Working with Traditional Knowledge: Communities, Institutions, Information Systems, Law and Ethics
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Dieđut 1/2011 Working with Traditional Knowledge: Communities, Institutions, Information Systems, Law and Ethics Writings from the Arbediehtu Pilot Project on Documentation and Protection of Sami Traditional Knowledge Edited by Jelena Porsanger Gunvor Guttorm Sámi allaskuvla / Sámi University College Working with Traditional Knowledge: Communities, Institutions, Information Systems, Law and Ethics Acknow ledge ments Many individuals, local Sami com mu nities and institutions have contri buted to the Árbediehtu pilot project in the period from 2008 to 2011. One of the important objectives of the project has been to listen to and take into account what Sami people expect from the work on documentation and protection of their traditional know ledge. Special gratitude is owed to communities and individuals in the Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish parts of Sápmi, who eagerly participated in community meetings and other project activities. Sami communities have been important partners in the project, which would not have been possible without their support, collabo ration and genuine interest. We are grateful to the communities and all individual árbečeahpit (tradition- bearers) in the following places: In the Coastal Sami area c/o the Sea Sami Centre of Expertise: Jáhkovuotna/Kokelv, Čuđegieddi/Kistrand, Billávuotna/Bille fjord, Cuop pogieddi/Sandvik, Jovnnanjárga/Jonsnes, Ráigešája/Igeldas, Rávt toš njárga/Stabbursnes, Leavdnja/Lakselv, Breannjá/Brenna, Keaisa/Kjæs. In the Lule Sami area c/o the Árran – Lule Sami Centre: Ájluokta/Drag, Gásluokta/Kjøps vik, Ájládde/Hellands berg, Måsske/Musken, Vuodnabahta/Hellemobotn. In the Northern Sami area c/o the museum association RiddoDuottarMuseat: Kárášjohka/Karasjok, Näkkälä järvi, Áidejávri, Guovdageaidnu/ Kauto keino. In the Southern Sami area c/o Saemien Sijte (South Sami Museum and Cultural Centre): The following reindeer herding communities: Luvlie-Nåamesjen Båatsoe/Østre Namdal, Åarjel-Njaarke/Vestre Namdal, Fovsen-Njaarke/Fosen, Låarte/Luru, and Trollheimen Sijte. 3 Dieđut 1/2011 Sami community work c/o Sámi allaskuvla / Sámi University College: Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino, Billávuotna/Billefjord, Jáhkovuotna/Kok elv, Kárášjohka/Karasjok, Snåasa/Snåsa, Ájluokta/Drag. We are grateful to the leaders, staff and co-workers of the following partner institutions: Hartvig Birkely and Sigvald Persen from the Sea Sami Centre of Expertise; Lis-Mari Hjortfors, Anne Kalstad Mikkelsen, Lars Magne Andreassen, Harald O. Lindbach and Else Kleppe from Árran; Káren Elle Gaup, Anne May Olli, Biret Rávdná Länsman, Aage Hegge and Solveig Joks from RiddoDuottarMuseat; Birgitta Fossum, Erik Norberg, Anne Severinsen and Mariana Olofsson from Saemien Sijte; Magne Ove Varsi, Janne Hansen and John Bernhard Henriksen from Gáldu, the Resource Centre for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; Else Grete Broderstad, Svanhild Andersen and Einar Eythorsson from Fávllis, the Sami fisheries research network c/o the Centre for Sami Studies, University of Tromsø. We wish further to acknowledge the experts who have contributed with their remarkable knowledge and valuable expertise to the imple mentation of the main project and the partners’ documentation projects: Olaug Hana Nesheim c/o the company CumulusNordic, Bjørg Pettersen c/o the company BeArctic, John Bernhard Henriksen c/o Gáldu, Mathias Åhrén c/o University of Tromsø, Jan Åge Riseth c/o NORUT Tromsø and in his capacity as senior researcher at the Sámi University College, Åsa Nordin c/o the Centre for Sami Research at the University of Umeå , Andreas Ausland c/o Kautokeino Film AS, Nils John Porsanger c/o Ninne Film AS, Stein Torgeir Svala c/o Svalapress, Anne Wuolab c/o the company Urán media. We are also thankful to the students on the Bachelor course in duodji at Sámi allaskuvla, who participated in the documentation of turf hut building in Guovdageaidnu with great enthusiasm. We extend our thanks to the staff of the Department of Information and Technical Support and the Department of Research Administration at Sámi University College: Tim Valio and Rickard Valkeapää for technical support, John Anders Sikku, Ánte Siri and Johan Isak Siri for assistance in the maintenance of the website and for the design of information materials. We truly appreciate the research team at the Sámi University College, who have given valuable advice on the Árbediehtu project: Professor Nils Oskal, Professor Ole Henrik Magga, Professor Vuokko Hirvonen, Researcher 4 Working with Traditional Knowledge: Communities, Institutions, Information Systems, Law and Ethics Solveig Joks, Associate Professor Asta Balto, Associate Professor Maja Dunfjeld, Assistant Professor