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.

25 2.4 Conclusion This chapter focuses on setting the context of the current study. The first paragraph is devoted to brief description of the notion ‘ sijjt’ , which is referred to as the term “settlement” by the community in the Kildin Saami language. 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 itself and most of the informants I interviewed during the fieldwork were born in the 1930’s. 78 Therefore, the full dynamics of the ‘sijjt’ pattern are not clarified by the current study. Nevertheless, it becomes obvious that before the revolution in 1917, which had overthrown the Russian monarchy and gave start to the Soviet policy in the 1930’s, the Kola Sámi practiced a semi-sedentary pattern of residence with transition from seasonal work of summer vs. winter settlement. The described pattern characteristics changed historically as a result of the policies introduced by the Soviet government in the 1930’s and the 1950’s. The policies of the 1950’s and the relocation processes will be described further in the next chapters. 78 note the metadata listin appendix.