Creation of an International Information Network System for Northern Studies　　　Takashi Irimoto

　The aim of the Northern Studies Association is to contribute to the understanding of human beings by studying various northern cultures and practicing international exchanges. In addition to hosting international symposiums, its activities include collection and dissemination of information about northern studies and promotion of information exchanges and mutual cooperation with related academic associations.
　In order to study northern cultures and exchange information internationally, an international conference on “Religion and Ecology in Northern Eurasia and North America” was held at Hokkaido University in 1991 as NSA’s first international symposium to commemorate the establishment of our association.
　Moreover, preparation of a database on Ainu-related literature and materials, which has been continued at the Department of Cultural Anthropology, Institute for the Study of Northern Eurasian Cultures, has been recognized as a means to prepare basic information materials for international northern region studies. Subsequently, it resulted in a book titled Ainu Bibliography which has been distributed to libraries, museums, research institutions, etc. at home and abroad.
　Abroad, northern region research institutions and academic associations including ours were introduced at the International Conference on Arctic Social Sciences held in Canada in 1992. In addition to this conference, an international conference on educational programs, curricula, etc. concerning northern studies was held the same year at Lapland University in Rovaniemi, Finland.
　Northern region studies cannot progress without the cooperation and understanding of the international community including Japan. However, the societies and cultures of northern regions have been rapidly changing in recent years. New objectives and methods of northern studies that address changing international relations are being sought beyond the limit of traditional northern studies.
　For example, “Hunters and gatherers in the modern context” was taken up as the theme of the 7th International Conference of Hunting and Gathering Societies held in Moscow in 1993. The relation between the changing hunting and gathering societies and the nation, as well as the importance of each group’s mechanism of bringing peace by the traditional grievance settlement method was discussed at the conference. Moreover, there was international research conducted jointly in 1993 by the Russian Academy of Sciences and Hokkaido University in Siberia’s Kamchatka region of the Russian Far East (Photo). As a result, it has become clear that the traditional societies in that region have a growing interest, in order to find a future direction given the sudden changes, in establishing new social, economic, political, and cultural relationships with Japan.
　In other words, in order to understand changing societies and cultures in the northern regions and cope with changing international relations, now it is necessary to pursue northern studies beyond the comparative studies of traditional cultures previously undertaken and to develop them in the new framework of changes. In this situation, it is important to analyze not only the relationships between a changing traditional society and an individual and between a traditional society and the nation. but also the relationship with the international society which has a complex relation with those relationships.
　Therefore, northern studies require scientific exchanges based on an international viewpoint. This requires the construction of an international information network system by colleting the latest information on the present situation of northern studies conducted by academic societies and research institutions of each country and by understanding educational programs, cultural exchange programs, etc. as a means to apply those studies.
　The following benefits are expected from the above network:
　1. Collecting information on research and education in each country in the northern regions at the present time and running the international information network system for the purpose of scientific exchanges and international cooperation.
　2. Constructing a new framework of future northern studies, based on the tradition of northern studies in Japan, by referring to the trend of research in other countries and also through international cooperation.
　Concretely, it will be possible to create a datebase on necessary literature and information materials, as well as to prepare, practice and develop the research and educational programs of northern studies. Accordingly, international northern studies will be developed substantially and increasingly.
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