native peoples.
Discussion Topic One The following issues were discussed in the context of discussion topic one: a) Relations between local and federal authorities on land tenure and natural resource use issues;
Regional RAIPON representatives made presentations on the most acute problems in their regions, districts, and villages affecting the lives of indigenous peoples.
Based on a discussion of these issues, the workshop participants identified the following topics that are in need of special scientific study: 1) Assess the current conceptual basis, and develop new terms and criteria for determining the ethnic affiliation of individuals to specific groups of Russian peoples that are currently designated as "indigenous peoples of the north," this in compliance with Russian experience and international practice; this should include standardization of the terms used in legal acts regulating the activities of this group of the populace. 2) Standardize the term "territory of traditional nature use" (TTP) by establishing a conceptual basis for this kind of territory: status of TTP and the rights of indigenous peoples of the north; the procedure for defining boundaries and for changing possession; acceptable types of economic activities; management principles; ethnic composition. 3) Develop model projects emphasizing sustainable, ethno-ecological territories and models for self-management bodies for indigenous peoples of the north in view of the historical, socio-economic, cultural and regional features of their life-style. 4) Support the establishment of an Indigenous Training Law Institute in the Russian Federation. The objective of this initiative is to promote the implementation of existing laws and to ensure the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples in the Russian Federation by providing training, textbooks, and exchange visits.
The TTP should be considered the basic land holding for indigenous peoples of the north and it is essential to introduce this term into several laws at once. Even more daunting is the task of putting the procedure into practice. The most immediate and demanding issue is coming up with a scientific formulation for the very notion of a TTP and a single procedure for using these holdings in all areas where indigenous peoples of the North live. This research is also connected to the question of integrating scientific and traditional knowledge on nature use and requires obligatory follow-up ethno-ecologic monitoring. The workshop's discussion of the legal status, as well as other aspects of the TTP question showed that there are large differences in views and approaches on the issue of how to resolve land tenure among indigenous peoples of the North. Scientists and local specialists expressed contradictory, and often conflicting views on the topic.
Further study is needed to prepare materials for federal laws on "Lands for Traditional Nature Use," on "Reindeer Herding," as well as to prepare comments and other legal acts for already existing Russian Federation laws "On Guarantees of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples", on "Production Sharing Agreements", "On Minerals," as well as for inclusion in all the charters of autonomous regions and other Federation relations on whose land live indigenous peoples of the North.
Discussion Topic Two The second discussion topic - living conditions and quality of life ? highlighted the continuing decline in the quality of life and a sharp worsening of all demographic indicators. A decline in the life span, especially among indigenous males, and the increase in suicides among young and middle age people are also observed.
Extremely unfavorable socio-economic conditions for indigenous peoples of the North serve as a basis for these negative trends. The workshop participants developed a basic list of research on circumpolar living conditions for indigenous peoples. A first step is international scientific research planned by RAIPON together with foreign researchers on Kola Peninsula and in Chukotka.
In their report, RAIPON pointed out that the declines observed among indigenous peoples of the North cannot be explained by unfavorable socio-economic factors alone. The reason is more obviously the continuing degraded state of other aspects of society that are having an impact on the way of life of people of the north. The workshop's foreign participants pointed out that the problem is significantly more complex than often thought and that it cannot simply be explained away by impoverished economic conditions. Suicide remains a serious problem in even those other Arctic countries (USA, Canada, Greenland, Scandinavian countries) where land tenure for indigenous peoples has been resolved and where federal financial support is provided to address underlying causes. In this context, the issue of "Ethno-Sociological and Psychological Reasons for the Growth in Suicide among Indigenous Peoples of the North" requires special research that would be best carried out through joint scientific efforts from Arctic countries.
Changes in diet have a negative impact on northern peoples. The result of government policy and market oriented structures is that unfamiliar food products are being foisted on indigenous peoples when at the same time unjustified restrictions in the use of a traditional diet - fish, wild game, birds and marine mammals - are being put into place. This has a pernicious impact upon the health of indigenous peoples, their resistance to illnesses, on the adaptive capacities of the organism to deal with extreme natural and climatic conditions. This problem is so vital to preserving the health of current and future generations of indigenous peoples that questions of scientifically based norms for nutritional substances and their ratio in modern caloric intake must be examined as a constituent part of any study of the conditions affecting the way of life of indigenous population and is an area that requires special research.
The collapse of traditional economic activities and the shift of a part of the indigenous population, especially young people, to urban settings are at the root of a number of social and economic problems. One problem is that indigenous peoples have trouble finding work in non-traditional areas. It is the opinion of the workshop participants that it is essential to conduct research to advance new views among indigenous peoples on their position in modern society and the economy, with an orientation on the need for both a renaissance and adaptation of traditional economic areas, and on opportunities to find a satisfying lot in life. This research should lead to radical changes in social policy at the regional and local levels, and also to new understandings that will help in finding ways to solicit federal level financial support.
The issues of living conditions and alcoholism are closely related and combining them for discussion at one workshop provided an opportunity for various specialists to present their views on this complex problem. The problem of alcohol abuse in Russian society is a generally known fact, however, this problem is also very acute in other countries and so it is very expedient to combine the efforts of scientists and specialists of various countries to work on ways to reduce the impacts of alcohol abuse on indigenous peoples.
Discussion Topic Three The third topic at the workshop was dedicated to a discussion of alcoholic abuse and the specific features of such an illness among the indigenous peoples of the north. Workshop participants supported the view that the problem is extremely important both as a medical and a psychological issue. It is paramount that scientists find out more about the results of various programs being carried out to combat alcoholism. The assessment made by practicing physicians and scientists was to recommend a further exchange of opinions to make programs more effective. Coercive hypnotism, vitaminization of food products as methods to combat alcoholism are viewed in different way by native peoples, especially when the results of psychological methods have a more successful and long lasting effect. A close tie between alcoholism and increasing incidents of suicide and violent death was shown. This problem, in the opinion of the Russian and foreign participants, requires further comparative study in different parts of Russian Federation and abroad.
Simultaneously, research on exclusively medical aspects of the disease must be accompanied by study of a broad specter of social and economic issues: employment and unemployment, social position and political status, the freedom, on the one hand, to express one's ethnic-cultural heritage while, on the other, the ability to adapt to the new demands of life, a claim to individuality in society, etc. Only an integrated, systemic study of chronic and universal tendencies will put society on track. All that can be confirmed for the time being is that there is a rather simplified understanding of what is an extremely complex issue and that there is a limited understanding of the real reasons underlying alcohol abuse. So the issue "Socio-Political and Medical-Biological Aspects of Alcoholism Among Peoples of the North: Comparative Research in Arctic Countries" was acknowledged by workshop participants as an urgent topic that needs the active involvement of scientists of various countries.
Aside from planned activities, the workshop participants raised and discussed other key problems facing indigenous peoples of the North. Workshop participants showed concern for what is an obvious lack of legal aid in the regions where indigenous peoples live. There are great difficulties, both financial and in terms of a shortage of qualified legal personnel capable of defending indigenous peoples' rights. Two suggestions were made to remedy that situation.
Firstly, there is a distinct need to issue a guidebook on current legislation affecting indigenous peoples, on their rights and responsibilities. Such a guidebook should contain commentary that makes it easier for indigenous peoples to understand and use laws in their daily lives. Involvement of foreign legal experts capable of providing commentary on practical implementation of analogous laws in the countries where they practice was broadly encouraged. The commentaries should contain examples of problems and how they are resolved based on experiences implementing the law. Such a guidebook would have an enormous impact in the field.
