Delegates taking part in the first Artic Indigenous Languages Symposium, held in Tromsø, Norway between October 19 and 21, have called on the governments of states with territory in the Arctic circle - Canada, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Iceland and the United States - to be more active when it comes to implementing policies and projects aimed at "securing the future vitality of indigenous languages" spoken in the circumpolar north.

The symposium was organized by the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental body which addresses the issues faced by the indigenous peoples of the Arctic, and was attended by members of the six organizations that represent these communities to the Council. For the first time, the discussion forum was headed by members of the indigenous communities themselves rather than by politicians from the various states.

Spokesman for the event Duane Smith, from the Inuit Circumpolar Council, stressed that it was "the first time that there has been an Arctic Council meeting focusing on our indigenous languages and their importance in maintaining our cultures and supporting our development aspirations." Smith also underlined the link between culture and sustainable development.

In addition, the vice-president of the Saami Council said she believed the meeting would encourage all those "responsible for converting our hopes into realities" to take action. The recommendations to emerge from the symposium will now be considered by the Arctic Council's Sustainable Development Working Group, which is convening in Tromsø between October 24 and 25. The eventual aim is to get indigenous languages on the Arctic Council's agenda in time for the ministerial meeting next year.

The diversity of the Arctic
The main indigenous peoples of the Arctic are the Evenks, the Inuit, the Koryaks, the Nenets, the Khanty, the Chukchi, the Sami and the Yukaghir, and there are a wide variety of languages and dialects spoken within these communities. The level of protection each language receives varies from country to country. The Sami languages of Scandinavia are well-protected, for example, while the languages of the Nenets in Russia receive very little protection.

Image: map showing Arctic states in light blue and states with observing status on the Arctic Council in dark blue.

Further information:

• Artic Indigenous Languages Symposium press release
• Artic Indigenous Languages website