Image credit: Norilsk Nickel
An arrangement was reached on the joint preparation of a long-term agreement for interaction and cooperation between Norilsk Nickel and public organizations of the Sami in the Murmansk Province. Rough&Polished was put in the picture following today's meeting in Murmansk between Andrey Grachev, the company’s Vice President and Elena Rocheva, President of the Kola Sami Association.
They discussed the issues related to the preservation and development of the Sami language, culture, and traditional economic activities of the indigenous peoples in the Murmansk Province. Elena Rocheva thanked Norilsk Nickel for supporting several socially significant projects, including the publication of the Almanac of Sami Literature in 2019, as well as the assistance provided by Norilsk Nickel last year in creating a monument to the feat of soldiers of the Sami reindeer transport battalions, who defended the Soviet Arctic during World War II. A representative of the Sami community also spoke about the activities of the Sami organization and communities.“Measures to support local communities representing the interests of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North have always attracted special attention of Norilsk Nickel acting within the framework of its own Indigenous Rights Policy. The company has a rich positive experience of interaction with associations of the indigenous peoples of the North in Taimyr: the five-year development plan elaborated by Norilsk Nickel together with the tribal communities is currently being implemented. And although Norilsk Nickel has no operations on the territories of traditional Sami residence in the Murmansk Province, we always treat with understanding the needs and requests 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,” stressed Andrey Grachev.
Vladimir Malakhov, Rough&Polished