It is RAIPON's opinion that a section of the guidebook should contain specific examples of violations on indigenous peoples' rights and recommendations on protecting the interests of victims.
Secondly, a center for the protection of indigenous peoples' rights should be created to provide consultation on current issues, to litigate to protect the rights of indigenous peoples and to train legal experts in skills necessary to deal with the needs of indigenous peoples. Ms. Irina Degtyar, Head of the Department of Indigenous Peoples of the North (Goskomsever) supported this idea and suggested that federal financial support be started at the early stage with an eventual shift to self-financing. "Ecojuris," a law office already litigating to defend the rights of indigenous peoples, was acknowledged and earned high praise and support. The firm's opportunities are, however, very limited and is unable to satisfy all the demands of indigenous peoples for legal aid.
It is RAIPON's opinion that of critical importance is that a center for legal aid for indigenous peoples be an association, whose creation and activities be carried out as part of the RAIPON program and be under its leadership. Only in such a case will its activities be maximally effective.
Industrial disturbance and environmental pollution found in several regions has not only made traditional economic activities impossible, it has also created serious living problems for the indigenous peoples of the north living on these lands. Ecological research to assess the impact of environmental changes on the lives of indigenous peoples should be conducted and a system of compensation payments to communities to restore the environment in their natural habitats (in part, carry out the re-cultivation of lands and the organization of new forms of economic activities) could be an outcome of such research.
Thirdly, based on the materials presented in the RAIPON report, it was convincingly demonstrated that resolving the problems of indigenous peoples of the North, including nature and non-nature use on territories of nature use, cannot be successfully carried out without significant improvements in the physical and psychological health of the population.
Given the rapidly declining general health in Russia, research must be conducted in the area of health protection and development of medical methods to identify and overcome illness given certain physical conditions (distance of the population; its scattered and dispersed nature; migratory way of life; the lack of hospitals and field clinics). An acute need to develop and legitimize a new concept of health protection for the people of the North is needed. RAIPON identifies the following three practical need areas:
1) Create and organize in district and regional centers integrated mobile medical units with diagnostic, preventative health and treatment capabilities to service indigenous people. The aim will be to eventually transfer these facilities to authority of a single federal service responsible to protect health and provide treatment for indigenous peoples of the North.
Mobile medical units that currently exist where indigenous peoples live are very ineffective or do not operate at all for a variety of regional reasons. The main reasons are a lack of understanding of their role and significance, the narrow range of their capacities, inadequate gear and financing, the lack of a full range of specialists, organizational miscalculations.
2) Create a single federal service for protecting the health of people on territories of traditional nature use and of indigenous peoples of the North.
3) Create a health center for indigenous peoples of the north as part of RAIPON to gather positive experiences, treatment and preventive medical procedures, information on healthy life-style, on sport and recuperative medicine that will be distributed where indigenous peoples of the North live.
The international workshop recommends as priority scientific projects, research that will promote improvements in socio-economic conditions, health state and improvement, and civil rights status. Joint projects with Russian-foreign scientists are particularly desired.
1) Analyze the current conceptual basis, and develop new terms and criteria, for determining the ethnic affiliation of individuals to a specific group of Russian peoples that is currently designated as "indigenous peoples of the North," this in compliance with Russian experience and international practice; standardization of terms used in legal acts regulating the activities of this group of the population.
2) Standardize the term "territory of traditional nature use" (TTP) by establishing the conceptual basis for this kind of territory: status of TTP and the rights of indigenous peoples of the North; the procedure for defining boundaries and for changing possession; acceptable types of economic activities; management principles; ethnic composition.
3) Develop model projects emphasizing sustainable, ethno-ecological territories and models for self-management bodies for indigenous peoples of the north in view of the historical, socio-economic, cultural and regional features of their livelihood.
4) Analysis of the impact of environmental changes on the health of the indigenous peoples of the North. Economic and legal rationale for developing financing mechanisms that compensate indigenous peoples of the north that conduct a traditional way of life for the losses incurred from seizure of lands, from environmental pollution and from destruction of traditional ways of life.
5) Contemporary tendencies in the creation of new views on one's position in society and in the economy that direct indigenous peoples of the north toward both a renaissance and adaptation of traditional areas of economic activity and toward participation in other areas of economic activity.
6) Socio-political and medical-biologic aspects of alcoholism among indigenous peoples of the North; comparative research in Arctic countries.
7) Ethno-sociological and psychological reasons for the growth in suicidal behavior among indigenous peoples of the North.
8) Traditional and non-traditional methods of preventing and curing alcoholism: study of its ethno-sociological and ethno-psychological roots; develop effective approaches to preventing this problem in regions where indigenous peoples of the North live since it is a basic obstacle in their future development.
9) Develop the basic health indicators for indigenous peoples of the north with the goal of defining, in stages, federal and regional criteria for developing and implementing a program of health measures.
10) Research on living conditions in all regions inhabited by indigenous peoples of the North.
11) Ecological research on territories of traditional nature use with the goal of identifying radionuclides, heavy metals, other harmful substances and to determine their degree and levels in humans.
12) Features of the etiology and pathogeny for tuberculosis among individuals engaged in reindeer herding and other traditional branches of the economy to develop and introduce effective methods for diagnosing and additionally studying the disease where patients live on a full time basis.
13) Develop portable X-ray equipment and other portable medical equipment for the remote Northern regions.
14) Scientifically based nutritional norms and their ratios in the current diet of indigenous peoples. This is a list of priority scientific projects that have the support of the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Northern Affairs (Goskomsever) and Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON). At the same time, RAIPON believes that these and any other research on problems of peoples of the North should be carried out in full cooperation with the Association.The organizers and workshop participants are appealing to various organizations and funds with a request to provide financial support to carry out this research.
Elena Andreeva
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CONFERENCES
11th International Congress on Circumpolar Health
Included are sessions on: Arctic Indigenous Program: Symposia are planned on topics of particular importance to arctic indigenous peoples. Examples include: the preservation and sharing of traditional knowledge and medicine, holistic approach to issues of public health, and native participation in research which leads to better policy for addressing health problems. The detrimental effects of substance abuse on many indigenous communities will be addressed. An indigenous cultural program is planned.
Telemedicine And Health Care Delivery In Remote And Rural Regions: In Remote and Rural Regions, a challenge of the new millennium will be the distribution of quality health care to remote areas. Telemedicine may be one of many options for meeting this challenge. Symposia on telemedicine and real time demonstrations of this new technology are planned.
Arctic Environmental Contaminants And Sustainable Development: Sessions are planned for addressing: human/environment interactions, contaminants and their biomagnification in the food chain, and sustainable use of living resources, such as caribou, reindeer, fish and marine mammals.
General Symposia Topics: Chronic Diseases, Environmental Health, Epidemiologic methods, Health Promotion and Education, Human behaviour, Injury (Including Cold Injury and Injury Prevention at Sea), Infectious Diseases; Maternal, Child, and Family Health; Nutrition, Occupational Health (Including Cold Exposure), Circumpolar Nursing Issues is available on the internet at: http://www.hoarr.no/icch
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NARF symposium: Social-economic and political development in the Arctic
NARF (Nordic Arctic Research Forum) is a research association established in 1990 for multidisciplinary research in contemporary Arctic problems and issues. The Objectives for NARF are the following:
-To promote and stimulate Nordic research co-operation, to increase the participation of Nordic researchers in International Arctic research and to establish networks among researchers and other parties concerned with Arctic research.
