AHMEDABAD: The auto driver who had approached the Gujarat high court seeking to be declared an atheist, has filed another petition for permission to not mention caste and religion in the certificates for all those who do not want such details mentioned.
For himself, petitioner Rajveer Upadhyay (36), sought directions to the authorities to state “No Religion, No Caste” in his certificates because he does not want to notify the same. Upadhyay, who belongs to the scheduled Garo-Brahmin caste, mentioned in his petition that he has faced many troubles in life due to the discriminatory caste system.
For removal of mention of religion and caste from his certificates, Upadhyay once again relied on the certificate issued to one Sneha Vellore by Tamil Nadu authorities and ratified by the Madras high court. He has also sought the removal of the mention of father/husband’s name and surname from certificates if people are not willing to mention them, contending that authorities cannot compel people to mention such details. He has urged the HC to direct concerned authorities to remove these details from his and his daughter’s certificates besides arguing that orphans and women with multiple divorces always face this problem and feel humiliated.
Don’t want caste, religion in certs, Gujarat man moves HC
France: Migrants Exploit EU Open Borders to Dodge Deportation, Spend Few Hours in Belgium and Return
Roma gypsy migrants ordered to leave French territory have been using an EU loophole to avoid deportation, spending just hours across the border in Belgium and then returning.
The association Solidarité Roms Lille Europe has, for the last ten years, brought Roma originally from Romania and Bulgaria across the French border to Belgium after being handed deportation notices by the French government, it is claimed.
As the Roma are citizens of countries that are part of the European Union, they are allowed to reside in France for three months before having to justify their residency with proof of work, proof they are looking for work, or proof of enrolment in education.
Paris Police Arrest over 1,500 Moroccans in 2018, But Just Six Deported https://t.co/DqNflYOEGu
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) October 31, 2018
When the migrants are unable to prove work or study, they are typically handed a deportation order but with the system Solidarité Roms Lille Europe has allegedly taken advantage of, few are actually deported from France permanently.
According to the local authorities in the Northern Prefecture of France, 1,000 deportation orders were handed out in 2020, but Dominique Plancke of Solidarité Roms Lille Europe says the figures do not reflect the reality of the situation.
“These figures are artificially inflated because last year we took 130 people back and these 130 people are still in France today. No-one is fooled,” Plancke boasted.
“Everyone knows — the prefecture, the border police, and us — that they are coming back and that we can do it again in three months. It doesn’t make any sense,” he said.
While the trick used by the Roma involves those with EU passports, France has faced difficulty deporting non-EU migrants as well in recent years.
In 2018, it was revealed that police in Paris arrested over 1,500 illegal Moroccan migrants but were only able to successfully deport six of them at the time.
Last year in February it was also reported that up to 40 per cent of the suspects in crimes in Paris were people born outside France.
The Italian interior Minister has stoked controversy around the issue of Roma Gypsies before https://t.co/tMWk3GJR6Z
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) August 15, 2018
Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com
UK firms that export to the EU ‘told to set up hubs in Europe’ to avoid post-Brexit trade disruption
UK businesses that export to the EU are reportedly being encouraged by trade officials to set up hubs across the Channel so they can avoid post-Brexit disruption.
Some firms claim they have been advised to set up subsidiary companies in the EU so they can avoid extra paperwork when exporting products into the trade bloc.
One boss of a UK cheese producing company told the BBC he was advised to set-up in Europe to avoid disruption to his EU exports.
Another, the boss of a clothing firm, told the BBC that they had been encouraged to link up with a distribution centre Germany in order to keep exporting to the EU.
It comes after fashion industry experts warned High Street retailers and luxury brands may burn items returned by customers that are now stuck in European warehouses rather than bringing them back to the UK to avoid the cost and hassle of red tape.
The Department for International Trade told MailOnline it was ‘not government policy’ to advise businesses to set-up subsidiaries abroad.
However, co-founder of Macclesfield-based Cheshire Cheese Company, Simon Spurrell, was one of those who claimed he had been told to set up shop in the EU.
Some firms claim they have been advised to set up subsidiary companies in the EU so they can avoid extra paperwork when exporting products into the trade bloc. Pictured: Lorries quieing-up at the Port of Dover on Friday
Co-founder of Macclesfield-based Cheshire Cheese Company, Simon Spurrell (pictured left), was one of those who claimed he had been told to set up shop in the EU. Ulla Vitting Richards (pictured right), told the BBC she had been advised to move her stock to a warehouse in Germany in order to keep exporting to the EU
Mr Spurrell reportedly approached the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for advice over the need for a veterinary-approved health certificates for exports.
