Dr. Florian Stammler has been studying Sakha spirituality along the Gulag Kolyma Road. Pictures and a more detailed description are to follow!
Ust Nera:
Month: September 2011
New Arrival of Fulbright Grantee to the Arctic Centre
My name is Paul Burgess, I have recently arrived at the Arctic Centre, and am very much enjoying it so far. I will be spending one year in Finland and at the Arctic Centre, conducting independent research as well as assisting Dr. Floria
n Stammler and the team of researchers here. My research and time in Finland is supported through the award of a Fulbright Grant, sponsored by the governments of Finland and the United States.
I am originally from Fort Lauderdale, in Southern Florida, USA, and I completed degrees in Anthropology and International Development at Tulane University, in New Orleans Louisiana. During this time Indigenous and cultural studies became of great interest to me. My first interest in Finland’s Arctic, and its cultures, came through a Finnish exchange student my Aunt hosted from 2008 to 2009. Through her, my interest in the Arctic and Sámi Peoples grew, as did my desire to research in Finland and to apply for a Fulbright grant. After researching institutions in the Arctic regions, the Arctic Centre became the obvious choice, for the resources it offers and its geographic location. Continue reading “New Arrival of Fulbright Grantee to the Arctic Centre”
A Nightless Night in Inari, by Trevelyan Wing
I recently attended the “Ijahis Idja (Nightless Night): Voices of the Earth” festival in Anár/Inari, Finland, hosted on the campus of the Sámi Education Institute. The event brought together talented musicians of various indigenous populations from the Nenets and Tuvans of Siberia to the Sámi, and drew large audiences from Finland, Norway, Russia, and elsewhere. The gáktis (Sámi clothing) of both performers and spectators alike were reflective of the diversity of Sápmi, and brought color and variety to the festival.
The weekend also featured indigenous dance, theater, and music workshops, a smaller concert geared towards young people, and a four hour seminar reflecting the festival’s theme, “Voices of the Earth,” hosted by the Sámi Museum Siida. This latter event featured guest lectures on the topics of traditional Sámi yoiking (a unique vocal style) and the connection between the Sámi and their environment, indigenous music preservation among the Nenets of Russia, and the background and societal importance of throat singing in Tuva. Continue reading
More news from Yamal, West Siberia
Where: Yamal Peninsula, West Siberia
Who: fieldwork by Nina Meschtyb, text by Nina Meschtyb & Florian Stammler
When: July 2011
Anthropologist Nina Meschtyb who joined the anthropology research team in Rovaniemi came back from the field in West Siberia with news about technological change, the social impact of oil and gas industry, and the perspective for continued reindeer nomadism in that area with a most vital nomadic way of live. Nina’s report is also telling about the huge variety of skills we need as fieldworkers beyond research methods when working in such difficult fields. Organisation, logistics, paperwork, permits – all this needs as much attention as the research proper.
Nina writes from the field
Continue reading “More news from Yamal, West Siberia”
