The Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland will organize an international conference on indigenous sacred sites in the Arctic. The conference “Protecting the sacred: Recognition of Sacred Sites of Indigenous Peoples for Sustaining Nature and Culture in Northern and Arctic Regions” will be held in Rovaniemi and Pyhätunturi, Finland, on September 11–13.

The conference gathers for the first time in Finland sacred sites custodians, scientists, indigenous people’s organizations, policy makers and other interested people, to talk and better recognize, legally protect, conserve and manage Sacred Sites and Sanctuaries of Indigenous Peoples in Northern and Arctic regions. Participants will come and speak related to the entire circumpolar area.

Besides academic and practitioner discussions, the conference also aims to produce recommendations for policy-making related to Sacred Sites and Sanctuaries in the Arctic as well as start a participatory educational research project to advance the transmission of spiritually relevant culturally embedded knowledge and practices related to sacred sites to younger generations. The aim is to make also a publication on the protection of the Sacred Sites and Sanctuaries in Northern and Arctic regions.

Abstracts and contact:
– the conference website is at http://www.arcticcentre.org/sacredsites2013
– or write an email to leena.heinamaki(at)ulapland.fi or thora.martina.herrmann(at)umontreal.ca
– or post your question here as a comment to this blog entry and we will get back to you