The firm was reportedly being asked to pay £180 for the certificates to export gift boxes costing up to £30 each.
He told the BBC he had been advised to set up a packaging firm across the Channel.
Mr Spurrell said: ‘They told me setting up a fulfilment centre in the EU where we could pack the boxes was my only solution.’
He added that the business was now looking to ‘test the water’ with a business in France, but it had scrapped plans to build a new £1million warehouse in the UK – which he said could have created up to 30 jobs.
Another business owner, Ulla Vitting Richards, told the BBC she had been advised to move her stock to a warehouse in Germany in order to keep exporting to the EU.
Ms Richards, who runs UK-based sustainable fashion firm Vildnis, told the BBC: ‘(The official from the Department of Trade) told me we’d be best off moving stock to a warehouse in Germany and get them to handle it.’
She says she has stopped exporting to the EU since Brexit.
It comes as it was revealed earlier this week UK Fashion & Textile Association chief Adam Mansell said retailers may now find it cheaper to simply dispose of the items at the EU warehouses rather than pay to have them shipped back to Britain.
He said: ‘It’s part of the ongoing small print of the deal. If you’re in Germany and buying goods from the UK, you as the German customer are the importer bringing goods into the EU.
‘You then have a courier company knocking on the door giving you a customs clearance invoice that you need to pay to receive your goods.’
Mr Mansell said further customs paperwork facing UK retailers when goods are returned includes an ‘export clearance charge, import charge arrival, import VAT charge and, depending on the goods, a rules of origin document as well. Lots of large businesses don’t have a handle on it, never mind smaller ones.’
Following Britain’s exit from the Customs Union and Single Market, EU consumers buying a coat, a pair of boots or any other product from a UK-based retailer now have to pay charges including import duties and courier or postal handling fees.
Some of the same costs and red tape also apply to British customers buying products that have been shipped from the EU – adding a third to the cost of online orders and slowing down deliveries due to extra checks at ports.
Customers in the EU are being asked to pay the extra costs by couriers when the goods reach their door, so many are rejecting them to avoid paying the bill. Figures from data firm Statista show that 30% of orders are now being returned.
UK Fashion & Textile Association chief Adam Mansell said it was often cheaper for British retailers to dump goods being returned from Europe rather than deal with them
Clothes shopper Louisa Walters, 52, was asked for £77.23 in tax, duties and charges after splashing out more than £240 on two items of clothing from Paris-based Sandro
Four major UK High Street fashion retailers are have begun stockpiling returns at warehouses in Belgium, Ireland and Germany, reported the BBC. One brand will incur charges of almost £20,000 to get the returns back.
Apart from the charges, businesses need to also complete Customs declaration forms detailing the contents, their origin and value to get goods through ports.
British shoppers have already complained about being hit with punishing ‘Brexit fees’ on purchases from Europe, which could add more than third to the cost of a new outfit.
Londoner, Ellie Huddleston, aged 26, found the charges added up to £82 for a £200 coat and another £58 for a selection of blouses that had a list price of £180.
Lisa Walpole, from Norfolk, was told to pay £121 in relation to a £236 clothes order she made from the Norwegian website Onepiece.com, which specialises in premium jumpsuits.
And Helen Kara, from Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, was hit with a bill for £93 after purchasing £292 worth of bed linen from Urbanara.co.uk, which is based in Berlin.
Ms Huddleston said she was surprised by the fees, which were notified by the two international courier firms who were handling the shipments.
‘I didn’t even know when the parcels would be coming – so I sent both back without paying the extra fees and won’t be ordering anything from Europe again any time soon,’ she told the BBC.
One of the biggest problems is that people shopping with an EU-based store online find it difficult, if not impossible, to understand how much the extra charges will add up to.
A man who paid £300 to buy two pairs of suede winter boots from a German firm online was told by UPS that he would have to come up with another £147 before they would deliver.
The unnamed man told the BBC: ‘It was virtually impossible to find out what the charges would be beforehand, so I had to take a shot in the dark. I didn’t imagine that it would be half as much again.’
Under the new rules, anyone in the UK receiving a gift from the EU worth more than £39 may now face a bill for import VAT – with many items charged at 20per cent.
For goods costing more than £135, customs duties may also apply, which can range from 0-25per cent of the purchase price.
