The International Field School Experience: A Student's Perspective
- Frances Goulet, Creighton, Onion Lake First Nation | March 23, 2014
From March 14-23, students in the fourth Cohort of the University of Saskatchewan's Master of Northern Governance and Development (MNGD) program are travelling to Northern Norway as part of the program's international field school. The students, who take the program from communities across Northern Saskatchewan, are undertaking lectures, field research, meetings with industry officials, and other forms of experiential learning that will help contribute to an internationalized perspective. Here is a first-hand account of a student experience.
Learn more about the MNGD program by visiting its website. The application deadline for fall enrollment is May 1, 2014.
Wednesday
Tansi and hello from Norway!
Today was a beautiful, sunny, winter day in Northern Norway. In many ways it feels like home with the breath of fresh winter air and crunching of the snow under your feet as you walk. We boarded a bus at 8 o'clock this morning and travelled to the Sami (local Indigenous) municipality of Tana. Along the way we saw many, many reindeer. What an awesome sight!
In Tana, we learned that there exist industries such as fishing, mining, and agriculture. What I found particularly interesting was how the municipality supports the local fishing industry by building infrastructure such as docks and service buildings for boats. Also, because of all the fishing, food production is a source of income for community members as some businesses make fish fillets, fishcakes and so forth (all of which are naturally produced). These types of foods are then transported throughout the country of Norway in different markets.
The Sami language in this municipality is an official language and is utilized within the Sami District Court. We listened to a presentation by a Sami judge and learned about Sami rights in such areas as: language, reindeer herding, culture, and within Sami Parliament. We learned that the Sami language is taught in schools and the court is combining Sami Oral Laws with Norwegian Law.
In the afternoon, we learned about a particular Sami group known as the Skolt and we visited a Skolt school and museum. It was very interesting to see and learn how the Sami Skolt are struggling to retain their culture and language. It reminded me of home, where language is such an important way for us to maintain our identity and way of life.
Finally, we finished the day with another reindeer feast. I have eaten reindeer meat everyday here; it is a staple to this area. I am actually getting very used to it.
That's all for now! Thanks for letting me share a little piece of my field school experience.