The first symposium was held in the Copenhagen area in 1992. Subsequent years symposiums has been arranged in Northern Jutland, Finland and in 1997 in Nuuk, Greenland.
In these years we experience an interesting development both politically and economically in the Arctic. This development is the main theme for the 8th NARF symposium. Moreover it shall be noticed that the NARF symposium is a meeting place for Arctic researchers and administrators to discuss research papers and results and to plan new activities.
Topics of workshops are: Social and economic development in the Arctic; Political development in the Arctic; The welfare state concept and the living conditions in the Arctic; Other topics (Management, Communication, etc).
For more information, please contact: Tel. (45) 38152591
Protecting Knowledge: Traditional Resource Rights in the New Millennium
The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) with support from the Law Foundation of British Columbia and Legal Services Society of British Columbia is hosting a three-day legal conference exploring traditional resource rights, or cultural and intellectual property rights issues affecting all Indigenous Peoples. The target audience will be BC First Nation community members and workers, representatives from Indigenous Peoples from around the world as well as the traditional resource rights and academic communities.
The conference is tentatively focused on exploring and clarifying the following three questions within an international context: 1) What is indigenous cultural and intellectual property?
This is a new and developing area of law that is not widely understood yet it affects Indigenous Peoples where they live and on a daily basis. The World Intellectual Property Organization and the World Trade Organization hope to introduce draft amendments on Indigenous Peoples' knowledge during the TRIPs review in 2000.
We will be updating our website (http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/protect.htm) with links to sites and papers related to the conference theme. As well, we will be using an email list to keep those who wish to be kept informed. To subscribe to the list send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with the words "Subscribe Protect" in the subject line.
The resources of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs are limited but we are committed to delivering this conference as a public service to all Indigenous Peoples. If you are in a position to contribute to or support this timely initiative in any way, we look forward to hearing from you. Thank you in advance for your assistance.
You can pre-register online. Confirmed registration will include the Welcoming Ceremonies the evening of Wednesday, February 23rd. The cost per person is $100.00 (Canadian Funds). Elders will be admitted free of charge. We are sorry but we are not able to offer a student rate for this conference.
Please remember that space is limited. Pre-registration does not confirm your place until payment has been received. To confirm your registration, payments must be received by January 19th, 2000. Please make cheques payable to the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs. You can also view links to papers and reports through our web site that relate to the conference theme of Traditional Resource Rights (Intellectual Property Rights). We are working on the final list of speakers for the conference and hope to have their abstracts online soon. Visit our web site http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/protect.htm
Donald Bain Phone: (604) 684-0231
Siberia and the Circumpolar North: Contributions by Anthropologists and NGOs The Working Group Arctic and Subarctic (A.A.S.), Dr. Peter Schweitzer (University of Alaska Fairbanks and University of Vienna), and the Institute of Ethnology, Cultural and Social Anthropology (University of Vienna) are planning to conduct a 3-day conference to discuss research results and contemporary problems regarding Siberia and other parts of the circumpolar North. The conference intends to foster the dialogue among scholars, students, and non-governmental organizations. The format of the meeting will accommodate paper presentations (about 20 min.), round-table discussions, and informal presentations of work-in-progress.
Conference language: German, English, Russian (without translation). Conference fee: ATS 250 (DM 35, EUR 18,17). If you are interested in presenting or participating, please reply by February 15, 2000. Contacts for further information and registration: c/o Hirnsperger Markus fax: ++43-1-4277-9485
Northern Research Forum The Northern Research Forum was established in Reykjavik, Iceland, in November 1999. Established in a joint effort by several institutions of the circumpolar arctic, this new forum will serve as a foundation for dialogue among people of the north. As stated in a feasibility report prepared by the University of the Arctic Circumpolar Co-ordination Office in Finland, the forum is to "provide a forum where research on northern and Arctic issues can be shared and discussed in regular meetings of a wide variety of scientist, other academics and representatives of other stakeholders." The first meeting of the Northern Research Forum will be held 2nd to 4th of November 2000 in Akureyri Iceland.
The idea of a Northern Research Forum was first proposed by Dr. ?afur Ragnar Gr?son, President of Iceland, in Rovaniemi, Finland, on the occasion of his speech commemorating the official opening of the twentieth academic year of the University of Lapland, in September, 1998. University of Lapland has since then held the idea aloft under the guidance of Dr. Lassi Heininen who is the current steering committee chair and the principal author of the feasibility report.
The first theme of the Northern Research Forum is "North meets North." Major sub-themes are as follows: Relevance of history to the present and the future, Northern Economies in the global economy, Regionalism and governance, Implementation of the northern dimension, Science and technology application in the north. In addition to this, the steering committee will commission papers for these sub-topics in order to set a tone for the forum.
A small secretariat has been formed for the Northern Research Forum and it will be in the hands of University of Akureyri and the Stefansson Arctic Institute. It is the hope of the steering committee that financing of the entire project will come from various sources, both national and international. The Carnegie Corporation of New York has already generously put forward funds for the Northern Research Forum. The Northern Research Forum Steering Committee is made up of the following individuals:
Andrei Golovnev
Thorsteinn Gunnarsson, Director Lassi Heininen, Senior Scientist
Oran Young, Professor/Director
Peter G. Johnson, Professor
Further information can be obtained at University of Akureyri, Department of International Programs and Research Affairs. Contact: Thorleifur Bjornsson, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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CALL FOR PAPERS
12th Inuit Studies Conference: Extended deadline for abstracts: 1st february 2000 The 12th Inuit Studies Conference will be held at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland between 23-26 August 2000. The central organising theme of the conference is the increasingly complex and problematic relationship between people, resources, the environment and global processes in the North. The natural resources of land and sea are under pressure from growing human demand, unsound environmental practices, pollution, climate change, tourism development, and global models of environmental management. While affecting the North as a region, these issues cannot be viewed in isolation, but must be seen in relation to global social, economic and political processes, which are the specific underlying causes of the global dimensions of environmental change and resource pressure. Such processes impact upon and threaten the economic and cultural viability of numerous Inuit communities, where people depend on resource extraction for their livelihoods. At the same time, self-determination, globalisation, modernity and resource development all bring positive challenges for Inuit communities as they seek appropriate forms of sustainable livelihoods.
Intending delegates already on the mailing list (including those who have submitted abstracts) will shortly be receiving this announcement plus further details about registration, conference fee and the special conference fee and accommodation package in the post. For those not yet on the mailing list, these details are available on request from the address below. Conference website is now available at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/conference/inuitstudies.
Abstracts are invited for individual 20-minute papers relating to the conference theme, and for inclusion in any of the sessions, as well as your suggestions of other themes and topics related to the spirit of the biennial Inuit Studies Conference.
Please submit a hard copy of a one-page abstract to: Dr. Mark Nuttall
On the abstract include the title of the proposal and the following information: author(s); academic affiliation(s); postal address; e-mail; telephone; fax (if available).
Nord-Laval Colloquium in Social Sciences 2000 The 10th Nord-Laval Colloquium, organised by the G?IC (Inuit and Circumpolar Studies Group), will be held on March 23-24, 2000. This event aims at providing a forum for graduate students, professors and consultants interested in discussing their research projects and results. More than an academic conference, it will also be a learning opportunity for young researchers to present their ongoing graduate research.
Activities will take the form of paper presentations (in the morning) and various thematic workshops chaired by professors and researchers. The afternoon of the second day will be devoted to a round table discussion about Aboriginal self-government. A talk presented by a special guest will close the colloquium.