The extra charges are usually collected by the courier on behalf of the government, with customers asked to pay before they can pick up their package. Because of the new red tape and costs involved, most courier firms add a handling fee, so pushing up the bill even more.
The Brexit trade deal has seen many European customers rejecting goods imported from the UK after being presented with unexpected customs paperwork and charges when signing for them
The costs and complexity of the new regime means that some EU businesses have decided to suspend selling items to UK consumers.
Courier industry expert, David Jinks, the Head of Consumer Research at ParcelHero, said: ‘Now the UK has left the EU’s single market I’m afraid shoppers buying from EU stores should expect the unexpected.
‘Despite the fact Boris Johnson claimed he had secured a ‘cakeist’ free trade deal, meaning Britain can actually have its cake and eat it, there are, in fact, a bunch of new fees that may need to be paid on parcels arriving from the EU.
‘Some EU-based stores have stopped selling to the UK entirely because of the mess.’
The Government said: ‘We have encouraged companies new to dealing with customs declarations to appoint a specialist to deal with import and export declarations on their behalf – and we made more than £80m available to expand the capacity of the customs agents market.
‘The Government will continue to work closely with businesses to ensure they are able to trade effectively under the new rules.’
Meanwhile, on claims UK businesses were being told to create subsidaries in the EU, a Department for International Trade spokesperson said: ‘This is not government policy, the Cabinet Office have issued clear guidance, available at gov.uk/transition, and we encourage all businesses to follow that guidance.
‘We are ensuring all officials are properly conveying this information.’
British customers are also liable to be hit with further duties if the goods originated, even partially, outside the EU.
The delivery companies are then whacking their own additional charges on top – 2.5 per cent of the VAT charge in the case of DHL – to cover their administrative fees.
It is believed that the issues can be ironed out over the next few months as more EU retailers register with HMRC.
These are four examples of products ordered by UK customers from EU firms that have now gone up in price due to Brexit charges and red tape
Lisa Walpole, from Norfolk, was told to pay £121 in relation to a £236 clothes order she made from the Norwegian website Onepiece.com, which specialises in premium jumpsuits
And Helen Kara, from Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, was hit with a bill for £93 after purchasing £292 worth of bed linen from Urbanara.co.uk, which is based in Berlin (pictured is the firm’s website)
But some have pulled the plug on their UK operations altogether in the wake of Brexit.
Shoppers in the UK have reported shortages of some items in domestic supermarkets after Britain split from Brussels at the start of the year.
Items seemingly in short supply have included cauliflower packs, citrus fruit, courgettes, French wine and brie.
Meanwhile, M&S stores in France have faced supply issues and millions of pounds worth of meat exports from the UK have been left to rot in ports on the continent because of new border rules.
Northern Ireland has also experienced food shortages but ministers have previously been insistent problems were not Brexit-related.
Northern Ireland Minister Brandon Lewis said empty shelves had ‘nothing to do with leaving the EU’ as he blamed the coronavirus crisis.
But Ms Truss, the International Trade Secretary, has now said Brexit is partly to blame, putting her at odds with her Cabinet colleague.
She told ITV’s Peston programme: ‘Well, I think it is down to both of those issues. Of course we were always clear that we are leaving the single market, we are leaving the customs unions, there would be processes to be undertaken.
‘We are now seeing a more rapid flow of goods into Northern Ireland and those supermarket shelves are being stocked.
‘Of course there was always going to be a period of adjustment for businesses but at the same time the benefits of having the trade deal we now have with the EU is we are able to strike trade deals with the rest of the world.’
But while some sectors have shared their post-Brexit difficulties, others, such as the boss of car-making giant Nissan, says the UK’s new trade deal with the US gives the country a ‘competitive advantage’.
Ashwani Gupta, the carmaker’s chief operating officer, said he believed the last minute deal would ‘redefine’ the UK’s auto industry.
Ashwani Gupta (pictured), the carmaker’s chief operating officer, said he believed the last minute deal would ‘redefine’ the UK’s auto industry
The Brexit trade deal has given Nissan a competitive advantage, according to a senior official at the Japanese car giant. Pictured: The plant today
‘Brexit has brought the business continuity in the short-term, protects 75,000 jobs across Europe and most importantly – all of our models which we manufacture in Sunderland,’ he told a news briefing.
Speaking from Japan, he said Nissan would continue investing in the UK, stressing the company did not stop investing in the run-up to the UK leaving the EU.
