Daniel MacIsaac
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 18/99) - Members of a Canadian relief team delivering aid packages to indigenous communities in the Russia returned to Ottawa on Wednesday and called their mission a success.

"This phase of the project had modest goals and we managed to achieve all of those, so it was a success," said Terry Fenge, research director with the Inuit Circumpolar Conference. "We managed to get the boxes into the hands of the Inuit and Chukchi people who needed them the most."

The relief operation, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency and including representatives of ICC, the departments of Indian and Northern Affairs and International Trade and the Red Cross, delivered 540 boxes of food and supplies to the communities of Serenniki, Yakrakynkot and Enurmino in the Chukotka region of Arctic Russia.

In arranging permission from the Russian government, Fenge said the team bargained hard to ensure that all aid reached the people it was meant for.

"What we have shown is we can deliver human assistance in the middle of winter, and that is no mean feat," he said.

Fenge said there were both similarities and differences between Arctic Russia and Arctic Canada.

"They are indigenous people still highly concerned with hunting, trapping, herding and fishing," he said. "The differences are in infrastructure and facilities in the communities."

Fenge pointed to Canada's own investment in schools and hospitals and the fact that Russia still relies on coal heating, which leads to smokestacks spewing soot over the communities. With Russia undergoing a financial crisis, no investment is being made in Chukotka and the population has dropped by half.

"The way I would have to characterize the area is undergoing chronic collapse," said Fenge.

Fenge said the communities were immensely thankful for the aid.

"It was like welcoming manna from heaven, only this was Canadian manna being dropped from Russian helicopters," he said.

Both Kevin O'Reilly, research director for the Canadian Arctic Resources Committee in Yellowknife, and ICC president Sheila Watt-Cloutier said they've already heard from groups and individuals across the NWT interested in contributing to the next phases of the $10-million project.

"I've had calls from individuals asking how they can raise money in their communities," said O'Reilly.

In an e-mail message, Sergey Haruchi, president of the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples, summed up his feelings on the impact the project has had so far.

"I am very moved by the generous help of the Canadian government and people who made this event possible, and I congratulate them on this successful action," he wrote.