The Salmon Festival “Let’s Help the River Avacha”

It is known that RAIPON participates in discussing federal draft laws relating to the indigenous peoples of the North. The quotas for representatives are established for indigenous peoples to take part in regional politics in Russian: in election committees (Yamalo-Nenetskiy Autonomous Okrug), in legislative institutions (Republic of Buryatia, Nenetskiy, Khanty-Mansiyskiy and Yamalo-Nenetskiy autonomous okrugs). There are special bodies at the regional parliaments (Duma): Assembly of representatives of northern indigenous peoples (Khanty-Mansiyskiy Autonomous Okrug), Standing Commission on affairs of Nenets and other northern indigenous peoples (Nenetskiy Autonomous Okrug), Representative of the indigenous peoples of the North (Sakhalinskaya Oblast). Indigenous peoples’ organisations of Sakhalinskaya and Kemerov­skaya oblasts, as well as Chukotskiy, Koryakskiy, Nenetskiy and Evenkiyskiy autonomous okrugs, have the right to forward legislative initiatives. In the Chukotskiy Autonomous Okrug, councils of indigenous peoples’ representatives were established at the okrug government, regional and municipal executive bodies to consolidate cooperation between the indigenous peoples and the government.

Despite RAIPON’s participation in the political sphere both in Russia and abroad, the indigenous peoples’ contribution to solving many vitally important questions is still very small both at the regional and local levels. This results from the lack of mechanisms to involve indigenous peoples in controlling of the observance of laws relating to themselves, as well as the lack of juridical knowledge among the indigenous peoples. The latter was proven by several research works, for example, those conducted in the Chukotskiy Autonomous Okrug in 2002. Therefore it is necessary to hold various seminars and workshops devoted to enable indigenous peoples to solve their problems together with the authorities.

During a workshop held in Moscow in 2003, various issues of parliamentarism were discussed, and the following recommendations for the regions of the Russian Federation were elaborated:

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  to include the legal norms in regulations of the legislative bodies to establish a procedure of involving indigenous peoples’ organisations and their representatives in discussions of draft laws, programs, and other documents;
  
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  to settle the procedure of the participation of indigenous peoples’ organisations and representatives in controlling of the observance of constitutional regulations, laws, and other legal acts;
  
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  to determine the status of indigenous representatives authorised to express the interests of the indigenous peoples in legislative bodies;
  
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  to conclude agreements between legislative and executive bodies and regional organisations on a range of problems and directions of activity;
  
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  to elaborate a system of regional laws to guarantee the indigenous peoples’ right to participate in decision-making by the authorities of the Russian regions, etc.
  

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  Shirley Adamson (Wolf Clan, Ta’an Kwach’an Council), Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada; General Manager, Northern Native Broadcasting, Yukon.
  
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  Madeleine Allakariallak (Inuit), Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada, CBC Commentator and Broadcaster in Inuktitut and English
  
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  Elizabeth (Sabet) Biscaye (Chipewyan-Dene), Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, Executive Director, Native Communications Society. NCS owns and operates CKLB radio and NCS TV producing weekly programming for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
  
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  Roy Dahl (Member, Pikangikum First Nation), Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada;Northern Correspondent, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
  
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  Nils-Johan Heatta (Saami), Karasjok, Norway; Director of Saami Broadcasting in Norway. NRK Sami Radio is a subsidiary of Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK).
  
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  Isak Kleist, (Inuit) Nuuk, Greenland, Documentary filmmaker and journalist, Greenland national television (KNR-TV).
  
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  Nadezhda Mikhailova, Novokuznetsk, Siberia, Organisation of Indigenous Women of Siberia.
  
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  Ole-Isak Mienna (Saami), Kiruna, Sweden; Head of Saami Radio in Sweden, a division of Swedish Radio.
  
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  Zebedee Nungak (Inuit), Commentator, Speaker, Translator, and Politician, Kangirsuk, Nunavik, Canada (declined at his request)
  
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  Naja Paulsen (Inuit), Nuuk, Greenland; Head of Radio News, Radio Greenland;Teacher/Master, producer, The Greenlandic School of Journalism.
  

Naja Paulsen described the accomplishments of Greenland in providing wide access to the Internet in small, isolated Arctic communities. To benefit all indigenous peoples, she suggested included multilingual media training involving the Greenland School of Journalism in Nuuk, where she is a teacher.

Nils-Johan Heatta addressed the Global Forum on Saami Radio’s proposed “intranet” to exchange programming among worldwide indigenous communicators. His vision includes expansion of services to northern Russia, which is at present without extensive access to electronic communication. Saami Radio, which he heads, presents regular programming in all Saami dialects in Norway, Sweden and Finland. The Saami have shown leadership in political and social cooperation across international boundaries for many years, and their example provided encouragement to groups now struggling with these issues.

Translation services were provided for all meetings, promoting vigourous discussions among representatives of all languages. Even those inexperienced in the use of the Internet acknowledged the potential of electronic communication to assist in conserving tradition while moving forward in education, health, governance, and sharing in the global Information Society. A concurrent Trade Show allowed participants to see such practical applications of ICT as an interactive African village, a mobile “Medivan”, and Japanese “high tech” developments for the future. “We could see ICT helping people to move forward on their issues”, says Shirley Adamson, General Manager, Northern Native Broadcasting, Yukon, Canada; “All this reaffirms what we’re doing in small organisations and small communities, with uncertain funding. It regenerates our enthusiasm and commitment.”

Inclusion of Arctic peoples did not come without major efforts on the part of many individuals and organisations. Even organisers from Geneva, an international centre, had to learn to deal with the costs and complications of travel from Arctic communities. Some who had received Fellowships did not receive the necessary funding in time to travel to the Summit.

As a result, a group of northern journalists formed the Arctic Circle of Indigenous Circumpolar Communicators (ACICC) to prepare for the second World Summit to be held in Tunis in 2005.