Thermal shock experiment: part 3

Stepping off of the steamer Finnmarken, we stood on the snowy dock in Tromsø. I took a breath of the crisp Arctic air and felt the sense of deep relaxation that always fills me at the poles. I have been to Tromsø so many times over the last 8 years that I've lost count, and I always look forward to seeing the city again.

U.S. Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski speaking at
Arctic Frontiers

The Emerging Leaders workshop is affiliated with the Arctic Frontiers conference that takes place in Tromsø every year. After traveling up the coast from Bodø, my fellow participants and I were invited to attend the first two days of the conference, which focused on multi-sector challenges in the Arctic. Sessions on geopolitical issues were followed by discussions on methods for international cooperation. Speeches about economic development were followed by panels on the best strategies for environmental sustainability. It was actually very different from most conferences I attend, which are filled with academic researchers. Instead of muted personalities and relaxed attire, there were big-name politicians milling around in suits.

Two speakers stuck out to me. U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski came to the conference despite the government shut-down in the United States. She represents Alaska, and her speech addressed the need for greater national attention on the Arctic. The U.S. is an Arctic nation because of Alaska, she said, but Alaska is not the only part of the U.S. that should care about the Arctic. It is a region of economic and political importance that is undergoing rapid change.

Aili Keskitalo, President of the Sámi Parliament of Norway

Perhaps the most interesting address came from the President of the Sámi Parliament of Norway. In case you don't know, Sámi are the indigenous peoples of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Murmansk Oblast of Russia. Traditionally, they were reindeer herders and fishermen, and many modern Sámi continue to engage in these traditional livelihoods. The President gave her speech in the traditional Sámi dress, which is brightly colored and fascinating. She focused on the necessity of including indigenous voices in policy-making for high North regions. Too often, southerly national capitals ignore the needs of the local people, and she called for greater autonomy for Arctic regions. 

Later in the evening, I had another chance to experience modern indigenous Arctic culture. The musical group Circumpolar Hip Hop Collaboration performed their unique mix of traditional indigenous culture and modern hip hop. Most songs included rap in the Sámi language - something I never would have thought was possible. Then in a beautiful and fascinating twist, two of the singers performed a duet. I caught some of it on video. The woman is from Nunavut, and she is performing traditional Inuit throat singing. The man is Sámi from Finland, and he is performing joik, the traditional singing style of the Sámi people, which is meant to mimic the sounds of nature. Friends, no description of this music that I can write will ever do it justice, so please listen for yourselves. The combination of throat singing and joik was so unexpectedly beautiful, I was actually fighting back tears. It was such a gift to experience pieces of the indigenous Arctic cultures, and I am grateful for my ears being so opened in Tromsø.