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Cultural genocide in Finland
debra@oln.comlink.apc.org
Fri, 29 Oct 1993 19:30:00 PDT
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Original in: DEBRA@OLN-F06
author : nlns@igc.apc.org
date : 27.10.93
/* Written 12:37 pm Oct 28, 1993 by finnadm@nn.apc.org in pn.alerts */
Mr Kai Vaara and Thomas Wallgren of the Finnish Forest Action
Group have asked the Finnish Administrative person of NordNet
to post the following message to your attention:
URGENT!URGENT!URGENT!URGENT!URGENT!URGENT!URGENT!URGENT!
ACTION ALERT!
CULTURAL GENOCIDE GOING ON IN FINLAND -
EXPERTS ON ABORIGINAL FOREST CULTURE THREATENED WITH
DEPORTATION!
The core group of the so called Lno-Iriadamant people, 63 "lifestyle"
indians, run an acute risk of being deported from Finland - and thereby
from Scandinavia - on november 3rd 1993.
The Iriadamant community has now lived in Finland for about three years
working for their educational Pilot Village program of Sylvilization
(sylva = forest). Over the last ten years they have walked from Paris
through Sahara and Southern and Eastern Europe up to Scandinavia. On
their way they have been planting trees, holding gatherings for local
people and educating people about Environment, Development and
Sylvilization. Iriadamant people is also known in Western Europe as
"Return project", and as "micmacks".
The Lno Iriadamant people's work, and their intensive lifestyle in an
immediate connection to different elements of nature and its beings,
have awaken great sympathy and also much contradictions and opposition
in publicity and administration in different countries they have
visited. Many scientists have supported their work. Also several
forest researchers in Finland, e.g. a group of forest reserachers,
including three professors, have expressed their special interest in the
Iriadamant people's forest managing methods (intensive agroforestry in
shelter/"power" circles, composting, influencing in micro climatic
conditions etc.). According to the vision of the indians their skills
could help prevent humanity from famines and massmigrations, from
desertification, and they could help nature in promoting biodiversity.
Most of their time in Finland the Lno Iriadamant people have lived in
Kittil{, in northern Finnish Lapland, in a very barren biotop. The
group hoped that their work in Finland could serve as a preparatory
stage for a world wide gathering of "Earth People", i.e. minorities from
different parts of the world with a particular respect for nature, to
seek for alternative solutions to the problems on the globe.
Originally the Lno Iriadamant were invited to Finland by Prof.
Pulliainen, a green member of Parliament, to realize a 7 years research
program about self sufficient living in arctic nature. Prof. Pulliainen
withdraw from the project a year later because of the Iriadamant's
strong orientation to their cultural and educational elements of
sylvilization, instead of concentrating mainly on researching of forest
use and self sufficiency. The indian people has secondly run into
trouble in FInland because of unproved rumors partly from foreign
countries (Belgium, France and Sweden) concerning the ethnicity of
"indians", the background of the leading "spokesman" of the Iriadamants,
and many different black-painting stories in the press (aids, drugs,
accusations of criminality, terrorism, swindling etc.). The publicity
about the Iriadamant's "Sylviculture"-work, their goals and history was
limited, or they were taken up more as megalomanic and fanatic
aspirations of their "leaders". The Iriadamants had a low intrest in
replying and defending themselves against this kind of accusations. The
press showed less interest in checking the factual background and
validity of their stories than in the sensation value of them. Thirdly,
last year the land owner of the area where the Iriadamant people had
settled down, started unexpectedly to ask for large sums of land rent.
The Iriadamants could not put up the money and became indepted. This
debt gave the local police chief a reason to ask the Ministry of
Interior Affairs to deport them. The decision of departure was taken
soon after, and an appeal by State Ombudsman for Forteigners to the High
Court was turned down rapidly on 28. September 1993.
On 20. October "Mothers of Life", the socio-cultural organisation of Lno
Iriadamant Me'tis women wrote: "In the International Year of Indigenous
People we have been in Finland ... black-painted by media, who destroyed
our honour, our dignity and our identity. We have been humiliated,
threatened and finally condemned." "For the medias and the officials we
have been quilty of crimes we never committed. We could not have a
fair trial because there was not any trial, not hearing, nor defence.
Just a verdict without explanations, without facts."