Those who would like to present their research can choose from three options: you can present a research project you have done (we expect final results for paper presentations); 2) you can present your ongoing research in one of the thematic workshops (economic development; social changes, culture and environment; politics, law and territory); 3) or you may send us a one-page summary of your research without presenting it in a conference or workshop. Whichever format you choose, all participants must send a preliminary title of their presentation by Thursday, December 23, on diskette or by e-mail. An abstract (1 page) of your paper presentation or thematic workshop should be sent before Friday, January 23 2000, along with a brief biographical note. Abstracts and research summaries will be published in the G?IC collection Travaux de recherche.
Hopefully, we will be able to provide financial travel assistance for student participants. Those who want to take advantage of that help should send a budget describing their expected costs and other sources of funding. For further information, please contact: Nick Bernard email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
CASCA 2000: Stories From the Field Field research is the central experience of anthropology. Organizers of the CASCA (Canadian Anthropological Society / Soci? canadienne d'anthropologie) 2000 meetings invite participants to share their "stories from the field" and discuss the various theoretical, methodological, and ethical matters than arise through a reflexive consideration of the fieldwork process. How, for example, do we translate our field research into the formal stories of our discipline, the ethnographic monograph or article? Participants may wish to explore the production of ethnographic literature, film, and other forms of representation, the role of reflexivity, and new, experimental strategies in ethnographic writing.
As well, this disciplinary interest in our own "storytelling" processes is matched by a growing anthropological interest in the theoretical analysis of narrative processes in such arenas as oral tradition and literature, colonial projects (and post colonial deconstructions) of official history-making, ritual and cultural performances, and medical and psychological anthropology. Finally, whether our research location is in isolated communities, remote jungles, urban settings or corporate offices, common political, ethical, and procedural issues arise within the four subdisciplines of anthropology (cultural and physical anthropology, archaeology and linguistics), such as the politics of negotiating access to fieldwork sites, concerns over the control and use of research material, and the impact on and relevance of research for our informants or subjects. We invite participants from the different branches of anthropology to bring their "stories" from the field and to discuss common challenges entailed in the process of doing fieldwork.
We invite submissions for papers and sessions related to the congress theme from anthropologists, scholars of other disciplines, and graduate students. To help us with data entry, we encourage abstracts for individual papers to be submitted electronically through this website when registering for the conference (see "Registration"). Registration forms and abstracts can also be submitted by mail or fax. The deadline for the receipt of proposals is February 15, 2000.
Proposals for organized sessions (included abstracts) should be submitted by the session organizer by e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by mail or fax. Participants in organized sessions are also requested to individually register for the conference electronically or by printed form. For more information: CASCA 2000 Fax: (403) 284-5467
Sixth Circumpolar Symposium on Remote Sensing of Polar Environments This will be the sixth symposium to deal with remote sensing applications in polar environments. It will provide an international forum for the discussion of work currently being carried out in the circumpolar regions of the worlds in the following topic areas: * Land and water management
This symposium will be of interest to scientists, scholars, and industry and government professionals involved in renewable and non-renewable resource management in polar environments. The symposium will provide a forum for the exchange of current applied international research, the presentation of new technology, and the advancement of internal co-operation in the circumpolar regions of the world. The Northwest Territories centre for Remote Sensing (NWTCRS) in the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic development, Government of the Northwest Territories is organizing the symposium.
Abstracts of 250 words or less, in English, should be submitted electronically by February 1, 2000 in unformatted Word, Word Perfect, or ASCII text format to the conference email address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Registration materials and information on accommodations are available at our website: http://www.gov.nt.ca/RWED/rs/circumpolar2000 or contact: email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Northern Raven The Northern Raven, the journal of the Center for Northern Studies. We are soliciting articles for the upcoming issue of The Northern Raven, the journal of the Center for Northern Studies, with which many of you are familiar. Authors are invited to submit both technical papers and reflective essays addressing topics with a relationship or an application to the north. We Victoria Hust Tel. 802.888.4331
American Indian Quarterly As a sequel to the 1996 special issue on "Writing About Indians," the American Indian Quarterly invites essays of up to 20 pages on topics pertaining to methodologies, theories, or controversial issues within the interdisciplinary field of American Indian Studies. Authors from any discipline and tribal members without an academic affiliation may respond to topics presented in the 1996 issue (and in the book Natives and Academics) or may submit original commentaries. This invitation is open to Native and non-Native writers. Deadline to submit four copies of your paper to the address below is May 1, 2000. Please follow the author guidelines.
The American Indian Quarterly also invites submissions for a special issue on North and South American Indian Women. Authors may be from any discipline. Authors may submit: -book commentaries or discussion/commentary on any topic (methodologies, Send four copies of your work by June 1, 2000 to: Devon A. Mihesuah If you have questions email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Author guidelines: Manuscripts must be prepared according to the Chicago Manual of Style, 14 edition. All submissions must be double-spaced (including quotations and endnotes) and must be typed on 8 1/2 x 11-inch white paper. Margins must be one inch, font size 12 points, and paragraphs not blocked. Footnotes and the author-date system are not acceptable. Include a one-sentence bio.
Submissions not in compliance will be returned to the author. Authors whose manuscripts are accepted for publication will be required to submit their article on a 3.5 inch Macintosh-formatted disk. Submission to AIQ will not be returned to the authors and all submissions will be subjected to peer review. All reviewers will remain anonymous unless specifically requesting otherwise.
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AWARDS
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. The deadline is January 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 email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS:
Information Technology Research (ITR) program The National Science Foundation invites proposals for fundamental research in information technology, encouraging in particular research spanning information technology and scientific applications, and in the area of social, ethical and workforce issues. The purpose of the Information Technology Research (ITR) program is to augment the knowledge base and the workforce needed to enhance the value of information technology for everyone.
The program solicits proposals for research in software innovations, methods and technologies for education in information technology, human-computer interface issues, information management, advanced computational science, scalable information infrastructure, social and economic implications of information technology, and revolutionary computing.
For proposals with budgets over $500K, letters of intent are due November 15, 1999. For proposals with budgets not exceeding $500K, letters of intent are due January 5, 2000.
For further information, please consult the "Frequently Asked Questions" page at http://www.itr.nsf.gov/. For specific information on human-computer interface and information management, contact; Michael Lesk
For questions on social and economic implications of information technology, contact: Suzanne Iacono
Biocomplexity in the Environment (BE) The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a special competition to award $50 million in grants under the Biocomplexity in the Environment (BE) initiative launched by NSF Director Rita Colwell. This special competition is the second year of a multi-year effort to enhance our understanding of the nature and dynamics of biocomplexity in the environment. Specifically, this special competition will support integrated research to better understand and model complexity that arises from the interaction of biological, physical, and social systems.
The complete Program Announcement is available at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2000/nsf0022/nsf0022.htm. A Message of Intent to submit a proposal is due January 31, 2000, and full proposals are due March 1, 2000. Please direct general inquiries about the Biocomplexity: Special Competition to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or to the following Program Officer: Cheryl Eavey
Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program 2000 The Smithsonian encourages access to its collections, staff specialties, and reference resources by visiting scholars, scientists, and students. The Institution offers in-residence appointments for research and study in fields which are actively pursued by the museums and research organizations, using its facilities, and the advice and guidance of its staff members.
At present these fields are:
Postdoctoral Fellowships are offered to scholars who have held the degree or equivalent for less than seven years. Senior Fellowships are offered to scholars who have held the degree or equivalent for seven years or more. Applicants must submit a detailed proposal including a justification for conducting research in residence at the Institution. The term is 3 to 12 months. Both fellowships offer a stipend of $27,000 per year plus allowances.
