In June, Yasavey (the Public Association of Nenets People in NAO) visited several media enterprises and culture organizations and institutions in Toronto, Brantford, Six Nations and Ottawa, Ontario. Lewis Cardinal, who is the Vice-President of Aboriginal Voices Radio Network, has been involved in the project since the beginning, and he hosted the Nenets delegation together with Metis Elder, Wil Campbell, who has long experience from indigenous media work, in particular film making.

(Yasavey visiting the head quarters of the Aboriginal Voices Radio, Toronto, Canada)    

The study tour was financed by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the project is a result of the Dialogue on the High North between Norway and Canada. In autumn 2009, the two states decided that this pre-project was to be implemented, and the Norwegian Barents Secretariat is currently responsible for carrying out the activities. This study tour will be followed up by a seminar on the establishment of a radio station, and the establishment itself will constitute the main project. Yasavey will host the seminar in Naryan-Mar in March/April 2011, in cooperation with the Nenets Autonomous Okrug Regional Administration, as well as with the Norwegian and Canadian partners. 

Development of the Nenets language and culture is the core of the project, as Nenets, like several other indigenous languages, are threatened by extinction. Currently, the regional radio station broadcasts in Nenets a few minutes every week, but the signals from this radio station does not reach beyond the city boundary of Naryan-Mar. Approximately 8 000 Nenets inhabit the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, whereas only 746 Nenets live in the city of Naryan-Mar, according to Yasavey. 

Aleksandr E. Belugin (President of Yasavey), Irina Khanzerova (Nenets journalist and board member of Yasavey) and Galina Platova (board member of Yasavey) represented Yasavey during the week in Canada, where they learned from the experiences made by the indigenous peoples there.

(Irina Khanzerova at the CBC national news studio, Toronto) 

At the head quarters of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the delegation experienced how news is collected and prepared for broadcasting. Aboriginal Voices Radio Network broadcast in the five biggest cities in Canada, and all broadcasting is done from their head quarters in Toronto. The content of the broadcasting and the policy of the radio network were of high interest to the Nenets representatives, who will be responsible for working on the main project.

The delegation also visited the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford, where they learned about the history and culture of the Six Nations of the Grand River. The trip continued to the brand new Jukasa Studios in Six Nations (Ohsweken, Ontario), which is a brand new resort for music, video and TV recordings.  

Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres is situated in Toronto, and the staff works continually to improve the lives of urban indigenous people in Canada. Sylvia Maracle, the executive director of the OFIFC, welcomed the delegation and shared her experiences from establishing the friendship centre, and from running and developing the centre and its programs. In Naryan-Mar, the capital of Nenets AO, there is no cultural centre aiming at Nenets people in particular, although the need for such a centre has been pronounced by indigenous peoples’ organizations and federal authorities more than once. 

Big Soul Productions is an indigenous owned and operated film and television production company, and it is an excellent example of a successful indigenous business initiative. At the First Nations School of Toronto, the delegation got to take part in the pupils’ Friday Circle. Indigenous language training will be a key for the education of the potential radio staff in Nenets AO, and the experiences and philosophy of the school were of high value to the Nenets representatives.  

(Yasavey visiting the Friendship Centre in Toronto; Galina Platova, Aleksandr Belugin and Sylvia Maracle)    

The main project will concentrate on development of language and journalistic skills, in addition to necessary technical equipment and skills. The regional authorities in Nenets AO are already informed of the project, and contact and cooperation with the regional administration and the Governor is of utmost importance for the success of a main project. Local knowledge, and regional relevant institutions, such as educational institutions, will be valuable partners for the initiators of the project, whose goal is to make sure the Nenets population outside the city of Naryan-Mar receives news and cultural programs in the Nenets language.