In Partakko, popular community gatherings leave no room for Arctic geopolitics
When the Arctic hits global news, outsiders usually read about geopolitics or climate change. But what do people in the Arctic talk about when they get together themselves? It is usually everything but geopolitics. Let me describe for you one recent gathering in Partakko, Finland.
Around 250 people found their way to Partakko last week, a small community in Lapland with only a few dozen year-round inhabitants. People drove from neighboring towns and villages to attend the first edition of the village’s reindeer and fish market, some driving more than 100 km for the occasion. In the Far North, kilometers do not feel the same as they do in urban areas. A few foreign tourists also discovered the market while travelling further north.
For me, living in this small village while working on global Arctic-related topics, this event felt very special.
A local success achieved by a motley crew
The event was organized by the village association, composed of six members aged roughly 30 to 84 with diverse backgrounds: from local reindeer herders to Finnish families who moved to the Far North — and me, the ultimate outsider who traded Paris for Partakko. At first glance, this group might look rather unusual. But I came to realize that it is just what small communities in the Far North look like.
This group worked together for months to deliver the event. Bearing in mind that the village association runs entirely on volunteering, pulling off a successful event was not guaranteed. We were quite surprised when we saw cars coming in, parking on the side of the road as our little harbor was getting overcrowded.
Happiness and pride on every face
In addition to the organizers, almost all the villagers joined as volunteers to set up the tents, run a booth, grill sausages, serve coffee and other typical delicacies, manage the traffic, etc. Local businesses also played their part, with the local stores of the two major supermarket chains contributing products for the event. Sellers welcomed people around reindeer and fish products as well as other locally-made items such as jams, jewellery and knitted mittens. There were smiles on every face, pride in showcasing the beautiful shores of Lake Inari, and in seeing visitors enjoying freshly baked snacks and fried fish.
On a relaxed late-summer day, visitors wandering in the small market, and volunteers, sellers and organizers alike, were busy making the event a success. The performance by the Sámi artist Heli Aikio and the lasso throwing competition were highlights of the day.
The usual “happy ending” happened: everyone was grateful that it had been such a success, not quite believing that so many visitors had joined in.
What can such a seemingly anecdotal gathering tell us about remote Northern communities? Why does it matter?
International headlines about the Arctic tend to focus on rising tensions, geopolitics and climate change. Yes, these are prominent and worrying topics around here, but depicting the region through these lenses alone does not give the full picture.
And within the Arctic community itself, the conversation obviously goes much further. At Arctic conferences, in research projects and among people working on the region, there is a much more nuanced understanding of what is at stake: preserving traditional livelihoods, incorporating local knowledge into decision-making, providing jobs, infrastructure and connectivity.
Thriving communities are also increasingly seen as a critical security issue: people who live in the Far North and, simply by being there, contribute to maintaining a human presence across the territory.
Few, to my knowledge, really address rural life and what is at stake. While accessing basic services or being able to generate revenue are essential, being part of a lively community is extremely important and should be more consistently addressed.
Preserving social ties
This event was part of the “Lively Villages” project led by the municipality of Inari, embedded in the wider Inari 150, the celebration of the municipality’s 150th birthday. The project, which has received EU rural development funding, supports village associations in organizing events locally with the objectives to strengthen social ties and the vitality of villages.
Collaboration and mutual support were at the heart of the effort. “We want to invite people to stop by Partakko and see what the village is really like here,” says the entire village association’s committee. “Many people drive past this without noticing that people live an active everyday life here all year round. The market is an opportunity for us to open the doors of the village to everyone.”
I could see a few other things this event brought. In Northern Finnish villages, especially those without any shops, where houses are spread along lakes and rivers, you never get to “bump into” a neighbor. Such gatherings trigger preparation meetings, and of course the big day where you see everyone you know and get to meet new people.
Preparing and experiencing an event are great opportunities to create lasting memories and strengthen relationships with neighbors. This helps to create a place where you don’t just adapt to the conditions, but actually thrive. What’s more, having your neighbors’ phone numbers in your phone can actually help with the survival part when you make rookie mistakes and get stuck in the slush, for instance.
For an immigrant like me, it was a privilege to strengthen relationships, build memories and laugh with locals. I’m proud to have played my part in this atypical collective success, while discovering other aspects of Finnish culture and learning new Finnish words along the way.
This experience has only strengthened my interest in rural life in the Far North: what makes young people stay or come back, what brings new people there and what keeps communities alive. I hope this remains part of the conversation alongside the bigger Arctic issues, and that the motley crews making things happen on the ground continue to receive the support they need.