Predoctoral Fellowships are offered to doctoral candidates who have completed preliminary course work and examinations. The applicant must submit a detailed proposal including a justification for conducting the research in-residence at the Institution. Candidates must have the approval of their universities to conduct doctoral research at the Smithsonian Institution. The term is 3 to 12 months. The stipend is $15,000 per year plus allowances.
Graduate Student Fellowships are offered to students who when they apply, are formally enrolled in a graduate program of study at a degree-granting institution. Before the appointment begins fellows must still be enrolled and must have completed at least one full-time semester or its equivalent, or have completed the graduate program within the past four months. Graduate Student Fellowships are usually intended for students who have not yet been advanced to candidacy if in a doctoral program. The term is 10 weeks; the stipend is $3,500. Stipends are prorated for periods of less than twelve months. Postmark Deadline is January 15, 2000. For applications material: on the web: http://www.si.edu/research+study or send e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (Please include mailing address for requested materials)
Shared Beringian Heritage Program, Project Application for FY 2000 The National Park Service is seeking applications for projects conducted under the Shared Beringian Heritage Program. Projects funded under this program may be either scientific research projects or local, community-based educational, cultural or conservation projects that fulfill some or all of the goals of the Beringia Program.
Please read through the following pages of information that will assist you in developing your proposal and writing the application. You are most welcome to call ahead of the application deadline to discuss your proposal with us and to obtain further information.
Goals of the Beringia Program The Shared Beringian Heritage Program of the National Park Service is an international program that unites American and Russian Natives, scientists, land managers, conservationists and other interested parties in promoting the protection, understanding and enjoyment of the common heritage of the Beringia region.
Some of the purposes of this program are to: * foster a climate of mutual understanding and cooperation between the United States and Russia, and the indigenous people of the central Beringian region in environmental protection, conservation of flora and fauna, and historic preservation and interpretation * provide for the continued opportunity for customary and traditional subsistence uses of resources within central Beringia, and recognition of unique and traditional activities by indigenous people of the region; * provide for the study, interpretation, and enjoyment of historic and archaeological sites and resources of great international significance; * and to provide the opportunity for the reestablishment of cultural traditions between indigenous people of both sides of the Bering Strait.
Consequently, proposals must show a relationship to one or more of the goals of the Beringia program and should meaningfully include an international Russian component to the project. This component might consist of including a Russian specialist to collaborate on research, fostering cultural exchanges between the two nations, by doing some or all of the project on the Russian side of Beringia or by exchanging findings between the two nations. Projects should be of interest and relevant to the inhabitants of the Beringia region both in the United States and in the Russian Republic.
Partnerships To further the goals of the Beringia program, the National Park Service enters into agreements with state, Native, educational and non-profit organizations to pursue the activities of the program. Working together on common goals enhances the activities and pursuits of the parties involved and sharing of funding responsibilities extends limited financial resources. In order to promote partnerships, proposals should show the ability to attract co-funding for the project. This co-funding may include appropriate levels of in-kind services provided by the requesting organization, other outside funding sources or a combination of these two types of co-funding.
Project Guidelines A project will be accepted for a period of one, two or three years. If the request is for two or three years, the budget must be detailed for the first year and estimated for the subsequent year(s). Federal funding becomes available on October 1 of each year and there is no guarantee of funding levels for future years. Therefore acceptance of a multi-year project is based on the assumption of sustained budget levels for the Beringia program.
If a project is accepted for multi-year funding, it will not be necessary to reapply for the second or third year's funding. The NPS and the Beringia Panel will review the progress of the project at the end of each fiscal year to approve subsequent funding.
In prior years, approximately $500,000 was available annually for funding Beringia projects and ten to twelve projects were accepted each year. The ideal range of requested Beringia funds for a project is $50-75,000. No projects will be considered that are over $100,000 and few projects will be considered in the $75-100,000 range. Organizations that have smaller projects in the $10-20,000 range are also encouraged to apply.
Once a project is accepted and a contractual agreement is signed between the NPS and the partner organization, monthly invoicing for the budget items already purchased may occur. Prepayments are not permitted. After funds are obligated for a project in a given fiscal year, they may be invoiced for the duration of the contractual agreement. This allows for final invoicing after a project is completed and all products are delivered according to the contractual agreement schedule.
Writing the Proposal We would like to streamline and standardize the format of the proposals being submitted. First, this will allow for a more consistent evaluation and ranking during the technical review and in the recommendations given to the Beringia Panel. Secondly, it will allow for a streamlining of the contractual agreement process in funding the projects. The proposal categories and text will be used in the agreement documents where appropriate, which will speed up the funding process. We expect all contractual agreements to be submitted to our contracting office by mid-April of 2000.
Please limit the size of your entire proposal to thirty (30) pages or less. A maximum of thirty pages will be photocopied in black and white for distribution to the reviewers. Electronic mail applications will be accepted in Windows MS Word 7.0 or WordPerfect 6.0. The email is: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The deadline for all submissions is January 7, 2000 at 5:00pm. Paper copies can also be mailed to: NPS - Beringia Program, 2525 Gambell Street, Anchorage, AK 99503-2892, USA.
Those interested in the Beringian Heritage Program should contact: Peter Richter
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JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS
Assistant Professor, Memorial University of Newfounldand, Newfounldand, Canada The Department of Anthropology at Memorial University of Newfounldand invites applications for a two-year contractural position (subject to budgetary approval) at the rank of Assistant Professor in social/cultural anthropology, beginning September 1, 2000. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in anthropology (or have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. by September 1, 2000) and have a demonstrated record of research on Newfoundland and Labardor and/or the Eastern Arctic / Subarctic. The successful candidate must be prepared to teach in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. Special attention will be given to candidates who intend to develop and expand their research efforts in the areas of Newfoundland, Labrador, the Eastern Arctic, or Eastern Subarctic. Applications will be accepted until January 31, 2000.
Please send applications together with a curriculum vitae and the names of three references to: Rex Clark, Head, Department of Anthropology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, A1C 5S7. Fax: (709) 737 8686, phone: (709) 737 8870, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Memorial University is committed to employment equity. In accordance with Canadian Immigration regulations, this advertisement is directed to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.
Director, International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA Applications and nominations are invited for the position of Director of the International Arctic Research Center (IARC). The new director will replace Dr. Syun-Ichi Akasofu, Founding Director of IARC. The director provides scientific leadership and has administrative and budgetary responsibility for the research programs of IARC. The director will be expected to develop and maintain sound working relationships with IARC's partners.
Applicants should be distinguished senior scientists with an earned doctoral degree or its equivalent in training and experience. Selection criteria will include well documented evidence of substantial contributions to the candidate's field of science in a discipline prominently represented in IARC; well documented evidence of innovative and successful leadership of substantial and major scientific research activities, including the procurement of funds to support such activities; evidence of ability to communicate effectively with peers, support staff, sponsors of research projects, and the general public; and administrative/managerial/fiscal experience in the planning and supervision of major projects.
The Search Committee for Director will begin its evaluation of applications on 1 February 2000. The appointment, expected to be offered about 1 May 2000 and effective 1 July 2000, will be made by the Chancellor of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks with the advice of the Implementing Committee of IARC.