The Brexit deal had secured the sustainability of Nissan and improved competitiveness of the giant Sunderland factory, he said.
‘Sunderland is one of the top three plants in the world for competitiveness for Nissan,’ he said. ‘Brexit gives us the competitive advantage in the UK and outside.’
Mr Gupta also said Nissan would move production of the batteries used in its Leaf electric cars to the UK to take advantage of trade rules guaranteeing zero tariffs on EU exports if at least 55 per cent of the car’s value is derived from the UK or the EU.
The batteries are currently imported from Japan, but Mr Gupta told the BBC: ‘We’ve decided to localise the manufacture of the 62KW battery in Sunderland so that all our products qualify (for tariff-free export to the EU).’
By the end of 2023 all Nissan cars sold in Europe will have an electrified version, he said, adding it would then be up to customers to decide how quickly they switch from petrol and diesel motors.
Mr Gupta added Nissan’s message had been ‘consistent’ over the past few years, while Brexit was causing so much uncertainty for business.
‘As long as the current business conditions are kept, we are sustainable, not only in Sunderland, but across Europe.’
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: ‘Nissan’s decision represents a genuine belief in Britain and a huge vote of confidence in our economy thanks to the vital certainty that our trade deal with the EU has given the auto sector.
‘For the dedicated and highly-skilled workforce in Sunderland, it means the city will be home to Nissan’s latest models for years to come and positions the company to capitalise on the wealth of benefits that will flow from electric vehicle production as part of our green industrial revolution.’
Fugitive rapist of 84-year-old woman snared by EU-funded task force in Spain’s Barcelona
National Police Forces of Spain and France coordinated with ENFAST to track and detain the 48-year-old Frenchman near Barcelona.
Although he used a false Italian identity to try to hide in this country, he was located and arrested in the coastal town of Casteldefels, 16 miles south of Catalonia’s capital.
The man had an OEDE (European Arrest and Surrender Order) issued against him by European authorities.
The rape was carried out in 2009, but DNA didn’t link him to the crime until 2012.
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His trial in 2016 resulted in him being sentenced to 10 years in prison.
What is ENFAST?
ENFAST stands for European Network of Fugitive Active Search Teams.
The EU provides funding to bring together a core group of crime experts, sharing intelligence from the 27 (previously 28) EU Member States, Europol, Interpol and US Marshals.
Europol provides its Platform for Experts (EPE) to the national fugitive teams enabling the exchange of essential information.
They also publish the ‘Europe’s Most Wanted’ list on their website.
Training is provided to senior police officers on issues vital to the security of the European Union and its citizens.
NSA organises book release programme
Dimapur, Jan. 24 (EMN): Naga Scholars’ Association (NSA), in collaboration with Bibliophile South Asia, organised a programme for release of a book titled ‘Flame on a hill: A collection of stories’ authored by Shelmi Sankhil on January 23. The book was released by Dr. Lorho S Pfoze, sitting Lok Sabha MP from Outer Constituency, Manipur.
Speaking at the programme, the author stated that the book is a collection of stories clubbed into three categories basing on specific moments in the history of the Lamkang people. Starting with the historical event of the third century common era, when a Lamkang village was razed to the ground by Leiya Punsiba, the then king of the Moirang kingdom, the historical arc of the stories in this category included later encounters with the unified kingdom of Manipur (1570 CE), the British in the early nineteenth century, and the Japanese during World War 2, an update from NSA stated.
The author also stated that “These stories, written in the mould of historical fiction, should not be read as ‘pure’ history, for they are imaginative reconstructions of actual events. Nevertheless, their historical relevance should not be dismissed as ‘fiction’ either.”
The second category, according to the author, consisted of set of stories that is categorised as memoir as some of them recounted his encounters with military excesses in Manipur at a given time, while the others recounted notable experiences of select individuals that were narrated to a living audience.
The third category consisted of short stories which are entirely fictional in both their conception and treatment. They are topical and intended to generate healthy dialogue on some aspects of culture and tradition, the statement read adding the story form provides opportunity for an ‘objective’ and harmless evaluation of certain issues that afflict contemporary Lamkang culture.
The event was moderated by Senganglu Thaimei, assistant professor of English, Miranda House, while speeches were also delivered by Dr. Pfoze and Ashok Butani, the publisher.
