No.5, 2003
Editor’s Column
The long-awaited time has arrived summer. Summer - when everything is in bloom and growing, a time to stop and rest.
The tundra overflows with bright colours and voices of birds, reindeer and children coming to spend their holiday.
For reindeer husbandry it is also the time for counting the number of reindeer heads and branding the young ones.
Terminating a Project
An unpleasant moment has arrived in the life of the public movement terminating the “ Kanin Red Chum” project in 2003.
In the preceding bulletins we informed our readers about the signing of the Agreement on cooperation between Yasavey and OAO “Archangelskgeoldobycha” dated March 18, 2003.
By the middle of June it was obvious that the implementation of this project will not be possible and as of June 12th Yasavey decided to close the project.
The main reason for closing the project OAO “Archangelskgeoldobycha” failed to fulfill its obligations. There was no explicit and precise answer from the company, in spite of numerous letters addressed to them by Yasavey requesting answers as to the fate of the signed agreement and the measures agreed upon.
At present the Association is trying to find a way out of this situation. Plans include flying to where the guide is located, explain the situation and provide him with supplies.
Russian-Canadian Seminar
A Russian-Canadian seminar on “Concluding and Realizing Agreements when implementing projects pertaining to the extraction of minerals” was held May 14 - 16. Janet Kiping, director of the Russian-Canadian program and Douglas Berch, consultant and expert on conflicts from the company “Sakhalin energy” presented the Canadian experience on concluding agreements.
Representatives from Yasavey participated in the seminar as well as representatives from reindeer husbandry enterprises, from the organs of governmental authority in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, and from oil enterprises operating within the Okrug.
Managing interaction between an oil extracting company and the local population was discussed at the seminar. During the seminar the participants shared their experiences about the Nenets Autonomous Okrug.
The participants noted that the situation developing in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug is far from what the situation is like in Canada. In part, many of the issues and conflicts are the result of the lack of legislation and regulations as well as the absence of mutual understanding between the parties. The withdrawal of the governmental authority bodies in looking for a solution to these problems also plays a part in this.
The participants of the seminar came to the conclusion that mutual understanding between the parties is possible provided that the following principles are complying with:
* Experience in carrying out integral business practice.
* Readiness to view the situation from the opposing side and the desire to find consensus.
* Transparency and access to information about agreements in the process of being concluded.
* Stable and long-term relationship.
Various options were taken into consideration at the seminar in order to solve conflicts and also typical mistakes made while negotiating.
Certificates were handed out to the participants upon closure of the seminar.
News in brief from the Krasnoye settlement
Reindeer calving is almost finished in the SPK “Harp” and in the Union SRO “Ya’ Erv”. The weather was favourable this spring for calving. It was warm and the snow cover melted early. Thus, not too many calves were lost. Wolves approached one herd and about ten calves were lost there. All through spring white arctic fox were grazing around the herd in groups, but they did not cause much damage. At this time the most important thing for the reindeer herders is to safeguard the new additions to the herd. But generally speaking the calving is going well.
Soon, approximately in the middle of June the reindeer herders will be carrying out corral works. They will be vaccinating the adult heads of reindeer against Siberian ulcers, branding the calves and counting the entire reindeer herd per head. The corrals of these two enterprises are located on the river Melkaya, Yareyu, lake Syndo-to, lake Hutorta-to. The veterinarians and the corral workers will be flown in by helicopter. We hope the oil enterprises located on their territory will assist them. All in all there is plenty of work waiting for the reindeer herders. And summer is still to come. The well-being of the reindeer also depends on what kind of summer it will be. We wish them a good summer and outstanding production indices. And a lot of success with their hard work!
The fishermen from the SPK “Harp” (aurora borealis translated from the Nenets language) went to sea on a boat to the place where the fishing season is taking place. They brought along the appropriate appliances for fishing and equipping. Let us wish them a successful fishing season!
