Preservation of the Sami language, culture, traditional economic activities, development of tourism on the Kola Peninsula. These issues were discussed on March 19 in Murmansk by Elena Rocheva, President of the Kola Sami Association, and Andrei Grachev, Norilsk Nickel Vice President.
The representative of the Sami community spoke about the activities of the communities and the organization. Elena Rocheva thanked Norilsk Nickel for supporting the publication in 2019 of the Almanac of Sami Literature and for helping to create a memorial dedicated to the soldiers of the Sami reindeer battalions - defenders of the Soviet Arctic.
“Measures to support local communities representing the interests of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North have always been in the area of special attention of Norilsk Nickel, which has its own Indigenous Rights Policy. The company has a rich positive experience of interaction with associations of indigenous peoples of the North in Taimyr: a five-year development plan by Norilsk Nickel is being implemented in cooperation with tribal communities.
And although our enterprises do not work in the territories of traditional Sami residence in the Murmansk region, we always treat with understanding the needs and demands of the indigenous people of the regions where the company operates. Today, there is every reason to continue our interaction at a new qualitative level,” Andrei Grachev said.
During the meeting, an agreement was reached on the joint preparation of a long-term interaction and cooperation between the Nornickel company and public organizations of the Sami of the Murmansk region.
According to the 2010 All-Russian Population Census, 1599 Sami and 226 people belonging to other small peoples of the North live in the Murmansk region. The main places of traditional residence and traditional economic activity of the Sami of the Murmansk region are the Kovdorsky District (112 people), the Kola District (201 people) and the Lovozersky District (873 people).
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