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.

iii Abstract Memories are harder to erase than houses, people, countries. They are there, like a flowing plasma or a deep subterranean lake. We row around on this lake. Search for its shores, chart our own positions (Ursula Reuter Christiansen, from the book of her film “The executioner” (1971) as cited in Oliver-Smith 2010:163). The topic of forced relocations is by far the most sensitive of those I have experienced being the member of an indigenous community myself. The Kola Sámi community historically has undergone various negative experiences, which have been discussed in a series of scientific and media sources. This refers to different periods, such as the Soviet economic policies, harsh political regime and repressions, prohibitions and negative attitudes to the public Sámi language use and cultural expression. The current work addresses implementation of the Soviet policies of forced relocations on the Kola Sámi people and partially touches upon the occurred consequences. The importance of land attachment is vital for preservation of indigenous cultural heritage. The indigenous peoples can still practice culture and language on a daily basis, when they predominantly live in one territory, having close attachment to traditional lifestyle and lands. Disruption of this connection as in the case of involuntary displacements causes numerous negative consequences for the indigenous relocated communities. The Kola Sámi community faced the loss of their resource territories, disruption of traditional activities’ practice along with strong influences of multicultural environment on language and culture as the impacts of forced relocation policies. The change in geographical distribution of the Sámi settlements has also caused shifts in communities’ social organization and land use patterns. This Master’s thesis describes and analyses the background and consequences of the relocation policies imposed on the Kola Sámi people. The forced relocations of the Kola Sámis in this work are presented in a two-staged process implying that the main policies, leading to gradual spatial rearrangement of the Sámi traditional settlement patterns and its further displacement. Another purpose of this work is to discuss the ways in which the Kola Sámi community was affected by the forced relocations. The decades of relocations represent a turning point in history of the Sámi community as associated with the new society-building patterns, restructuring traditional economies and need for active cultural and language preservation today.