Calving of the large cattle is finished in the SPK “Harp”. There is some sad news. Due to the lack of fodder the calves must be slaughtered especially the young bulls. Fodder is lacking due to the rainy summer last year making it difficult to prepare fodder.
On the 24th of May this year, the final bell rang for 10 students who graduated from the 11th grade and 42 students from the ninth grade of the Krasnovskaya secondary school. We hope they will successfully pass the final exams and will continue studying in the country’s higher educational establishments. We wish them much success!
The regional department for public education is planning to bring the children of reindeer herders from the boarding schools in the Krasnoye settlement to the various nomad reindeer herder camps of two enterprises on the 30th of May this year. The enterprises are the SPK “Harp” and the SSRO “Ya’ Erv”. After a long separation the parents will see their children again. The children will tell them about their achievements in various school subjects. They will run around their own tundra areas with their reindeer pets (domesticated reindeer). They will also help their parents with the daily routines and at work. They will participate actively in the corral work. Even the youngest once take part in this troublesome work.
Once the snow is gone and the ice is broken up and drifts away with the spring floods, the cleaning begins in order to free the area in the Krasnoye settlement of all the trash which accumulated during the long winter. This operation is financed by the Primorsk-Kuisk agro-council together with the employment centre of the Krasnoye settlement. The unemployed engage in cleaning the area and are busy with restoring the amenities of their own settlement.
This year in the spring the road embankment from Krasnoye Naryan Mar was carried away in front of the bridge on the river Pyatumba. About 50 meters of embankment was washed away and it will be some time before the people from Krasnoye will be able to communicate with the city. We might be proven wrong to think in such a pessimistic manner. The workers from the road works in the region can act like a stroke of lightning.
In NAO the spring hunting season this year starts on May 30th for migrating birds: geese and ducks. As A. N. Borodkin , head of the regional hunting association says: half of the geese already flew by to their nesting places and the ducks have not yet arrived. The hunters in the area prepare for this event. We wish them the best!
The whelping of the arctic blue fox is over in SPK “Harp”.
(Based on material from the information centre of Yasavey structural department in Krasnoye ).
News in Brief
* A meeting was held with the copartner of the project “Reinforcing Yasavey’s operations”. The meeting resulted in an agreement to continue project activities and to possibly finance small-scale projects of Yasavey.
* Prior to the departure of the reindeer herders of the SPK “Vozhod” to their summer pastures, a general meeting was held. One large obstacle is the lack of communication equipment. It was necessary to call the medical team through the weather station Mikulkin. The herders are supplied with food products and at present wages have been paid for January.
* In May 2003 the Oma settlement celebrated its anniversary 145 years since the day it was founded. The inhabited point Oma with the designation of village, was first mentioned in written records during the tenth revision of the Mezenskyi uezd (administrative division in pre-Revolutionary Russia - translators’ note), Lampomozhensky volost*, of the Lampomezheskij rural community on May 25, 1858.
*We send you our best wishes to live long and flourish!
*Yasavey was approached by SPK “Vozhof” concerning the repair of radio transmitting stations. Only two stations out of five reindeer herding brigades have the possibility to communicate with the outside world. It was possible to repair three out of four of these radio stations.
Round table
On May 17, the regular meeting of the Round Table took place. The first such event was organized in 2001 and at that time the participants raised the subject of compiling a regional law which would serve to regulate the mutual relations between reindeer herders and oil enterprises.
Participants at the Round Table for 2003 included: representatives from Yasavey; reindeer herding enterprises; bodies of the Assembly of deputies in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug; oil enterprises operating within the area of the Okrug; communities.
Three concepts were presented by Yasavey at the Round Table for improving the law on securing the territories for traditional natural use.
These concepts had been compiled by the creative collective group including Vladislav Peskov, president of Yasavey, Olga Murashko, consultant of the Government Duma, R.F. and Galina Fedorova, advisor in the Committee on matters of nationalities, Government Duma, R.F.
