Student from Oslo University in Nenets AO on fieldwork

The topic for her thesis is «Preservation of the Nenets Rights in the Face of Increasing Oil and Gas Production in the Nenets autonomous okrug». During these three weeks, Eilen has done interviews with oil companies operating in the okrug, with representatives from the regional and local administrations, with the leader of one of the reindeer herders communities and other people in Nenets AO who has knowledge on this theme.

- I have had many interesting interviews during my time in Naryan-Mar, Eilen says. - It is difficult to come up with any results just yet, because I still haven't had the time to analyze my interviews. I will work on my thesis until the middle of May 2012, so I still have a lot of work to do when I get home. But in general it's seems to me that the dialogue between reindeer herders communities and oil companies has become more formalized during the last couple of years. That being said, there might be a need of more involvement from the regional authorities in the dialogue, where they could function as a neutral partner. For reindeer herders and oil companies to be able to co-exist in the future, not only do they have to find a way to cooperate and to preserve the nature – but there are also many social problems for the Nenets people that has to be solved. One major problem is that the young Nenets people do not want to return to the settelements after graduation. So, the picture is complex, and there are many factors that needs to be taken into consideration. That's why a major part of my thesis will be about traditional way of life versus modernity and globalization.

Eilens Master's thesis will be about 100 pages. - It is a big project, Eilen says. I am so happy that I was able to go to Naryan-Mar, and I have met so many nice and helpful people during my stay. I hope to come back to the Nenets autonomous okrug many, many times in the future.