| Newsletter - Fall 1998 |
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In this issue: Minutes from the last IASSA General Assembly Guiding Principles for the Conduct of Research Priority programme of the IASC Working Group on Rapid Cultural and Social Changes in the North
EDITORIAL The secretariat of IASSA has now been moved to the GETIC (Groupe d'etudes inuit et circumpolaires) of Laval University in Quebec City. As the new chair of the association, I would like to send all my thanks to my predecessor, Jens Dahl, and to IASSA ex-secretary Frank Sejersen, for their admirable work during the last three years, and especially while organizing the Third International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS III) in Copenhagen. The next ICASS IV will be held in Quebec City, Canada, May 16 to 20, 2001. More information concerning this event will be sent through mail and email, and in our next newsletters. Since our association and its international congress are mainly funded through membership, I hope that we will be able to increase the latter, specially among graduate students. We will soon start to advertize our association by mail and through our upcoming web site.
As for IASSA's mandate, three main issues have been of concern for the past years, and will continue to be: · A NGO observer status to the Arctic Council; IASSA Council members have been asked to share the work on these issues. Marit Myrvoll and Oscar Kawagley have agreed to represent IASSA to the Arctic Council if the latter grant our association a NGO observer status. Ludger M?Wille has accepted to represent IASSA at the IASC. Jens Dahl, who is the chair of the IASC working group on Rapid cultural and social changes in the North, is sending us their priority program along with a cover letter which explains its mandate (see next pages). One of the members of that group, Yvon Csonka, has agreed to compile information on major research projects undertaken by IASSA members. Nikolai Vakhtin has offered to act as a liaison between IASSA members resident in Russia and Yvon Csonka.
The promotion of projects development in the Arctic is at the core of IASSA original concerns. Funding for social sciences has been and is still greatly neglected in the Arctic. Making visible projects linked to on-going and future research in the Arctic is extremely important to demonstrate to funding agencies that we need their support. It is also my intention to elaborate with the members of the IASSA Council an endorsement policy by which IASSA could give its support to major research initiatives. This will thus allow research team to associate their projects to IASSA and make themselves known to their peers. I encourage all the IASSA members to submit information concerning their research to Yvon Csonka as I am confident that this working group will improve IASSA's representation at IASC.
As this is a late fall edition of our Newsletter, please accept all my greetings for the holiday season and my best wishes for 1999. Gérard Duhaime 130 IASSA members and 30 non-members were present at the General Assembly in Copenhagen.
The Chair (Jens Dahl) and the secretary (Frank Sejersen) accounted for the activities and economy of IASSA and both reports were approved by the General Assembly.
The following sponsors of ICASS III were thanked by the Chair (in alphabetic order): Danish Research Council for the Humanities
It was suggested that the number of council members should be reduced from 11 to 7. It was argued that a reduction in the number of council members would improve the possibilities of the Council to convene and quickly respond to the tasks of the Council. The proposal was adopted.
The secretary suggested that institutions should pay a subscription fee for the IASSA Newsletter. The proposal was adopted.
Gérard Duhaime offered to host the IASSA secretariat at the Laval University (Quebec, Canada) and suggested Murielle Nagy as the secretary. The Assembly welcomed the offer and unanimously agreed to locate the secretariat at the Laval University with Murielle Nagy as secretary. Gérard Duhaime suggested that the new secretariat should organise the Fourth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IV). The proposal was adopted.
Suggestions for changes in the proposed draft for Guiding Principles for the Conduct of Research were discussed. After the discussion, the General Assembly adopted the principles (enclosed).
Candidates for the Council to be elected by IASSA members: Noel Broadbent (elected)
Following the General Assembly, the new IASSA Council convened for the first time. The new Council unanimously chose Gérard Duhaime as Chair of the Council. Jens Dahl (past chair, ex officio) and Murielle Nagy (IASSA secretary) also participated at the Council meeting. Minutes taken by
Guiding Principles for the Conduct of Research As adopted by the IASSA General Assembly convened in Copenhagen May 23, 1998, during the Third International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS III).
