Indigenous Peoples (Sami; Inuit in North America)

Indigenous groups have been recognized as Permanent Participants in the Arctic Council. At stake for the Arctic indigenous peoples in the coming years are issues such as self-determination and the ability to experience positive benefits from the development of the region while maintaining, to the extent they consider desirable, indigenous practices.

The Saami Council was the first international organization of indigenous Arctic peoples. The Saami Council includes Saami representatives from all four Saami nations: Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Saami parliaments, excepting the Russian representatives, are elected by member Saami groups. The Saami representatives specifically seek to preserve and enhance the economic, social and cultural rights of the Saami people. For instance, in Finland the Saami Paadar brothers recently completed a landmark settlement with a forestry company over reindeer herding rights in which the forestry company agreed not to farm ninety percent of the forest on the Paadar’s grazing land suited for forestry.  However, the Saami have also experienced difficulty, for instance recently being denied representation at a meeting of the five Arctic Ocean states despite being Permanent Participants in the Arctic Council. The Saami Council ultimately seeks recognition of the Saami as a nation. The Saami are also represented by the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples in the North.

The other major indigenous groups in the Arctic are of Inuit descent. They are represented principally by the Inuit Circumpolar Council as well as the more distinct and regional Aleut International Association, Arctic Athabaskan Council and Gwich’in Council International.  These organizations all have aims similar to those of the Saami Council, including maintaining economic, political and cultural rights on an international level. The Inuit Circumpolar Council is specifically focused on sustainable long-term policies in the region and increasing the unity of the Arctic Inuit peoples.

The Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples’ Secretariat seeks to create opportunities for the indigenous peoples to speak for themselves. In addition, it provides technical support and information to indigenous peoples looking to make their voice heard. This includes ensuring that the work of the Arctic Council are clearly communicated to the indigenous peoples, for instance through the disseminations of documents detailing the work of the Arctic Council as well as coordinating meetings between indigenous peoples’ organizations.