It stated that NSA president Dr. Zuchamo Yanthan, in his welcome note, emphasised the importance of the book for understanding one of the least understood Naga communities in Manipur. He also congratulated the author for writing a book that would not only introduce the historical experiences of the Lamkang people, but also of the Chandel Naga tribes as a whole.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. KK Loung Nathan.
Human rights and COVID-19: MEPs denounce measures taken by authoritarian regimes
Parliament is deeply concerned that many authoritarian regimes around the world have used the pandemic to repress civil society and critical voices.
In their annual report assessing the human rights situation in the worldd, adopted on Wednesday, MEPs highlight that several authoritarian regimes have used the pandemic to justify exacerbated measures aimed at weakening democratic principles and fundamental freedoms, severely undermining human rights, repressing dissent and limiting space for civil society.
Growing aspirations and mobilisation of citizens
While noting that many negative trends persist and are on the increase, they also welcome citizens’ growing aspirations. Younger generations in particular are mobilising to bring about political and societal change in support for human rights, democratic governance, equality and social justice, more ambitious climate action and better protection of the environment.
Strengthening democratic institutions
The report asks the EU and its member states to continue supporting the strengthening of democratic institutions, transparent and credible electoral processes worldwide, to fight against impunity, to ensure that civil society organisations can continue to work and to combat inequalities.
It also urges them to develop an explicit strategy to counter increasing state withdrawal and pushback against the international human rights framework.
EU human rights sanctions mechanism
MEPs finally push for the new EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime to be implemented urgently, as an essential part of the EU’s existing human rights and foreign policy toolbox. Such a mechanism should serve to strengthen the EU’s role as a global human rights actor, they say, allowing for targeted sanctions against individuals and state or non-state actors and other entities responsible for or complicit in serious human rights violations around the world.
The text was approved by 459 votes in favour, 62 against and 163 abstentions.
Quote
“As MEPs, it is our duty to speak out, loudly and clearly, when it comes to human rights and the need to protect and recognise all those who work tirelessly and in difficult situations to uphold them. To achieve true credibility as the European Union, it is vital that we act and speak with a strong and unified voice on human rights. We should not fail those who look towards Europe with hope”, said rapporteur Isabel Santos (S&D, PT).
Additional information
Members discussed the content of the new report with EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell on 19 January. The text was originally prepared by MEPs in the Subcommittee on Human Rights.
For ‘no religion’ mention in certs, man moves HC
AHMEDABAD: The man who had approached the Gujarat high court seeking to be declared an atheist, has filed another petition for permission to not mention caste and religion in the certificates for all those who do not want such details mentioned.
For himself, petitioner Rajveer Upadhyay (36), seeks directions to the authorities to mention “No Religion, No Caste” in his certificates because he does not want any religion or caste to be mentioned. This autorickshaw driver belongs to Garo-Brahmin caste, a scheduled caste, and mentions in his petition that he has faced many troubles in life due to discriminatory caste system.
For removal of mention of religion and caste from his certificates, Upadhyay once again relies on the certificate issued to one Sneha Vellore by Tamil Nadu authorities and ratified by the Madras high court.
Upadhyay has also sought to remove mention of father/husband’s name and surname from certificate, if people are not willing to mention them. He has contended that the authorities cannot compel people to mention such details. He has urged the HC to direct concerned authorities to remove these details from his and his daughter’s certificates. He has argued in his petition that those who are orphans and women with multiple divorces always face this problem and feel humiliated.
Three years ago, Upadhyay had requested the authorities to allow his name to be changed to RV155677820, but his application was rejected citing lack of provisions to make such changes. The gazette authority also turned down his request in 2017. He has urged the HC to direct the authorities to change his name to this number. He has submitted that he has already changed his name once.
In support of his demand that people may not be compelled to mention their caste and religion in their certificates, the petitioner cites the Supreme Court’s observation that Hinduism is a way of life and not a religion. The petitioner has also requested the high court to address the court in the Hindi language. He feels that his appearing as party-in-person before the court will not be easily permitted with the norms in place at present. A litigant has to obtain a certificate from the HC registry that they are fit to address the court in English. The court has appointed a lawyer to represent Upadhyay in his petition in which he seeks permission to be identified as an atheist.
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In new book documenting Yup’ik culture, elders share teachings about the more-than-human world
“Nunakun-gguq Ciutengqertut, They Say They Have Ears Through the Ground: Animal Essays from Southwest Alaska”
By Ann Fienup-Riordan with Alice Rearden, Marie Meade, David Chanar, Rebecca Nayamin and Corey Joseph. University of Alaska Press, 2020. 382 pages. $39.95.