Preface This statement of principles has been formulated in accordance with the Bylaws of the International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA) adopted by the IASSA General Assembly on 29 October 1992. These Principles have been formulated to provide guidelines for all researchers working in the North in the social, natural and health sciences, and in the humanities. These principles are intended to promote mutual respect, communication and partnerships between researchers and northern residents. This statement is not intended to replace other national, professional or local guidelines. It is understood that there must be continuing assessment of the principles.
Principles All scientific investigations in the North should be assessed in terms of their potential human impact and interest. Social science research, particularly studies of human subjects, requires special consideration, as do studies of land and resources that have economic, cultural, social and spiritual value to Native people. In all instances, it is the responsibility of the principal investigator on each project to implement the following: 1. The researcher should consult with the appropriate regional and/or local authorities regarding planned research within their territories. Informed consent should be obtained from appropriate authorities and from any individuals involved in the research. In seeking informed consent, the researchers should identify all sponsors and sources of support; the person in charge and all investigators involved in the research; the purposes, goals, and time frame of the research; data gathering techniques (including audio and video recording, photographs, etc.) and uses to which they will be put and foreseeable potential benefits and risks. The responsibility of researchers to inform continues after approval has been obtained. 2. The researcher should consult with and, where applicable, include local people in project planning and implemen-tation. Realistic opportunities should be provided for them to express their interests and to participate in the research. 3. Research results should be presented to local communities in non-technical terms and where possible translated into local languages. Copies of research reports and other relevant materials should be made available to local communities. 4. Subject to the requirements for anonymity, publications should always refer to the informed consent of participants and give credit to those contributing to the research project. 5. The researcher must respect local cultural traditions, languages, and values. Efforts should be made to incorporate local and traditional knowledge and experience and to acknowledge the principle of cultural property. 6. Efforts should be made to provide meaningful experience, training and economic opportunities for local people. 7. In cases where individuals or groups provide information of a confidential nature, their anonymity must be guaranteed in both the original use of data and in its deposition for future use. 8. Research on humans should only be undertaken in a manner that respects their privacy and dignity. Subjects must remain anonymous unless they have agreed to be identified. If anonymity cannot be guaranteed, the subjects must be informed of the possible consequences of becoming involved in the research. 9. All research involving children must be fully justified and never undertaken without the consent of the children and their parents or legal guardians. 10. Sacred sites, cultural materials and human remains cannot be disturbed or removed without appropriate local consent and in accordance with international, national and local laws and regulations.
* * * * Working group 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 research priority programme which is reprinted in this issue of the IASSA Newsletter. Jens Dahl
Priority programme of the Working group on Rapid Cultural and Social Change in the Circumpolar North Introduction Arctic and northern societies have for millennia adapted and responded to rapid environmental and social changes and have shown great resilience. During the 20th century, however, the pace and intensity of change has increased dramatically. Responses by northern peoples have been complicated and varied, and present a challenge to Arctic social sciences. It has been recognized that the Arctic regions are key areas for studying and understanding human environmental interactions and processes of social and cultural adaptation. The major motivation for global change research is to comprehend how humans influence and are influenced by environmental change. Human responses to such changes are social and cultural in nature. The following research themes are aimed at addressing these central issues of the IASC research programme and facilitating the prioritization process. All research projects in the Arctic, including the natural and social sciences, must be carried out in accordance with the highest standards of professional responsibility and accountability to those being affected by this research. The IASSA Principles of Ethics for the Conduct of Research provide guidelines for developing research partnerships based on the principle of informed consent, accountability, and mutual respect.