The director serves at the pleasure of the Chancellor of UAF under the direction of the President of the University of Alaska. The appointment normally carries with it a separate tenured full-professorship in an appropriate academic department of the university. Additional information about IARC is available at: http://www.iarc.uaf.edu/. The University of Alaska is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and education institution. To apply, send a current curriculum vitae, statement of interest and have three letters of reference sent to the address below: Dr. James S. Sedinger, Chair Tel.: 907/474-7648
Science Advisor Position, Deline Dene Band Council, Deline, NWT, Canada The Deline Dene Band Council has mandated a joint process with Canada to address issues arising from the impacts of Port Radium mine and related activities in the Deline District. A Canada/Deline Uranium Negotiating Table has been established as the forum to discuss and decide on measures to address these impacts. To enable Deline to participate meaningfully in the process, a Scientific Advisor position is required for a two year term position.
The Science Advisor position, to be located in Deline, Northwest Territories, Canada, will work with the Deline Uranium Project Team consisting of a Uranium Issue Manager, Negotiator, Traditional Knowledge Advisor, Administrative Support, and legal/consulting advisors. The primary responsibilities of the Science Advisor will be to give advice and analysis/interpretation, both oral and written, to the Chief & Band Council, the Deline Uranium Project Team, and the community at large with respect to the on-going environmental, and health and science research questions and study results. The advisor will also be required to assist in identifying and coordinating science specialists working for Deline on various commissioned studies
Graduation with a Graduate degree from a recognized university, with acceptable specialization in physical or environmental science. Experience in planning and the implementation of environmental/health studies. Working in a remote community with First Nation citizens. Communicating complex scientific information to a non-scientific audience. Working with Traditional Environmental Knowledge. Working as a member of a team with both scientific and non-scientific persons.
Salary Range: $ 65, 000.00 to $75,000.00 per annum Please email or fax your application to: Gary Juniper If you require further information, please contact Gary Juniper at (867) 920-0738.
Executive Director, Arctic Institute of North America, University of Calgary, Canada The University Of Calgary and the Board of Directors of the Arctic Institute of North America seek an Executive Director for the Arctic Institute of North America to commence April 1, 2000, or as soon as possible thereafter, for a 5 - year term.
The University of Calgary is a contemporary university that builds a spirit of discovery and inquiry while delivering a dynamic life and quality learning experience. The vision of the Arctic Institute of North America is to continue as Canada's leading institute dedicated to interdisciplinary research in partnership with the North.
The Executive Director should be passionate about the Canadian Arctic. Comprehensive knowledge derived through residency, education, employment, and/or research activity in the North is essential. Equally, we seek an organized, adaptable person of scope and vision with experience in management, research, teaching, and professional practice, dedicated to excellence, and to the creation of a positive working environment for institute staff and research associates. The executive Director must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.
The successful candidate must be eligible for an adjunct appointment in a cognate department or faculty. The Executive Director must possess executive skills in the leadership of research, in office management, financial planning, budget administration, grant writing, and fund raising, and should demonstrate concern for the fiscal well-being of the institute and for creative resource development. A profile of the Arctic Institute and this position is available at http://www.ucalgary.ca/aina/
The University of Calgary has over 24,000 full and part-time students and over 4000 academic and support staff. It is located in the City of Calgary, a dynamic and growing city of more than 800,000 people, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
Nominations and applications, including a curriculum vitae, a separate one-page statement of vision for the Arctic Institute, and the names of three referees, should be submitted by January 30, 2000 to: Dr. Len Bruton. Tel. 403-220-5465
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NEW PUBLICATIONS
Handbook map now available for separate purchase Copies of the map of "Native Languages and Language Families of North America" that accompanies volume 17 (Languages) of the Smithsonian's Handbook of North American Indians are now available for separate purchase through the University of Nebraska Press. (It is announced in their most recent catalogue, as well as at their website: www.nebraskapress.com). The map has been reprinted in two formats: (1) a folded study map identical to the one in the pocket of HNAI 17 ($14.95); and (2) a larger wall display map, which includes somewhat more detail than the original ($19.95). Amazon.com is offering the latter at a 30% discount, making it the better buy if you have the space for it. It is also suitable for classroom use. (At the Amazon.com website look it up under the name of the compiler, Ives Goddard.)
Justice in Paradise by Bruce Clark, McGill-Queen's Native and Northern Series, 1999, 382 pp. 6 1/4 x 9 1/4, Cloth ISBN 0-7735-2001-5, $34.95 (Ca.); $29.95 (US). As a newsmaker, Bruce Clark is infamous not for his discussions of the finer points of the law in relation to Aboriginal rights but for being dragged away by the police at the Native standoff at Gustafsen Lake, British Columbia. Now he is challenging the United States, ownership of Liberty Island and the rest of the Hudson River drainage basin, the site of the world's most potent symbol of freedom, the Statue of Liberty.
A jurisprudential adventure story, Justice in Paradise recounts how a commitment to Native rights and an extraordinary passion for the rule of law have determined the course of Clark's life. From a childhood in an Indian residential school, to the defense of aboriginal rights before the World Court, to being disbarred, Bruce Clark's struggle has led him to a fight against the justice system itself.
Justice in Paradise explains the legal and philosophical position behind Clark's opposition to the Indian rights industry. He argues that the North American legal system causes the genocide of those indigenous peoples who embrace traditional religion and identity and accuses those who administer it with chicanery and abandoning the rule of law.
Smeared in the media for his beliefs and attacked from the bench he has been called "a disgrace to the bar" by the Chief Justice of Canada's Supreme Court. His book Native Liberty, Crown Sovereignty has been hailed as "the most important and meticulous recent study of native rights in common law" (Canadian Journal of Political Science).
Clark turned his back on a comfortable lawyer's life to defend the rule of law and Native rights. He moved with his family to Indian reservations and then to squats while he argued his case before the World Court in Europe. Now, no longer able to practice law, he has been adopted by the Mohicans and together they are fighting for Liberty Island and the Hudson River drainage basin. In his extraordinary memoir, Justice in Paradise, Bruce Clark -hero to some, extremist to others- details the battles of a renegade's life.
From the book: "In any rule-of-law society, whenever a legal dispute exists between two persons, the dispute must be turned over to a third party, a stranger to the dispute, someone whose interest is not affected one way or the other by the outcome. But the court system before which I was allowed to practice clearly was not a disinterested third-party vis-?is the legal issue of native sovereignty. The Indians, essential legal point was that their own courts had jurisdiction, not the invaders's courts. The Indians had already determined in their own councils that the legal issue was settled. Accordingly, the Temagamis wanted me to enforce their judgment, not to ask the invaders, court to make a judgment. Their legal point was that since there was no treaty, the invaders, court had no jurisdiction."
"This is an important book, advancing a serious, well-researched argument, written by a single-minded lawyer who has, in ways that would be beyond most people, devoted his life to the realization of what most people would describe as an id?fixe. It is also a gripping tale of this man's life, and the things that a dissenting person must go through in Canada to win a hearing from his fellows." Boyce Richardson, freelance writer.
"A fascinating story that touches on many important episodes and characters of past, present, and future history over a truly global expanse of ideology, philosophy, and geography." Anthony J. Hall, Native American studies, University of Lethbridge.
Bruce Clark has spent years defending the rights of Native groups across North America. A legal scholar specializing in the history of issues involving Native land claims, he holds a PhD in comparative jurisprudence and is the author of Native Liberty, Crown Sovereignty: The Existing Aboriginal Right of Self-Government in Canada.
