“It was not a romantic choice for us to return to the old ways... We want to feed ourselves. Hunting whales is what gives us pride. It is what reminds us of who we are.”
Vladimir Etylin (vlah-dee-meer eh-tih-lin), Chukchi head of Chukotka Revival
“Reindeer herding makes this world richer. One day the mining of gold and other minerals will come to an end here. Reindeer herding will always be able to go on.”
Grigorii Tynakergav (grig-or-ee tie-nack-er-gahv), Chukchi reindeer herder
“Our Elders did not pray, they just talked with nature. I can do the same.”
Dmitri Nikolayevich Begunov (duh-me-tree nick-oh-lie-ah-vitch beg-oo-nov), reindeer herder
“When our families conduct their rituals, we always give offerings to sun. It is the source of light in our lives.”
Jegor Nutendli (yay-gor new-tend-lee), knowledge holder
“Nature has soul. Body rests when you are in nature. It is wonderful to walk on your own land.”
Anna Aleksandrovna Kaurgina (ah-nah ah-lek-sahn-drawv-nah kaw-oor-ggee-nah), climate activist
“It’s as if our history has been deleted because, when we go to a museum, there are rock paintings but it does not say that they are by the Sami. ”
Tuomas Aslak Juuso (too-oh-mahss as-lack joo-so), Vice-President of the Sami Parliament
“The Sami have no obligation whatsoever to explain every root and branch of our culture in order to justify our demand to be taken seriously.”
Petra Laiti (peh-trah leye-tee), Chairperson of the Sami youth organization
“We have always been forced to defend our rights. We refuse to look away while the Finnish state tramples on the rights of our people.”
Jussa Seurujärvi (juh-sah soor-ah-jog-ghee), Sami reindeer herder
“We live in a society where resistance takes place every day. It’s not anything new for us, and this railroad plan is not the first thing we must take a stand against.”
Petra-Biret Magga-Vars (peh-trah-beye-ret ma-gah-vahrs), Sami reindeer-herder
“The roots are where it starts… Sun, moon, land, animals are important… I am not the main thing here, the human.”
Ursula Länsman (oor-soo-lah lahnz-man), Inari Sami reindeer herder
Life was fond of us. The sun in heaven’s space and the earth sought in its arms gifts. The reindeer roamed, the salmon climbed.”
Nils-Aslak Valkeapää (neels-ah-slock fahl-kay-ah-pah), Sami poet
“The river cannot be separated from the families, and the families cannot be separated from the salmon.”
Pauliina Feodoroff (pow-leen-nah fee-oh-door-off), President of the Skolt Sámi Nation Council
“My grandfather knew the soul of salmon.”
Vladimir Feodoroff (vlad-ee-meer fee-oh-door-off), Skolt Sami fisherman
“Life is transient, like a flash of lightning or a dream. Eighty years pass like a cloud. We're born and then we die.”
Chi-ch'eng (chee-chung), Buddhist monk
“Monks or nuns who can preach live in the city. I can't preach so I live in the mountains and practice by myself.
Hui Yuan (hway-yuan), Buddhist nun
“After Liberation we weren't supposed to read old books anymore. But I managed to collect quite a few Taoist books and I hid all the important ones away.”
Master Yang (mass-terr yang), Taoist monk
“When the Red Guards came I told them to go away. I didn't let them in. If I had they would have destroyed Kumarajiva's stupa. I was ready to die.”
Yuan Chao (yoo-en-chow), Buddhist teacher
“The main thing is to reduce your desires and quiet your mind.”
Master Hsueh T’ai-lai (sheh tie-lie), Taoist monk
“Only when the mind is still can it see. And only when the mind can see can it reach the mystery of mysteries”
Yen-ch’eng (Yen-Chung), Buddhist abbott
“Once you've seen through the illusions of the world, hardships aren't important.”
Ch'uan-fu (Choo-En – Foo), Buddhist nun