Scientific approach The goal of this programme is the development of international, comparative, interdisciplinary and co-managed research projects. 1. Construction of knowledge and world view. In recent years there has been an increased focus on indigenous and local knowledge, first of all as this relates to traditions and to environmental issues. The inherent sets of knowledge are considered fundamental expressions of human-environmental relations. The knowledge must be given priority in the sustainable management of local and regional resources. The following are research themes that have been identified has having particular urgency and as well as relevancy to IASC. · Research into the relationship between institutional form and function. This includes documenting how the introduction of modern institutions determines and limits the use of local or indigenous customs and knowledge. It also includes the institutionalization of knowledge and world view. · Pillars of cultural identity. In the Circumpolar North, it is assumed that there are differences and similarities in the essential elements which make up cultures and which are prominent in the preservation of cultures. · Conceptualizing knowledge. · Documentation, preservation and development of traditional and local knowledge. This includes research into knowledge of the environment such as recording of place names, land uses, indigenous topography, and application of GIS in this process. · Increased and more integrated research on indigenous and local knowledge of marine and terrestrial resources, especially demonstration projects on marine mammals, fish and reindeer/caribou, as well as other resources of value to northern peoples. · Research on the ways indigenous and local knowledge can be effectively communicated and incorporated into family life, the attainment of life skills, language vitalization, education and training. · Studies of the role and significance of indigenous and local knowledge in political and legal processes. · Studies on the relationships between local, regional, national and international environmental decision making and management regimes. · Develop and incorporate studies of environmental perceptions in IASC projects dealing with northern lands, territories and resources of significance to indigenous peoples.
2. Social viability, cultural continuity and demographic transitions. There has been increasing awareness of rapid transforma-tions, both cultural and social across the Circumpolar North, as well as recognition of the differences among various Arctic regions. The following approaches are identified as urgent and highly valuable. · Determining key factors of change in social, cultural, and economic processes. · Comparing how these changes and their effects vary within and across the Circumpolar North. · Since World War II the societies of the Circumpolar North have experienced immense demographic changes. This includes concentration of the indigenous populations in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, depopulation of the Russian North since 1989 and an expected tremendous relocation to be followed by the establishment of Nunavut in 1999. Research issues include, but are not limited to: · Research into the lasting socio-economic effects of significant changes in the composition, number and concentration of various population groups. · Research into the cultural significance and cultural applicability of types of statistical data and cross-cultural studies on the comparability of statistical data for small communities. · The differences or similarities of changes in homogeneous and heterogeneous communities. · Research on the documentation, maintenance and revitalization of indigenous languages and how language is related to cultural continuity and identity. · Studies on perceptions of health and illness, use of health care services, lifestyle habits, quality of life, and indigenous and local knowledge. · Research on the interplay of small scale, subsistence and global economics and resulting shifts in patterns of work and employment. · Research on changing patterns of gender and generational relationships, family and household formation, community integration and social life. · Research on the social, cultural, and economic impacts of land and resource use. · Studies of changes of educational patterns, cross-cultural communications, cultural relevance and development of local educational programmes and institutions. · Studies on how cultural and group identities are maintained and influenced as a result of social and cultural continuity and change on the local, regional and circumpolar level.
3. Political dynamics, governance and collective rights The Circumpolar regions are experiencing important changes in political structures both internally with respect to national (state) and international integration. The situation spans those cases, in which minority and indigenous groups strive for political and legal recognition, and those in which a population is in control of a state apparatus. Indigenous groups globally put forward claims for self-determination. Therefore, studying Arctic experiences will be of comparative value. Issues of immediate relevance are: · Research into the effects of globalisation and rapid change in political governance on the position of individual and collective rights in northern communities and cultures. · Comparative studies on the use of indigenous languages in modern northern administrations including investigation into the interplay between language use and the customs imbedded in local institutions. · Indigenous and local knowledge in the contemporary healing and justice process. · Research into the dynamics of power transfer and the development of new political institutions resulting from this, including perspectives on the issues of local empowerment, gender, and cultural performance. · The dynamics of knowledge production and information dissemination in Arctic communities/ societies and the role of the media. · A comparative study of state linkages and models of governance evolving in the process of struggle for self-determination in the different Northern regions. · Studies of the impact of international conventions and declarations of human rights in the resolution of conflicts over lands and resources.