The Lno Iriadamants are now prepared to leave Finland. Instead of
becoming thrown to their different and previos "home" countries they now
keep on contacts with indigenous people in northern Russia - trying to
evaluate the possibilities to move there. The date for departure seem
anyway to come too early for that purpose. Nevertheless, the process
which occurred in Finland - the discussion of the motives of the
authorities and press, the Iriadamant's impulses for "sylvilization"
etc. - needs to go on in Finland, because of the many important
dimensions connected to it. There is still a space for last minute
action for the Iriadamants stay in Finland - or for the public reaction
focusing on the deportation when or if it occures. The basic argument
for the Iriadamants is that they have a right to live as an own nation
and culture. This right can also be understood from the perspective of
western and modern values of pluralism. The Iriadamants provide a
possibility for Finns and other nations to learn from an other culture -
a tradition which truly is international and has a long history, and is
threatened by extinction in the modern world.
WHAT YOU CAN DO?
1. Appeal as a single person or as an organisation to the Finnish
President Mauno Koivisto (fax:3580638247) and professor Ilkka Niiniluoto
(fax:35801917627) who is leading an expert group on the
spiritual climate in Finland (with a connection to the Prime
Minister). The text of your messages can be in line with the
suggestion by Johan Galtung (negotiations for a "social
contract"), which will be cited later in this letter (Appendix
1). Send also a copy to us (for info to press).
2. Express your own views, which we can mediate to newspapers in
Finland. Foreign attention is the most powerful factor promoting the
national evaluation of the process. Especially in this case foreign
attention it is important, because the foreign information, which has
been published so far, has been intentionally sought and negative.
3. You can send your name and address to us if you want to get more or
further information of the fate of Iriadamants.
4. Distribute this alert further!
On behalf of Finnish Forest Action Group 27. October 1993
Kai Vaara & Thomas Wallgren
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FINNISH FOREST ACTION GROUP / Coalition for Environment and Development
address telephone bank account
FFAG CED 358 31 555023, 184447 PSP TU 6508 522
c/o Kai Vaara c/o Turun kmk
33500 Tampere Eerinkinkatu 5
Kullervonkatu 29 as. 2 20110 Turku
E-mail
ssmaul@kielo.uta.fi fax:
hkorhonen@pns.apc.org 358 31 127257
358 21 517465
F I N L A N D
APPENDIX 1
The view of Johan Galtungs on Iriadamants
In recent times the publicity has been silent in Finland about
Iriadamants. Occationally the S mi Radio in Lapland gave space
for Johan Galtung to make a comment on Iriadamants 29.8.1993.
Here are some pieces of his speech:
"I've known this fantastic group of people since about 10
years. And I know very few people in the world with such a
courage, such a determination and such a perseverance, when it
comes to showing alternatives for mankind and specially for
humanity threatened by ecological catastrophies, by economical
recession, by crises... They are using the experience not only
of the native Americans but of indigenous people form all over
the world. I have seen in Finland how they have made growing
out vegetables in some areas I never would believe it was
possible..."
"Now, they have their lifestyle and it is different from the so
called 'Western civilized society'. They don't only live with
the nature, but they improve it when we mainly destroy it. And
I've seen pedagogy, educational relationship with children wich
are highly imaginative... There is a basic philosophy which
means another way to relate to oneself, to the world, to nature
and it is a very concrete action. All these points may be a
source of inspiration for the others to learn from."
"The Lno Iriadamant are creating a new social structure and
trying to maintain their primordial culture. They are adding
the diverstiy - biological and cultural - of the world. And
one argument against them has been that they are "false
indians". But as far as I can see in Finland many people are
Christians without being born in Palestina where Jesus was
born. I don't see any reason why people cannot adopt another
culture and try to develop it further... So, I would like to
say that I'm so grateful that these people exist and they go on
with their research and lifestyle..."
"Now, there is one problem. They have their lifestyle and they
have choosen it... So when outsiders don't undestand a specific
culture, they start dreaming up all kind of stories, the most
fantastic rumors of which nothing has been proved... So, if I
should as a social scientist say something about the changes in
attitude, it might be that now [after the Cold War] in the
Western mind - not in reality - the 'devil' is free to settle
anywhere. The Americans said immediately that now the 'devil'
is in Islam, not anymore in Moscow. This may also mean that
some people get the idea that the 'devil' is within 'indigenous
peoples'."
"I would like so much hope that they could arrive with the
authorities to make a 'social contract' supported by prominent
citizens. Some kind of negotiations where the authorities say
clearly 'We demand this and this and we want to learn from you
not only about the nature but also about human relationship
with oneself and with the others, and the spiritual experience.
But on the other hand, we would appreciate you having a large
surface of contact with the finnish population.' I am sure
this kind of agreement can be reached."
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