#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. The agreement was reached in Murmansk at a meeting between the vice-president for federal and regional programs of Nornickel Andrey Grachev and the president of the Kola Saami Association Elena Rocheva.
Recall, according to the 2010 All-Russian Population Census, 1599 Saami and 226 people belonging to other small peoples of the North live in the Murmansk region.
The meeting discussed issues of preservation and development of the Saami language, culture and traditional economic activities of the indigenous peoples of the Murmansk region. Elena Rocheva thanked Nornickel for supporting several significant social projects: in 2019, the Almanac of Saami Literature was published; in 2020, the company helped to create a memorial site dedicated to the feat of the Saami reindeer transport battalions’ soldiers – defenders of the Soviet Arctic during the Great Patriotic War.
The representative of the Saami community spoke about the activities of her communities and organizations, drew attention to the importance of expanding cooperation with Nornickel.
“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 Nornickel, acting within the framework of its own policy regarding the rights of indigenous peoples (Indigenous Rights Policy). The company has a rich positive experience of interaction with associations of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North in Taimyr, now a five-year development plan developed by Nornickel is being implemented here together with tribal communities. And although there are no our enterprises in the territories of traditional Saami 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”, Andrey Grachev emphasized.
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