Users · Arctic communities, indigenous nations, their NGOs and governing bodies. · Non-Arctic indigenous peoples and their organizations. · International research community, including biological, physical, and social scientists. · Agencies involved in natural resource management and environment protection. · National, regional and local authorities dealing with education, health, welfare, and economic issues. · International NGOs concerned with cultural survival and environment protection. Linkages Humans are part of the Arctic ecosystem. They react to environmental changes as well as contribute to them. Their actions are determined in part by the consequences of the social and cultural changes occurring in the Arctic. Therefore research on indigenous and local environmental knowledge, social viability and cultural continuity, and political dynamics, governance and collective rights will make significant contributions to, and benefit from, the current IASC research priorities which are 1) Impacts of Global Changes on the Arctic Region and its Peoples (Including BESIS and BASIS), 2) Arctic Process of Relevance to Global Systems, 3) Natural Process within the Arctic, and 4) Sustainable Use of Living Resources in the Arctic.
Next steps Following the working group meeting held in Montreal, November 1997, the following steps were or will be taken: · Late November 1997: Document sent to work group members for comments. · December, 1998: Call for project proposals from institutions and individuals following the decisions and final research priority suggestions from the work group meeting in Montreal. Establishing direct linkages with existing projects and scientific networks. · February - March 1999: Preparing a science and implementation plan. · Early May 1999: Presentation of the priority science and research project(s) to the IASC Annual Meeting in Fairbanks. · Summer 1999: Consultation with the user institutions and communities. · Autumn 1999: Proposals can be submitted to funding agencies. Participants in the IASC Work Group meeting in Montreal: Yvon Csonka, Jens Dahl (chair), Ken MacRury (Nunavut Research Institute), Ludger M?Wille, Marit Myrvoll, Fran?s Robert (Nunavut Social Development Council), Karo Thomsen.
Working Group Members Noel Broadbent (Umeå, Sweden), Boris Chichlo (Paris, France), Yvon Csonka (Neuchâtel, Switzerland), Jens Dahl (chair, Copenhagen, Denmark), Igor Krupnik (Washington, USA), Edna MacLean (Point Barrow, USA), Ludger M?Wille (Montreal, Canada), Marit Myrvoll (Troms? Norway), Karo Thomsen (Nuuk, Greenland) and the Nunavut Research Institute (Iqaluit, Canada).
Prepared by * * * *
CALL FOR CO-OPERATION Reindeer-herding during current reforms in the Russian Arctic: a tundra-centred interdisciplinary field-study approach Project summary: During the recent years but especially with the present deterioration in the economy of the former Soviet Union, sustainable use of traditional renewable resources in the Far North has entered into a new critical phase. The abandonment of the Soviet collective farm with its central planning, subsidizing, and marketing, has been followed by a crisis in reindeer-herding. Private herding - which was expected to appear - is facing very serious obstacles and is not happening in the region where our team is working - the Kola Peninsula (NW Russia). In the resultant void, both people and animals are developing survival strategies relying on traditional knowledge as well as on whatever residual Soviet features can be utilized. The study of these dynamic developments in the context of the current sharply accentuated economic crisis, we see as a direction for research of growing priority. It is necessary for joint teams of anthropologists, ecologists and animal biologists to conduct such interdisciplinary research. We place a great emphasis on the importance of long-term field-research directly with reindeer-herding crews (brigadi), at tundra-camps (bazi) and in direct contact with herds. Knowledge collected from reindeer-herders and from herd-observation is to be compared with official sources at agrocentres, as well as archival sources in bigger cities.
Dear colleagues, We are writing to you to continue work with reindeer-herding brigades in the Kola. Our experience with them since 1994 has convinced us that each unit has its own specific way of coping with the current conditions and has turned into a small mobile "village", a clan-like (siida) socioeconomic structure. With the current sharp aggravation of the economic crisis in Russia (reminding us painfully of the 1991-1992 situation), this tendency is bound to increase, perhaps qualitatively, as former collectives will be driven further to mobilizing inner resources, like kinship organization and traditional modes of production. Another important aspect of the situation, as we see it, is the rather abrupt change in the ecology of the human-reindeer relationship. With the collapse of the subsidized Sovhoz economy, human mechanized ("industrial") intrusion into the life of the reindeer-herds has significantly diminished and as there is "a back to clan" trend for the people, there is something of a "back to nature" trend for the deer. Let it only be said here that even salt is not given to the animals nowadays, as there is no money for it, let alone concentrated forage for the draft-deer, vaccinations against blood-sucking insects and other parasites. There is also a sharp reduction of mechanized air and surface transport. This raises the more general problem of being able to observe the impact of global changes (like the end of the Cold War and the Soviet period) on sharply specific ecosystems like Arctic reindeer-herding and possibly predict future trends. We thus want to continue tundra-based field-research, but herein there are some serious difficulties.