Arctic International Trade: A Study Focused on the Greenlandic International Trade Regime, by Lise Lyck, 1999, ISBN 8770343128, Price DDK 148.00. The study is part of the Danish Research Council's programme on "Conditions for a Sustainable Development in the Arctic"
From the Preface: This study focuses on Arctic international trade problem complexes. Focus is especially on the Greenlandic international trade and international relation complex but also the complexes of northern Canada are dealt with. The reason for explicitly dealing with northern Canada is twofold: Firstly, approach to Arctic development bound to another national context. Secondly, it is in order to investigate the basic structures and processes in two almost geographically coherent Arctic territories in a future perspective for increased regional co-operation. The purpose of the study is to give a perspective of the very great impact of international trade and the consequences of being marginal in relation to current trade positions.
The final strategic perspective on Greenlandic international trade stresses the need for a more strategic attention to international trade in order to affect the business activities and the business environment more actively and politically to strengthen the use of international trade as a means for creating competitiveness and income and as a trade regime that sets up the finances for commercial development. This demands that Greenland achieves a freer position in relation to direct contacts with other states without Danish state interventions. It also requires that the Greenlandic business monopolies demonstrate a will to participate in international competition and that international trade is treated more strategically in the economic policy to achieve increased productivity and efficiency. furthermore, it requires a change in Greenlandic competition act and a change of the practice of political intervention.
From the Back Cover: International Trade has decisive influence on the economic development in a modern society. The international trade regime in Greenland is analysed and compared to other systems of international trade in the Arctic, especially to the system of the Canadian North. The international trade price system, its historical roots and its development as well as its consequences for the Greenlandic economy are studied. The different types of Greenlandic international relations are treated. It is concluded that a restructuring of the Greenlandic international trade system is needed for the Greenlandic economy to become more self sustaining and elements of such a restructuring are presented.
The book can be obtained from: New Social Science Monographs
Social and Environmental Impacts of the James Bay Hydroelectric Project, Edited James F. Hornig, McGill-Queen's Native and Northern Series, 1999, 192 pp 6 x9, Illustrations, figures, maps, Paper: ISBN 0-7735-1837-1, $24.95 Ca., $22.95 US, Planning and construction of the James Bay Hydroelectric project began in the early 1970s, when the effect of such projects on the physical and social environment was seldom considered. As the project matured, however, its unique and diverse environmental impacts came under intense scrutiny on both sides of the border.
The first mega-scale hydro project to be built in the sub-Arctic, capable of generating as much electricity as fifteen nuclear power plants, its impact includes disruption of vast areas in an extremely fragile ecosystem as well as displacement of native peoples and the introduction of dangerous levels of mercury into their food supply. The debate over these complex environmental issues has been further complicated by political issues stemming from the importance of the project to the economic development of Quebec and the sale of at least ten percent of the electricity generated the United States.
The contributors examine core issues of the controversy both in relation to James Bay and to other large hydroelectric projects, such as the Aswan dam in Egypt and the Three Gorges dam in China. Providing insights from an unusual variety of disciplines, the authors offer important considerations that must be taken into account as Quebec assesses additional phases of
James F. Hornig is professor emeritus of chemistry and environmental studies, Dartmouth College. Contributors include Raymond B. Coppinger (Hampshire College), Bill Dale Roebuck (Dartmouth Medical School), Will Ryan (Hampshire College), Adrian Tanner (Memorial University), Stanley L. Warner (Hampshire College), Kessler E. Woodward (University of Alaska), and Oran R. Young (Dartmouth College). To order, please send email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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WEB SITES OF INTEREST
CASCA The CASCA (Canadian Anthropological Society/Soci? canadienne d'anthropologie) 2000 website is now open. Please visit: http://www.ss.ucalgary.ca/casca/Default.htm
Cold Regions Bibliography A joint endeavor of the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress and the US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), this project disseminates information on Antarctica and cold regions science and technology "by maintaining and continually updating a database which is an accumulation of over 40 years of materials on the science and technology of the world's cold regions."
This database currently contains over 208,000 records, with about 6,000 accessions annually. After entering the supplied user id, 'COLD' and password, 'USER', visitors to the website can search the database by keyword, author, or year of publication. Search returns include title, source, and a link to more information, including pages, notes, series, and publisher information. A DOS version of the database is also available for limited periods to qualified researchers. More information available at: http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/scitech/coldregions/welcome.html
Polar Access The Canadian Circumpolar Institute Newsletter "Polar Access" is available. Instructions for email subscription to Polar Access are contained on the CCI web site: http://www.ualberta.ca/~ccinst/polar/cci-base.htm
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MISCELLANEOUS
ARCUS Directory of Arctic Researchers I am writing to request that you take a few moments to review and update the information you submitted previously to the ARCUS Directory of Arctic Researchers at http://www.arcus.org/researcher/fr_detailedSearch.html.
When first initiated in 1995, the Directory of Arctic Researchers included only U.S. Arctic researchers. It was expanded in April 1999 to encompass all arctic researchers; the process of soliciting submissions from all sectors of the circum-arctic research community is underway. In 2000, we will begin another expansion to include key managers and administrators from agencies and organizations supporting arctic research. The intent of the Directory is to assist the arctic research community--facilitating arctic research and education efforts by promoting connections among individual investigators, institutions, funding agencies, and arctic stakeholders. The Directory of Arctic Researchers currently is supported by ARCUS and the National Science Foundation.
Information on arctic researchers is continuously updated as it is received (i.e., address, phone, and fax changes; specialty changes; new research; etc.). We very much appreciate being kept up-to-date by each of you. We realize, however, that contact and research information changes over time but sometimes is not forwarded to all those who would need or want the new information. Therefore, we would like to ask you to take a few moments to review your record at
The science specialty list has been expanded in some areas, so we suggest that you review it as well. Submit changes using the survey form on the ARCUS web site at http://www.arcus.org/researcher/fr_Survey_Indiv.html. Include your full name and any fields that have new or updated information.
Thank you in advance for helping us to do the best job possible in keeping the Directory of Arctic Researchers current and useful. Thank you for your assistance.
Diane Wallace Phone: 907/474-1600
Licence permits in Nunavut, Canada Application packages, including revised guidelines, are now available for those wishing to undertake research in Nunavut during "2000." Applications and guidelines can be obtained by contacting the Manager, Research Liaison, Nunavut Research Institute ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), or by telephone at 867-979-4108. Those researchers holding multi-year licences are advised to check their licences to ensure that they are current for the calendar year 2000, that summary reports have been submitted, and that the research being undertaken has not changed significantly from that which was licensed. A review of all multi-year licences will take place during the review period.
Applications for new or annual licences are also available. University faculty should ensure that students proposing to undertake research are aware of the procedures and make sure that students make timely application.
Please be advised that beginning in 2000, research applications must be received at least 120 days in advance of the proposed date of work. Delays in processing may result if applications are received on short notice. Under the Scientists Act, no research can be undertaken without a valid research licence.
Researchers are also reminded that they, and not the Nunavut Research Institute, are responsible for ensuring that consultations have taken place with the appropriate communities, and that they have received the necessary support. The issuance of a research licence may be affected if consultations have not been completed. For more information, please contact:
Bruce Rigby Tel.: 867-979-4115
Literature review on monitoring activities in the Mackenzie Valley, NWT, Canada The Aurora Research Institute is currently completing a literature review of all current and historic monitoring activities in the Mackenzie Valley. All information is being compiled in a Cumulative Impact Monitoring Database that will be used in the development of a community based monitoring program required by the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. If you are aware of, or currently performing, monitoring activities in the NWT, please contact: Heather Swystun Phone: 867-777-4029
Logistics support in the North Slope of Alaska Logistics support in Barrow, Alaska is available at no cost, on a limited basis to National Science Foundation-supported researchers through NSF's Cooperative Agreement with the Barrow Arctic Science Consortium (BASC). Facilities and equipment available may include:
Facilities for researchers available just north of Barrow at UIC-NARL (the old Naval Arctic Research Laboratory installation) include: Laboratories, shop space, offices and heated storage. Bunk room lodging with communal kitchen facilities is available at the Arctic Research Facility (ARF) at UIC-NARL on a space-available basis. Use of the ARF is possible through an agreement between BASC and the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management.