The essays or articles in this book are the result of regional gatherings and discussions with Yup’ik elders from Southwest Alaska to document human and animal relations within their shared environment. Anthropologist Ann Fienup-Riordan, who has spent decades working with elders to compile Yup’ik history and oral traditions, has acted as scribe to record knowledge the elders wish to pass down to their descendants and to others who may learn from it. The texts are not meant to be “facts.” Rather, they reflect conversations about relationships — conversations through which the world as known to participants is allowed to unfold.
“They say they have ears through the ground” expresses the Yup’ik belief that all animals (and indeed other more-than-human entities) have minds and are responsive to thoughts, words and deeds. Animals know what people are thinking and saying, and they reciprocate their treatment. Treat them with respect, and you will be rewarded. Be wasteful, brag or otherwise show disrespect, and animals will withhold themselves.
As Fienup-Riordan observes in her introduction, Southwest Alaska was late to be colonized compared to the rest of Alaska, and the region has retained social patterns and traditional knowledge that has been largely lost elsewhere. The building blocks of Yup’ik education, still, are “qanruyutet,” rules for right living. These exist as sayings and adages and are embedded into teaching stories.
The material compiled here includes creation and traditional stories passed down for generations, stories shared by the elders’ parents and grandparents, and the experiences and knowledge of the elders themselves. Fienup-Riordan has organized all this into three parts. The first, which she has called “Thinking on the Page,” draws together the words from gatherings with other references to better understand and express what she had learned. Chapters in the second part bring together stories about particular animal groups — king salmon, “big animals” (moose and bear), sea mammals and birds. The third section, centered on a town hall meeting in Toksook Bay in 2006, shows how community members respected and employed traditions to work with the Alaska Department of Transportation to reach an agreement about the routing of a road.
The decline of king salmon on the Yukon River is much discussed in the first chapter, which draws upon the history of communities on the lower river and the changes in fishing and fish runs over time. It’s telling that the word “neqa” means both fish and food. Elders stressed that the availability of fish (and food generally) depends on the care given to it. Many traditional practices, such as taking only what you need and not wasting, assure reciprocity. As Fienup-Riordan concludes, in the Yup’ik view, crashes in animal populations are not biological processes that can be separated from social relations but are essentially driven by morality. Fisheries management based on western science and calculations does not address the problem of right relationship that is so fundamental to Yup’ik understandings.
King salmon are again discussed in chapter six, which collects knowledge from a gathering of elders. These elders contribute a deep and nuanced understanding of the lives of salmon, various stocks, run timings, methods of fishing, methods of preparation and preservation, history of use, cultural practices including honoring the first salmon of the season, and the role of salmon in village life and economies. With fishing closures and the abandonment of fish camps, the elders worry that the teaching and learning about salmon (and other matters) has been declining along with the salmon themselves.
Chapters devoted to marine mammals, bears and moose and birds are equally packed with intimate knowledge of animal behavior, accompanied by many personal stories of hunting and otherwise knowing the environment. The elders share how Raven and Pacific Loon came together to paint one another’s feathers, why spotted seals are smarter than the other species of seals and how geese taste in different seasons. The ocean itself is presented as a living being, as sensitive as sea mammals to a person’s attitudes and actions. Traveling on the ocean requires not only close attention and intimate knowledge of currents, wind and ice conditions, but speaking respectfully of it and obeying certain codes of conduct.
Although climate change was not a central subject for any of the conversations, the elders were well aware of environmental change and spoke of ice thinning and retreating, moose and beaver moving into the area, and changes to vegetation and in the arrival and departure times of birds. They mention repeatedly that change is a constant, through history and in their lives. They recall their own elders telling them that the region used to be much warmer.
The elders who participated in sharing some of the wealth of their knowledge did so with the hope that their experience — including what they’d been taught as young people — could help guide the youth of today. One who asked if their words would appear in a book said, “I am asking because many in our village no longer have people to instruct them. Truly, if you put these into books and they are read by those who wish to read them, how great that would be!”
Great it is that Fienup-Riordan and her collaborators, with the support of the Calista Education and Culture organization, have brought together what amount to encyclopedias of Yup’ik knowledge, for the benefit of younger generations and the world at large. The value of what can be learned from and about the more-than-human world, especially in a time of change, is matched by lessons in how we all might live more responsibly.