As a Bulgarian institution we have no chance to find local funding for research conducted outside this country, and on the international arena our chances are also understandably dim. Up to a point we used to get support from the Norwegian Research Council within their program for co-operation with the countries of Eastern Europe, but that ceased some two years ago, and for the last expedition (April-June 1998) we had practically to beg from friends and colleagues - (Hugh Beach and Trond Thuen) - and there was also some help from the University of Troms?pan> This being the situation, we are eager to co-operate with colleagues who stand a better chance for being approved for a project from national or international agencies. In return we can offer our whole infrastructure on the Kola Peninsula, i.e. our very good connections with both brigade-members and relevant local administrators and institutions (the Rayon Administration; Reinherding Collectives' Administration; Air-transport Office; Murmansk State Pedagocical Institute; Konzern Sevredmet, etc.). We also have access to heavy-duty surface (amphibious) transport; Arctic equipment, and base-camps in villages and brigade tundra-bases. Last but not least, there is accumulated experience of four years of research on the above mentioned issues, including a year and a half in the field.
For potential collaborators, much of the initial anxiety and problems which face newcomers (and we have ourselves faced for a long time) can be spared and they can unproblematically enter the field. Another option is that such a person/persons could help with organizational and theoretical support only, as was the case in our collaboration with the University of Troms?re administrative leadership and accountancy came from the University, while we worked in the field. This could be a very effective scheme especially if a more encompassing project could be devised, with several teams working on the same theme in different Arctic locations, but with one coordinating centre. Please consider this from the point of view of a possible organizational and administrative leadership of, in the first instance, yourself, or an associate, within the framework of a joint application.
We look forward to hearing from you. Best regards, Yulian Konstantinov
Petya Mankova Dessislav Sabev
* * * * CONFERENCES
Contemporary Problems of Traditional Land-Use of Indigenous Peoples of the North, January 18-22, 1999 at the RUPF, Moscow. Hosts: Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East, and the International Working Group for Ethnoecological Problems and Legal Support of Northern Peoples (IWGN), based at the Russian University of Peoples' Friendship (RUPF) The main goals of the Conference are the analysis, discussion and synthesis of information on the economy, legal support, technologies, and environmental aspects of traditional land-use (reindeer herding, fishing, hunting and gathering) in circumpolar countries, as well as working out approaches to the development of traditional land-use that are appropriate in contemporary economic and political conditions. More detailed information on the conference and suggested topics are available from the Canadian Circumpolar Institute, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or contact Organizing Committee, Contemporary Problems of Traditional Land-Use Performed by Northern Peoples, c/o Dr. I.V. Rymalov, Executive Director, International Working Group, Russia, 117189, Moscow ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 21/2. Russian University of the Peoples' Friendship, Center for Training and Further Retraining of Specialists. Tel. (Secretariat): +7-095-434-73-80; FAX: +7-095-431-58-44; email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The thirty-eighth annual meeting of the Western Regional Science Association, Ojai, California, February 21-24, 1999. The WRSA meeting includes a series of Remote Regions / Northern Development sessions to accommodate social scientists who have a special interest in research on economic, social, political, and cultural issues in remote, sparsely settled regions in the circumpolar north and elsewhere. The Remote Regions / Northern Development sessions are in their fourteenth year. For more information please contact: Professor Lee Huskey, Dept. of Economics, College of Business and Public Policy, University of Alaska, Anchorage, 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, Alaska, USA 99508. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it You can find more about the meetings at the WRSA web site (http://geog.arizona.edu/wrsa).
