Afanasyeva, A. Forced relocations of the Kola Sámi people: background and consequences / by Anna Afanasyeva. - Tromsø: University of Tromsø, 2013. - 82 p.: ill., map, portr.

12 2 Contextualizing the Kola Sámi resettlement discourse The chapter focuses on setting the context of the current study. The first paragraph is devoted to brief description of the notion sijjt , which is used by the community in the Kildin Sámi language as identical to the term “settlement”. In the early 1920’s -1930’s the Kola Sámi people practiced semi-sedentary pattern of residence, moving from summer to winter settlement – sijjt . Since the study is devoted to the resettlement, it is essential to provide the setting, which partially reveals the pre-relocation settlement pattern, existing on the Kola Peninsula. However, it is necessary to mention that the current Master’s work provides analysis of forced relocations themselves and most of the informants I interviewed during the fieldwork were born in the 1930’s (see the metadata listin appendix 1). Therefore the full dynamics of the sijjt patterns are not clarified by the current study. 2.1 Before relocations: the Kola Sámi settlement ‘sijjt’ 23 The following paragraph of the thesis addresses the organization of the Sámi settlement system on the Kola Peninsula before the start of relocation measures. The arguments are based on the data from interviews with informants from the Kola Peninsula as well as written materials on the topic. The Sámi people in contrast to many other indigenous people of the world had semi-sedentary type of organization, practicing seasonal change of settlements. However, in the time of historical development a transition occurred from the existing patterns to the new living conditions, where the Kola Sámi people were placed after the relocations. The Sámi on the Kola Peninsula until the 1930’s maintained kinship-based types of communities, 24 moving from winter to summer seasonal settlements. During winter the Sámi lived in winter settlements and in summer moved together with reindeers to summer settlements in the inland part of the Peninsula or to the coasts, where the insects were not harmful for the reindeer. Furthermore in the start of winter, families gathered in the winter settlements. 25 Winter settlements were constructed usually as one street with wooden houses and dwellings placed on the opposite sides of the street. 26 The dwellings in winter settlements are known as ‘toabp’- Sámi. toabp , Rus. tupa , small 23 The main works, which I use in this chapter are Kiselev 1987; Kalte 2003; Gustol, 2007; Gutsol 2007a; Wheelersburg, Gutsol 2008;Wheelersburg, Gutsol 2009; Kalstad 2002; Kalstad 2009. 24 Kalstad, 2009: 31; Kiselev, 1987:19. 25 Informant A. 26 Gutsol 2007:20.