At the Round Table a presentation was also made by the Fortum company (Finland) and the “SeverTEK” company, which are working in the Yuzhno-Schapkinsko oil reserve. The particular issue of this oil project is that in order to develop the oil deposit, the companies received credit from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). There were plans to visit this site the following day, but the company could not carry this out due to the intensive engineering works going on to prepare for the first oil start planned for the middle of June. The company assured us that the visit will definitely take place in the near future.
In addition to this a lecture was read by Kyrill Istomin, an associate of the Komi scientific centre in Syktyvkar, Komi Republic. The paper was entitled “Several low-cost measures in order to render assistance to the reindeer herders on behalf of the oil enterprises” The presentation by the working group ARCOP “Northeast Passage” by Nina Messchtyb from the Arctic Centre in Rovaniemi, Finland.
Based on the results of the Round Table, recommendations were passed whereby the participants approve of the initiative taken by Yasavey to elaborate a concept for draft statutes, propose to the reindeer husbandry enterprises and the oil enterprises to participate more actively in the activities of the Working Group and in discussions on amendments and supplements to the proposed concepts.
Yasavey is planning to introduce the elaborated draft statutes to the NAO Assembly of Deputies in October 2003 for further approval.
In addition, all the participants noted the absence of the representatives from the Nenets Autonomous Okrug Administration who were expected to attend the Round table. The participants had expected to hear the position of the Administration on topics of the Round table discussions. There is separate mention in the recommendations that the Administration from the Nenets Autonomous Okrug was expected to participate in the discussion of mutual relations between the reindeer herders and the oil enterprises and not to be merely in the position of an observer.
Scientific and practical experience conference
A scientific Conference took place on May 19, 2003 concerning the implementation of a program called “Medical-biological and ethno ecological safeguarding of the vital activities carried out by the population of the NAO Kolguev Island”. The organizers ZAO “Articneft” and the Northern State Medical University.
A program was offered at the Conference called “The organization of an ethno ecological park on the NAO Kolguev Island”. ZAO “Arcticneft” is the client and the executor is the Northern State Medical University of Archangelsk.
The project has two goals: a legislative-legal, a social-psychological, an ecological, economic and ethno cultural blocs.
Yasavey considers that the establishment of a park is not the only option. This program requires more detailed elaboration and approval taking all the initiatives into account with regard to the Kolguev Island and its inhabitants. A decree exists already at the present time on a regional level, named: “The territory of traditional nature use on the Kolguev Island”, published in Naryan-Vynder (dated 15.03.03) which should be applied within the framework of federal legislation. Concurrently, similar work is being carried out in the ECORA project and MPR R.F., NAO Administration, UNEP/Grid-Arendal among others are participating in it.
The League of Young Scholars
MIC Saint Petersburg
A regular meeting of the League of young scholars took place on the 18th of April at the base of the Institute for the peoples of the North (INS).
At the meeting an item was considered concerning the participation of the members of the League at the VI General Assembly of the Northern Forum, which is to be held from the 23rd to the 25th of April in St. Petersburg. Other routine matters were considered concerning organizational planning. Volunteers were selected to participate in the organizational work of the Assembly as well as participate in listening to the lectures on various themes.
A few words to describe the League. The League of Young Scholars was founded with the assistance of the Saint Petersburg Academy of the Northern Forum in January 2002. This organization unites students, PhD students, postgraduates and Junior Researchers to partake in initiative scientific work and to develop professional contacts with academic and student organizations.
At the present time the League consists of PhD students from various universities in St. Petersburg representing more than 20 regions of the North. An important fact is that the League also includes students from the State Polar Academy and the Herzen INS RGPU. In this manner it is possible to support the contact between two links of the educational process of Higher Education thus securing the continuity of scientific activities.
The League has twice participated in two conferences which were interregional and international in character. The members of the League had the opportunity to read their scientific papers and to have them published in the Conference collection of papers. We have great hope that the activities of the League of Young Scholars shall discover scientific talents among the representatives of the North.