International symposium on 'Minority Identities Today', University of Aberdeen, Scotland, June 19-21, 1999. Proposals are invited for themed sessions and individual papers dealing with sociolinguistic, literary and cultural aspects of minority identities today, with particular focus on the Northern Arc of Europe, from Ireland to Russia. Deadline for abstracts: 31 January 1999. Further details from Dr. Barbara Fennell, Department of English, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Old Aberdeen AB24 2UB, Scotland. e-mail: b.a.fennell:abdn.ac.uk
The Sixth Circumpolar Universities Co-operation Conference on the theme "Northern Development and Sustainable Livelihoods: Towards a Critical Circum-polar Agenda," University of Aberdeen, Scotland, June 24-27, 1999. For information, please contact Dr. Fiona Hogarth, Conference organiser, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or consult their web site: http://www.adbn.ac.uk/cua
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CALL FOR PAPERS
* Retrospect and Prospect: Anthropologies in Canada and Quebec at the beginning of the 21st century. This is a call for abstracts or proposals for articles, essays, memoirs, interviews, and other contributions for a special bilingual issue of Anthropologica, the journal of CASCA (Canadian Anthropology Society / Soci? canadienne d'anthropologie) in the year 2000. The issue would offer a retrospective on the past, critical views on the present and visions for the future of anthropologies in Canada and Quebec. Contributions might include: -regional, indigenous, local anthropologies; Other suggestions are welcome. Papers may vary in length and style. We are interested in "thought" pieces and essay-style writing. Contributions not longer than 25 double-spaced pages are encouraged. Abstracts or proposals may be sent to Sally Cole ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Jean-Guy Goulet ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). Deadline for receipt of abstracts or proposals is December 31, 1998. Notification of acceptance will be sent by January 31, 1999. Deadline for submission of contributions for review is September 15, 1999. The volume is scheduled for publication in the fall of 2000.
* Sessions on "New Directions in Northern History" at the Canadian Historical Association Annual Meeting (part of the Congress of Learned Societies), Sherbrooke and Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada, June 8-9, 1999. We are interested in proposals that cover new thematic or methodological approaches. And we are particularly keen to receive submissions from graduate student. Reports on work in progress would be welcomed. Please submit proposals to Dr. Ken Coates, Dept. of History and Politics, University of New Brunswick at Saint John, P.O. Box 5050, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, E2L 4L5, Tel. (506) 648-5561, Fax: (506) 648-5611, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT * Workshop on "Northern Perspectives: Visions of Northern Canadian History" at the Canadian Historical Association Annual Meeting (part of the Congress of Learned Societies), Sherbrooke and Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada, June 8-9, 1999.
The workshop consists of two elements: -A series of invited papers, prepared by specialists in their fields of study, that reflect on the state of existing historical scholarship and consider the challenges and opportunities before us; This workshop provides an important opportunity for northern historians to reflect on the state of the sub-discipline, to consider both our collective accomplish-ments and the opportunities that lie ahead, and debate theoretical, conceptual, methodological and thematic issues that animate our research.
Tentative schedule Session One Session Two Session Three Session Four Session Five Session Six Sessions Seven to Ten
Workshop Organizers: Dr. Kerry Abel, Department of History, Carleton University Dr. Ken Coates, Dept. of History and Politics, University of New Brunswick at Saint John, P.O. Box 5050, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, E2L 4L5, Tel. (506) 648-5561, Fax: (506) 648-5611, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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NEW PUBLICATIONS
Aboriginal Knowledge in the North, edited by Louis-Jacques Dorais, Murielle Nagy and Ludger M?Wille, 1998. Available at $18.19 (for Canadians outside Quebec), $18.35 (for Canadians inside Quebec), $20.00 (Outside Canada) These figures are in Canadian dollars and include postage. If interested, please send your payment by cheque or money order to: G?IC, Laval University, Pavillon Ernest-Lemieux, Quebec City (Quebec), Canada G1K 7P4
