Библиотека как социальный институт сохранения и устойчивого развития культур и культурного самовыражения коренных народов Севера= Library as a social institution for conservation and sustainable development of cultures and cultural expressions of the North indigenous peoples : международная научно-практическая конференция, 20-23 ноября 2012 г. : сборник материалов / сост.: Михайлова Е. Р., Иванова С. В.

The knowledge of how to live in the midst of nature can only be conveyed by engaging in livelihoods, by doing. Indigenous knowledge is oral and practical. Through the spoken language, the philosophy of life and experiences are passed down from one generation to another. When indigenous authors tell stories about the life of their people, listeners - especially young people - learn to appreciate their roots. A reindeer herder who lives by a nature-based occupation is seen as a person whose values and know-how are based on ecological sustainability and whose livelihood does not destroy the basis of life but aims at maintaining balance in nature. A living narrative tradition strengthens people's identity and self confidence. The indigenous language carries with it the ancient traditional knowledge on natural phenomena and on how to survive in nature. As the Sami author Kerttu Vuolab has often said in her speeches: "The mother tongue carries the unwritten history of the world." For indigenous peoples, the connection between this history and language is still strong, while, in the main languages, the connection is weak or has broken altogether. The activities and contents of libraries are based on the work on collections and their contents. Today, indigenous know how is still, to a great extent, passed down orally through professional practices and the narrative tradition. However, literature is seldom published in indigenous languages and reading skills vary, as indigenous people are not used to reading in their own language. Libraries do, of course, lend audio books and films, but a great deal remains to be done in passing down, supporting and recording oral knowledge and the narrative tradition. As an institute, the library has a great mission to pass on traditional indigenous knowledge and experience both to the indigenous people themselves and more widely in society. Informatics and performance The library distributes information, but it is also a venue 103