In this second episode of Our Arctic Presence, we journey back to the early winter of 2019 when youth from throughout the circumpolar north gathered in Roavvenjárga ( Rovaniemi, Finland) for the first Arctic Youth Leaders Summit. With four attendees, On The Land hosts its first roundtable discussion on what the future of the Arctic looks like to us, climate change, adaptation, and how to collaborate across international Arctic borders.

For more context on the Arctic Council and Permanent Participants, please listen to our first episode - Setting the Stage

Storytellers:
Nils Ánda Baer, Saami
Geraldine Blake, Gwich’in
Martina Fjallberg, Saami
Naadja Östregren, Saami

Host: Deenaalee Hodgdon

Location of Recording:
Arkticum Museum

Arctic Youth Leaders Declaration Introduction 2019
Reader: Lindsey Maillard

Declaration Introduction Transcript:
“Dear Relatives and Invited Guests,

Yesterday was an historical day, since we, the Arctic Indigenous Youth Leaders, had our first
official gathering.

During our meeting, we have come to an understanding that though we are separated by
language, cultures, and by borders, we are all facing the same issues. All our traditional areas
have been colonized by the Arctic States and with that, our identities, knowledge, language
and health have been put to the test. It is important to recognize that these issues are not
separated, but are interconnected. The neglection of one issue is the neglection of all these
issues. We would therefore like to present the following statements to ensure our prosperity
in the present and future.”

Read the full Arctic Leaders & Arctic Youth Leaders Declaration

Credits
Published and produced by: The Indigenous Peoples’ Secretariat and On The Land Media – a multimedia organism created to center Indigenous voices and our relationships to the land and water.

In Collaboration with:
Arctic Athabaskan Council
Aleut International Association
Gwich’in Council International
Inuit Circumpolar Council
Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North
Saami Council
Permanent Participant Youth Network

Sponsored by:
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Special Quyana from Deenaalee to
- The Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAISI) at Brown University for the travel grant to attend the AYLS in 2019.
- Professors Dr. Adrienne Keene, Kevin Escudero, Myles Lennon and Dr. Rae Gould for believing in, questioning, and giving space to this episode in its infancy
- NDN Collective for investing in Arctic Storytelling


Logo by :
Halux Markings by Dustin Newman, Aleut International Association Youth Representative Follow @haluxmarkings for more

Theme Music:
Maani Nunamteni by Uqill’aq Byron Nicholai @byronnicholai
Overthrow by Shaolin Dub, Free Music Archive
Seasons by Nagamo Production, formerly Bedtracks
The Tired Wind Paints Trouble by Nagamo Productions

This project was undertaken as an approved project of the Permanent Participant Youth Network. The podcast and written content was prepared by the project team and do not necessarily reflect the policy or positions of any Arctic State, Permanent Participant, or Observer of the Arctic Council.