Mikkel Nils Sara, Assistant Professor Jan Idar Solbakken, Assistant Professor Elisabeth Utsi Gaup, and Researcher Johan Strömgren. We wish to thank personally the Rector of the Sámi University College, Steinar Pedersen, for his continuous support of the project. Special thanks and appreciation are owed to Liv Østmo, Assistant Professor at Sámi allaskuvla, who has been the heart and soul of the main project as Project Manager and coordinator. Especially deep gratitude is due to our project coordinator, Sylvi Granaas, who has been ever cheerful and full of good spirit, patiently resolving challenges large and small, removing obstacles and ensuring good multilateral communication in the project. The present volume Working with Traditional Knowledge is the result of the efforts of many people, all of whom deserve deep appreciation and acknowledgement. Thanks to all translators and language specialists who have proof read the texts. We are especially grateful to Paul Farmer (c/o Paul Farmer Translations), who has done a remarkable job with almost all the English texts in this volume. We are also grateful to Johan Isak Siri for the final layout of this volume. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the following institutions: Norgga Sámediggi / the Norwegian Sami Parliament, The Norwegian Ministry of Government Administration, Reform and Church Affairs (FAD, Fornyings-, admini stra sjons- og kirkedepartementet), and especially Sámi University College and all the partner institutions for the human and financial resources they have contributed to this project. Njukčamánnu 2011, Guovdageaidnu March 2011, Kautokeino Jelena Porsanger Gunvor Guttorm Editor and Project Manager Editor 5 Working with Traditional Knowledge: Communities, Institutions, Information Systems, Law and Ethics Contents Acknow ledge ments 3 JELENA PORSANGER & GUNVOR GUTTORM Árbediehtu-fágasuorggi huksen 13 Álggahus 13 Árbediehtu-pilohta prošeavtta ulbmil 14 Árbediehtu, birgejupmi ja árbečeahpit: doahpagastin 17 Prošeavtta ovttasbargoguoimmit 25 Báikegottit ja árbečehppodat 29 Eamiálbmogat ja árbedieđuid dokumenteren 35 ”Olmmoš oahppá guovtti soabbái”: maid dán girjji čállosat muitalit 39 Árbediehtu-barggu višuvnnat 53 Eambbo dieđut min ruovttusiiddus 55 Building up the Field of Study and Research on Sami Traditional Knowledge (árbediehtu) 13 Introduction 13 The objective of the Árbediehtu Pilot Project 15 Concepts of traditional knowledge, livelihood and tradition bearers 17 The partners in the project 25 Communities and traditional expertise 29 Indigenous peoples and documentation of traditional knowledge 35 ”One can learn for two walking sticks”: What do the articles of the book deal with? 39 The visions of the Árbediehtu Project 53 More information on our website 55 GUNVOR GUTTORM Árbediehtu (Sami traditional knowledge) – as a concept and in practice 59 The concepts of máhttit and diehtit 62 Árbevierru – Árbediehtu – máhttu – álgoálbmot diehtu 64 Tradition 64 7 Dieđut 1/2011 Dábit and vierut 65 Árbediehtu 67 Ways of collecting, preserving and developing 70 Documentation and transmission as preservation 71 Final thoughts 72 References 73 JOHN BERNHARD HENRIKSEN Árbediehtu: Some legal reflections 77 Introduction 77 The UN Convention on Biological Diversity: Knowledge, innovations and practices 78 Árbediehtu, árbemáhttu and traditional Sami stewardship practice 79 The states’ obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity 80 Indigenous peoples’ free, prior and informed consent 82 Who owns the rights to Sami traditional knowledge? 87 Various interdependent international standards 88 The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 89 International human rights 90 Indigenous peoples’ right to culture 91 Norwegian legislation and international covenants 93 References 94 ÅSA NORDIN JONSSON Ethical guidelines for the documentation of árbediehtu, Sami traditional knowledge 97 Conceptual Framework 98 Documentation of indigenous traditional knowledge 98 Contextualisation 101 Ethical guidelines for the documentation of árbediehtu 102 The holistic perspective 103 Male and female árbediehtu 104 Contact with árbečeahpit/the local community 104 Agreement between the parties concerned 106 The meeting with árbečeahpit 108 Anonymity and confidentiality 109 Compensation for árbečeahpit 111 Acceptable practices in the local community 112 8 Working with Traditional Knowledge: Communities, Institutions, Information Systems, Law and Ethics Gollegiella: language use 113 Who owns árbediehtu? 115 Storing and preserving documented árbediehtu 116 Árbediehtu – locality-specific 118 Giving credit to the árbečeahpit 118 Final products based on the knowledge of árbečeahpit 120 Final comment 121 References 122 JAN ÅGE RISETH Can Traditional Knowledge Play a Significant Role in Nature Management? Reflections on Institutional Challenges for the Sami in Norway