Sacred lands: aboriginal world views, claims, and conflicts, edited by J. Oakes, R. Riewe, K. Kinew, and E. Maloney, 1998, CCI Occasional Publication No. 43 Softcover 1-896445-07-1 338p. 6"x 9" format $28 (+$4 S/H in Canada, $6 U.S., and $11 overseas). CDN residents add 7% GST to total. Outside Canada, prices are in US dollars. Individuals must prepay all orders. VISA and MasterCard accepted. Make cheques payable to the Canadian Circumpolar Institute (CCI) Press, University of Alberta, 8820-1122 Street, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E1. Tel.: (403) 492-4512; FAX: (403) 492-1153,
The ladies, the Gwich'in and the Rat: Travels on the Athabasca, Mackenzie, Rat, Porcupine, and Yukon Rivers in 1926 by Clara Vyvyan, edited by I.S. MacLaren and Lisa N. LaFramboise 1998, 364p, notes, bibliography, $29.95 Ca. To order: University of Alberta Press, 141 Athabasca Hall, Edmonton AB T6G 2E1, Tel.: (403) 492-5820 FAX: (403) 492-0719
Inuit, whaling, and sustainability by Milton M. R. Freeman, Lyudmila Bogoslovskaya, Richard A. Caulfield, Ingmar Egede, Igor I. Krupnik, and Marc G. Stevenson, 1998, 208 pages $24.95 sc (0-7619-9063-1) or $52.00 hc (0-7619-9062-3) To order: Jennifer Collier, AltaMira Press, a division of Sage Publications, 1630 North Main Street, Suite 367, Walnut Creek, CA 94596, USA, Tel.: 925-938-7243; FAX: 925-933-9720 email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Gwich'in words about the land by the Gwich'in Elders and Gwich'in Renewable Resource Board 1997, 8.5" X 11"; paper cover, maps, illustrations (B&W), 212 p. ISBN 0-9682642, $40.00 + Shipping (Canada and USA $7.50; International $10.00) To order: Gwichin'in Renewable Resource Board, Box 2240 Inuvik, N.T., Canada X0E 0T0; Tel.: (867) 777-3429; FAX: (867) 777-4260; email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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The circumpolar Inuit: health of a population in transition by Peter Bjerregaard and T. Kue Young 1998, ISBN 87-16-11905-3 $79.95 + $4.95 S/H (CDN) To order: Manticore Publishers, 76 Main St. West, Suites 10-11, Grimsby, ON, Canada, L3M 1R6; Tel.: 888-263-1877; FAX: 905-945-8486.
Assessment of Social and Cultural Impact on Indigenous Peoples of Expanded Use of the Northern Sea Route, by Z. Sokolova, and A. Yakovlev. INSROP (International Northern Sea Route Programme's) Working Paper 111-1998 ISBN 82-7613-266-9. 62 pp. NOK 110,- Sep.-98. To order, contact the Fridtjof Nansen Institute in Lysakker, Norway. email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Indigenous Peoples and Development of the Yamal Peninsula, by A. Golovnev, G. Osherenko, Yu. Pribylski, and D. Schindler. INSROP (International Northern Sea Route Programmes)'s Working Paper 112-1998, ISBN 82-7613-267-7. 70pp+maps. NOK 110,- Sep.-98. To order, contact the Fridtjof Nansen Institute in Lysakker, Norway. email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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IASSA INFORMATION FALL 1998
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: · to promote and stimulate international cooperation and to increase the participation of social scientists in national and international arctic research; · to promote communication and coordination with other research organizations; · to promote the active collection, exchange, dissemination, and archiving of scientific information in the Arctic social sciences; · to promote mutual respects, communication, and collaboration between social scientists and northern people; · to facilitate culturally, developmentally, and linguistically appropriate education in the North; · 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: 2 years: $35 US or $53 Ca. 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
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. Abstracts and presentations of keynote speakers from ICASS II can be ordered without charge from the IASSAsecretariat. ICASS III took place in May 1998 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Abstracts and presentations of keynote speakers from ICASS III can be ordered without charge from the IASSA secretariat. The next ICASS IV will be held May 16-20, 2001, in Quebec City, Canada.
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NEXT IASSA NEWSLETTER If you want to submit anything to our next IASSA Newsletter, please contact Murielle Nagy, the IASSA secretary and editor of the Newsletter, at: IASSA Secretariat Tel.: (418) 656-7596, FAX: (418) 656-3023
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