CLIMATE CHANGE AND FUTURE SCENARIOS
IN THE ARCTIC REGION
ROUND TABLE
(Venice, 11-12th December 2014)
Gunn Britt Retter
Session 3 – Indigenous peoples in a changing Arctic
The Arctic Region is inhabited approximately by four million people according to the AHDR (Arctic Human
Development Report). The settlement area is divided between eight Arctic countries: Canada, United States,
Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Denmark. The circumpolar region is sparsely populated. Using a
more broad definition, according to the University of the Arctic Atlas, there are approximately 13.1 million
people living in the area of the circumpolar North. People in the Arctic are worried about climate changes, for
example about contaminants, land use, climate, security and access and rights to land and sea. Since climate
change is affecting tremendously the traditional harvesting activities of indigenous peoples, any economic
development or exploitation of Arctic resources must involve them as main actors in order to produce
improvement in their lifestyle and wellbeing.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,
I appreciate the opportunity to speak at your conference while I am sitting here in my own
community. This is a Saami community at the Varangerfjord, the only fjord in Norway with
the opening towards the Barents Sea in the East.
Let me give you a little glimpse of this place. Here you also find the cultural historic site of
Ceavccageadgi/Mortensnes, where archaeological investigations show that the site has been
continuously settled the last 13 000 years, since the ice retreated. Since then the land has been
rising. The land rise occurring due to relief from the ice pressure can be seen with the human
eye as natural terraces in the landscape. People traditionally settled at the sea shore, today
seen as terraces. That is why we can read the history of the settlements by walking from the
highest hill down towards today’s sea level - one step on the ground being a step in 100 years
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of history. The Ceavccageadgi site, being very interesting for historical reasons, is in fact also
a walk through a history of climate adaptation.
Archaeologists can tell a lot about the diet at a certain time in history by investigating
domestic waste. Remains of fish, sea mammals and birds tell us what kind of species our
ancestors depended on during different periods.
Their diet mainly consisted of cod, seal and whale, as well as birds, mostly migratory birds
such as kittiwake, red knot, common redshank and European widgeon. Investigation of
domestic waste from settlements from a warmer period also reveals fish species normally
found in warmer water than we have there today, species which are thus no longer found in
the fjord, such as whiting and moonfish or cusk.
We believe that people caught and utilized the resources that were available at the time,
without thinking about strategies to adapt to gradually changing environment, knowing that
no year is equal to the other, and not taking more than they could consume, handle and
process (dry, smoke, dig down etc.). This was long before quotas for fishing were invented, or
any science for counting fish stocks was developed. As with the contemporary fjord fisheries,
the past taught us not to simply rely on one species for survival, but rather to depend on the
diversity of species available throughout the year and let the resource that seems to get sparse,
to rest to enable it to recover.
The Saami people live in four countries, Finland, Norway, Sweden and north East Russia.
Today activities such as reindeer herding, fishing, hunting and gathering remain important
livelihoods for the Saami culture. The traditional livelihoods are the fundament for Saami
culture and the only way of life for many Saami people. While some seek an academic or
another kind of career, the traditional activities remain important source for food and nutrition
for all of us. In that sense the Saami culture depends on healthy, productive and intact
terrestrial and marine ecosystems and the sustainable use of the living resources.Climate and
environmental changes as well as pollution constitute serious possible pressures on the Saami
livelihoods and Saami food security.
Loss of pastures and biodiversity is still the largest threat for the future existence of reindeer
husbandry. When developing new projects that requires change in land use, it is important
that the impacts for the reindeer herding entities in question is not solely considered according
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to the size of the development project, accumulated effects for the reindeer husbandry should
also be taken into account. The reindeer husbandry needs flexibility when facing variations in
climatic conditions during the different seasonal grazing. This flexibility should not be lost.
This is particularly important in the years to come, with expected impacts of climate change
and the needs the reindeer husbandry have for different nature type and pastures, to remain
resilient.
Today it is well documented that various kinds of new development projects leads to huge
losses of pastures, because domesticated reindeer avoids disturbance. Dramatic increase in
constructions of cabins, roads, hydro- and wind power plants and other developments in
reindeer pastures the last decades makes these a serious threat to the future of the reindeer
husbandry. Huge projects of oil and gas exploitation in the Barents Sea might have negative
accumulative effects by increased construction onshore also impacting reindeer pastures. We
try to deal with these issues at local and national level, but also at regional and global level.
The Saami Council, who I represent today, is one of the Permanent Participants to the Arctic
Council. We have welcomed new observers to the Arctic Council, also Italy and the European
Union. We believe the Arctic Council is the primary body to discuss issues on Arctic
environment and sustainable development in the North. Therefore partners and bodies that
show interest in joining forces to promote and work towards the mandate of the Arctic
Council should be welcomed in to the room, rather than be let alone outside to develop their
own ideas, in foras to which the indigenous peoples have no access.
Italy is already observer to the Arctic Council, while EU is not fully inside yet. But Italy is
also member of EU. The EU underlined in its Arctic Footprint report from 2010, that the
people living in the Arctic and the ecosystems that sustain them are enduring the initial brunt
of the environmental impacts, while the region itself contributes little to the causes of climate
change and production of pollutants. The main source for these environmental impacts are, as
we know, to be found outside the Arctic, many of them in Europe.
We recognize that there is a lot of research going on about and in the Arctic. It is important
also for us. But for us, Saami people, our traditional knowledge has built our societies through
millennials, as knowledge is transferred from generation to generation. It is important for the
Saami Council to emphasize the need to recognize that the Indigenous Peoples’ traditional
knowledge can contribute to better understanding of the environment, the changes we see and
how to cope with it. The traditional knowledge should be equally valued with other science,
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as the baseline for decisions making and management of natural resources, the build also the
indigenous communities and institutions in the north.
Politicians often emphasise the challenges and the opportunities opening up in the Arctic. As
an indigenous people in the Arctic, we do often face a reality that we are left with an uneven
share of the challenges with the change in environment and not least with the change in land
use. It is only fair to call for Arctic policy and governance to ensure and contribute to that the
indigenous peoples in the Arctic also have equal access to the opportunities. And we need to
be part of this governance.
To cope with these changes from a Saami perspective it is important to build robust and
resilient communities in the high north. Socio- economic resilience is important for the
communities to live through changes we still not fully understand without lost identity and
culture. This is the essence of sustainable development.
Reindeer herding and small scale fisheries is fundamental for the Saami people’s economy
and represent the business development for our people in the high north and should of course
also represent future development of the Arctic region. There is also potential to be innovative
within the traditional livelihoods, to develop them and the sustainable use of the living and
renewable resources that is our trademark for the Arctic into the future. We have been living
our lives in the Arctic for millennia and will be there also in the future.
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