The population of Russia officially supported the suggested changes in the world's largest country's constitution, with almost 78% of those who voted. Half of the circumpolar Arctic, including most of its indigenous peoples, will be governed by a different constitution from now on. Looking at the results of the vote, it is, however, noticeable how …
Continue reading Arctic view on Russia’s changed constitution
Midsummer, solstice on the 21 June is for many northern peoples and cultures an important holiday. In Finland it's called Juhannus and a state holiday. In Yakutia, where I am now, it's called Ysyakh, and considered the Sakha people's new year day. The 2020 celebrations obviously come in a very different format in comparison to …
Talking to a friend in Se Yakha, at the shore of the Ob Bay close to the Kara Sea, I realised how far the consequences of the recent Norilsk oil spill could go: the recent New York Times article about the oil spill cite environmentalists and even a Russian minister saying that the consequences of …
Continue reading Permafrost thaw responsible for Norilsk oil spill, impacting indigenous fishing?
Dear all, I'm contributing to an expert document on the impacts of COVID-19 in the Arctic. I think it is essential that we highlight research gaps that we notice as anthropologists working in the Arctic. I would like to invite everybody to use the comment function here in this blog to highlight what anthropologists in …
Continue reading COVID-19 impacts in the Arctic: anthropological research gaps / ideas?
After recently having celebrated the world's first Nenets PhD defense, now we can witness another one, in three days time, 14 May 11.15 Norwegian time! Zoya Vylka Ravna shall defend her thesis with the very technical name "The Inter-Generational Transmission of Indigenous Knowledge By Nenets Women: Viewed in the context of the state educational system …
Continue reading Nenets mothers’ education: another PhD defense
Roza Laptander's public dissertation defense took place online on the 29th of April 2020 at 10 a.m. Finnish time. "In Christianity, at the beginning was the word - in Nenets, at the beginning was silence" (Andrey Golovnev during Roza's defense). How beautifully put by Andrey Golovnev! The director of the Kunstkamera acted as opponent in …
Here are below in youtube Evelyn Landerer's fieldwork stories told during the Corona lockdown which started our idea of collecting stories on a platform. These stories are in German and with pictures.
Arctic Anthropology 