River Dialogues Across Sápmi

River Dialogues Across Sápmi move across and engage with the history of Sámi and Indigenous relations with rivers and their contemporary challenges in term of climate and biodiversity and management systems. Between the 23rd and 27th of June, the project offers in-depth studies and discussions centred on a few chosen rivers across Sápmi from Tromsø/Romssa, Norway, and ends up in a site-specific public and community based two-day workshop in Deatnu/Tana June 26-27. The watershed has experienced a drastic decline in salmon stocks and is closed for all fisheries the fifth year in a row. It has experienced impacts from agriculture and dramatic climate changes such as changes in ice conditions and timing of floods. The Sámi and Indigenous Knowledge of these changes will be narrated and discussed with local partners. The workshop brings together scholars and artists from the Nordic Countries and Australia, led two research projects at UiT The Arctic University of Norway: the SUN project (funded by) and the Sharing Our Knowledge project (NFRF, Research Council of Norway). The final workshop will be embedded in ongoing research and local partnerships along the Deatnu/Tana watershed, based on established relations in the network of the SUN and Sharing Our Knowledge projects. This multi-site conference will include river dialogues on five chosen watersheds which are all located in Sámi areas: 1) Gáivuotna/Kåfjord: Both the Olmmáivateatnu/Manndalselva and the Gáivuonvateatnu/Kåfjorddalselva are two valley rivers emptying into the fjord Gáivuotna/Kåfjord. 2) The Alta River: The demonstrations against the damming of the Alta river was a landmark in Sámi history. 3) The Karasjok River: The Karasjok river is a tributary in the upper part of the Deatnu/Tana watershed. 4) The Deatnu/Tana River: The Utsjoki and Polmak rivers are tributaries in the middle and lower parts of the Deatnu/Tana watershed.