Tero Mustonen

Indigenous leadership in salmon governance is associated with values and principles such as recognition of Indigenous rights and jurisdictions by states, meaningful involvement and participation of Indigenous knowledge holders in the knowledge basis for management, and respectful and reciprocal relations between humans and salmon. Inspired by examples of Indigenous leadership in salmon governance in North America and in Finland, the authors of this chapter seek to identify a constructive role for Sami leadership in Nordic state wild salmon governance. Even though the Nordic countries, in principle, recognize Indigenous resource rights, there are few examples of Indigenous leadership in watershed governance. An especially thorny issue is the cross‐border salmon management on the Deatnu/Tana River as a border river between Norway and Finland. A nearby example of Skolt Sami leadership in co-management of the Njâuddam/Näätämö River in Finland is, however, a relevant and hopeful example of the possibility of Sami leadership and inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in salmon governance and river restoration. In this article, we present the Njâuddam/Näätämö and the Deatnu watershed governance arrangements as two examples at opposite ends of a scale of Indigenous leadership in salmon management in the Nordic countries. We compare and discuss the two cases along the dimensions of participation in governance and in knowledge production, addressing key points that need to be resolved for Indigenous leadership to play a constructive role in interaction with state salmon governance and knowledge production systems. In conclusion, we consider the possible lessons to be learned and discuss challenges and opportunities for Indigenous empowerment and for increasing the sustainability of salmon governance at large.

Arctic freshwater biodiversity is rapidly changing due to climate warming, resource extraction, infrastructure development, and landscape transformation. To improve understanding, predict future responses, and inform policy formulation, research needs must be clearly identified. Using a horizon scan survey, Arctic freshwater experts from government, international agencies, and Indigenous Peoples identified 77 biodiversity research questions with 17 highlighted as most important for near term assessment. These questions span nine thematic categories: biodiversity and taxonomic challenges, hydrological change, productivity and food webs, ecosystem connectivity, methods, monitoring and assessment, permafrost change, winter ecology, anthropogenic development, and Indigenous Knowledge. Climate change emerged as the major driver among all categories and research questions. A key priority identified was the urgent need for long-term, harmonized monitoring programs among Arctic countries. Multiple knowledge gaps detected suggest that circumpolar research collaborations are required to tackle these issues.

The Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) has played an important role in Finnish traditional culture and livelihoods since pre‐historic times. This paper analyzes the current role, status, and trends of the red squirrel using both available scientific evidence and testimonies from oral historians who were immersed in Finland's boreal hunting societies during the mid‐1900s. The convergence of observations points to the decline of this iconic mammal of northern forests and increased migration to urban habitats. Red squirrels are not currently seen as being of great relevance to conservation efforts, despite their central role in spreading seeds and in boreal predator–prey food chains. If the animal is lost from Finland's remaining boreal timber forests, their absence may have consequences that are not yet understood. This article contains previously unavailable cultural knowledge of the Eurasian red squirrel, directly curated by knowledge holders. It presents an important nexus of different ways of knowing.

Despite a well-established system of community lands, the current lack of spatial data on community territories impacts how Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPs and LCs) in Europe are included in global discussions about land rights recognition and their critical role in land stewardship. We present an aggregation of spatial data for 42.5 Mha of recognized IPs and LCs lands in Western and Northern Europe, including data that were not previously included in global datasets. We show that governments recognize IPs and LCs lands through a diversity of tenure systems, which are managed under a variety of governance arrangements, including community, State, and shared governance. IPs and LCs contribute important services to people, underscoring their potential role in the climate and conservation needs of Europe.

The Arctic has warmed at nearly four times the global average since 1979, which has intensified the disruption of its biotic and local human communities under ongoing environmental change. Here, we explore the ecosystem-climate-human nexus in the Arctic region. We summarize current knowledge of regional climate change and its impact on ecosystems and their functions, highlight gaps and uncertainties, and explore future outlooks to provide an overview of key areas for ongoing and future research. By detailing how the combination of biodiversity, environmental, and functional changes affect humans, we highlight the necessity of expanding climate change research to better incorporate environmental and social change, and predict ecological response, thereby increasing the resilience of Arctic communities.

This paper explores cultural narratives and oral histories related to two examples of traditional northern transport—long seal hunting journeys in the Baltic region and nomadic reindeer travel in northeastern Siberia. Ample material has been collected and reviewed regarding means of nonmotorised transport in the polar regions. However, scientific literature concerning the experiences and perspectives of the Indigenous and traditional community members who took part in these journeys remains scarce. This article explores the recorded narratives of two people involved in the journeys described. It assesses how these long-distance travels form significance, meaning, observations, and belonging to landscapes for these people. This analysis reveals that, rather than inhabiting northern ice and tundra scapes that are often described as barren and devoid of life, seal hunters and reindeer herders live in story-scapes rich in meaning. The sacred places, surrender to ice flow dynamics, and ways of living “inside” northern habitats that emerge from these testimonies offer a skeleton key for re-reading the misunderstood homelands of Arctic and tundra communities.

This Special Issue “Shaping Tomorrow’s Arctic” explores the past, present and future of Arctic sustainability

The current planetary shifts and the redistribution of species require us to rethink nature conservation, both from the viewpoint of forming novel ecosystems and in relation to issues of diversity, historical conservation practices, as well as historical and current injustice. Mainly, this reorientation needs to address the historical errors of mainstream societies that promoted nature conservation for their own benefit, at the expense of Indigenous societies. The article explores two Finnish and Sámi rewilding cases of community-led action. In the end, the research seeks to answer how to negotiate a new co-existence with rewilded sites to achieve a better future.