Finland
Governing Climate Adaptation in Deatnu
Non-Economic Losses and Challenges for River Sámi Culture
Ohcejohka - Utsjoki, Sámi homeland area, Finland. Photo: Kukka Ranta 2017.
The ethnographic research will be conducted in the Sámi homeland (Sápmi) in Finland, in the municipality of Ohcejohka (Utsjoki in Finnish), investigating the non-economic impacts of climate change on the culture, language, and well-being of the River Sámi.
The study focuses particularly on Sámi experiences of changes in salmon stocks — the collapse of native Atlantic salmon populations and the explosive growth of the invasive pink salmon — as well as on the alternative adaptation measures that the use of Sámi traditional knowledge can offer, and the obstacles existing in decision-making processes.
Current adaptation decisions have been made without meaningful participation or consent from the Sámi, even though, especially the Sámi on the Finnish side, have expressed willingness to fish pink salmon as part of maintaining their culture and connection to the river.
Ohcejohka - Utsjoki, Sámi homeland area, Finland.
Map compiled by Winfried K. Dallmann. Published with permission from the Norwegian Polar Institute.
Since fishing is central to indigenous knowledge and language in River Sámi culture, the current development trajectory threatens to weaken this critically endangered culture. The research promotes understanding of non-economic impacts and adaptation options, as well as just decision-making in the Arctic region from the perspective of Indigenous Sámi people.
Contact
Kukka Ranta
Project Researcher
University of Turku
Email: kukka.ranta@utu.fi
Phone: +358 50 516 9404