BASC has some equipment available for use by researchers. This includes insulated and un-insulated tents, generators, ATVs, snow machines, sleds, a Boston Whaler (16?), tools, and limited cold weather gear. In addition, limited access to ARF equipment is available on a first-come first-served basis. ARF equipment includes ATVs, snow machines and some cold weather gear. Please contact BASC about scheduling and availability of all facilities and equipment mentioned above. Dave Ramey Tel.: 907/852-3803 or cell 907/852-1416
One section of Arctic Field Ecology will offered this summer (University of Minnesota, EEB 5842, 5 credits) (June 22 - July 19, 2000). Students will participate in a new program developing links between western and Inuit understanding of the Arctic landscape. This year we will explore the region Hiukitak River area west of Bathurst Inlet in the Canadian Arctic. We will focus on landscape patterns of vegetation, wildlife activity, and ecosystem processes as well as past and current human interaction with the land. We will charter float planes to our remote starting point and travel by river for the first three weeks of the course. During the final week we will meet with local Inuit instructors and travel along the Arctic coast.
Arctic Field Ecology is open to undergraduate and graduate students and is an exciting introduction to the Arctic and to field research in the natural sciences. For more information contact: Bill Gould at
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IASSA INFORMATION FALL 1999
Foundation IASSA was founded in 1990 in Fairbanks, Alaska, at a meeting held in conjunction with the 7th Inuit Studies Conference. The creation of IASSA follows the suggestion, made at the Conference on Coordination of Research in the Arctic held in Leningrad in 1988, to establish an international association to represent Arctic social scientists. From its foundation in 1990 until 1992, IASSA's secretariat was housed at the Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. The following three years the secretariat was situated at the Arctic Center, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland. Then from 1995 to 1998, it was housed at the Department of Eskimology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Objectives The Arctic is defined as all Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of the world. The social sciences encompass disciplines relating to behavioral, psychological, cultural, anthropological, archaeological, linguistic, historical, social, legal, economic, environmental, and political subjects, as well as health, education, the arts and humanities, and related subjects. The objectives are: o to promote and stimulate international cooperation and to increase the participation of social scientists in national and international arctic research; o to promote communication and coordination with other research organizations; o to promote the active collection, exchange, dissemination, and archiving of scientific information in the Arctic social sciences; o to promote mutual respects, communication, and collaboration between social scientists and northern people; o to facilitate culturally, developmentally, and linguistically appropriate education in the North; o to follow the IASSA statement of ethical principles for the conduct of research in the Arctic.
Administration IASSA is governed by an elected seven-member Council and a General Assembly consisting of all members having paid their membership. The secretariat is presently based at the G?IC (Groupe d'?des inuit et circumpolaires), Laval University , Quebec City, Canada), and the secretariat is run by Murielle Nagy.
IASSA Council Members Gérard Duhaime
Noel Broadbent
Jens Dahl (ex officio, past chair)
Oscar Kawagley
Ludger Müller-Wille
Marit Myrvoll
Frank Sejersen
Nikolai B. Vakhtin
Membership Membership is open to anyone interested in Arctic social sciences. Membership is required to participate to the ICASS (International Congress in Arctic Social Sciences). Members receive the IASSA Newsletter 2 times a year and can subscribe to an email server-list. Membership fees are in US dollars or in Canadian dollars:
Please write your cheque or money order to IASSA, fill the membership form and send to: IASSA Secretariat Tel.: (418) 656-7596, FAX: (418) 656-3023
Meetings IASSA held its First International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS I) in Ste-Foy, Quebec, Canada, on October 28-31, 1992. The congress was held on the campus of Laval University immediately following the 8th Inuit Studies Conference. More than 300 people participated to ICASS I, 235 of which presented papers. Sixteen countries were represented by paper presenters. The next IASSA congress (ICASS II) was held jointly in Rovaniemi, Finland, and Kautokeino, Norway, in the summer 1995. ICASS III took place in May 1998 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Abstracts and presentations of keynote speakers from ICASS meetings can be ordered without charge from the IASSA secretariat.
BOOK YOUR CALENDAR: THE NEXT ICASS IV WILL BE HELD MAY 16-20, 2001, IN QUEBEC CITY, CANADA. Please subscribe to IASSA.Net (see below) for current updates on ICASS IV. The IASSA web site is in preparation and will also have updates on ICASS IV.
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IASSA.NET SERVER LIST This server list is designed for use by members and others interested in the goals of the International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA). The organization was founded in 1990 to represent Arctic social scientists in international contexts and to provide a network for social scientists working and/or living in the North. Among IASSA's objectives are efforts to ensure that social sciences research is carried out in accordance with ethical principles approved by indigenous peoples and other Northern residents. IASSA also seeks to develop and enhance educational programs that will provide northern residents and those interested in the North with information necessary to improve social, economic, and political conditions in Northern communities.
Information, questions, and communications on this server list will deal broadly with issues affecting Arctic social sciences and with matters of interest to IASSA members. Contributions may include announcements of meetings or conferences, news about upcoming IASSA activities, information about new publications of interest to Arctic social scientists, job announcements, or request for contacts regarding scholar investigations of particular topics. Postings should be those of interest to a wide audience, and not for a particular person (use email for this purpose).
Subscribing "IASSA.Net" To subscribe to this list, send an email message to:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. The body of your message should read SUBSCRIBE IASSA.NET
Posting messages To post a message to IASSA.Net, send your email message to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . It will be automatically distributed to all list subscribers. Please make sure to include your name and email with each message. Otherwise, subscribers will not know who sent the message or how to respond to you personally (if they want to).
Guidelines for use of "IASSA.Net" Since this server list is self-moderated, some guidelines are appropriate: 1. Topics should be related to professional interests of Arctic social scientists. Items that are strictly for personal interest should be sent through email. 2. New subscribers to IASSA.Net are encouraged to introduced themselves to other members of the list by posting (as appropriate) a short bibliography, academic affiliations, research interests, language proficiencies, telephone and fax contact numbers, etc. 3. All those posting items to the list should include a name and email address with their contributions. 4. IMPORTANT: If you use your mailer's REPLY command to respond to a message, please remember that ALL subscribers will receive your message. If you want to reply to only one person, please use their personal address. 5. Comments or suggestions about this list should be sent to list owner Richard Caulfield (Fairbanks, Alaska) at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Additional commands The following commands may be used by any subscriber by sending them as the only message to: HELP REVIEW IASSA.NET INDEX SEND (add file name here) If you have technical problems, send message to: Special thanks to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, USA, for supporting this server list. Text supplied by Richard Caulfield (revised January 1996).
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NEXT IASSA NEWSLETTER To submit anything to our next IASSA Newsletter, please contact Murielle Nagy, the IASSA secretary and editor of the Newsletter, at: IASSA Secretariat, G?IC, Universit? Laval, Pavillon De-Koninck, local 0450, Quebec City (Quebec), Canada G1K 7P4, Tel.: (418) 656-7596, FAX: (418) 656-3023, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it * * * * Season's Greetings and Happy New Year 2000! |