On March 7^th, 2025 the 11^th Annual Fletcher Maritime Arctic Conference brought together experts from across the region to explore the impacts of growing volatility. The Conference had two main panel discussions, with keynote speech from the elder of the Cree tribe Deloras Blackmon. Anders Oskal, Secretary General of the of World Reindeer Herders (WRH) and Director of the International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry (ICR), took part in the panel about Sustainability in the Arctic talking about importance of reindeer for reindeer herding peoples and sustainability in the region,and shared experience of working with projects on Arctic Indigenous foods, Oskal spoke alongside Blaine Mirasty, specializing in Indigenous tourism, Magnus de Witt researching sustainable energy options in remote communities in Alaska, and Chef Shane Chartrand, of the Enoch Cree Nation. 

Second panel on Security and Governance in a New American Administration panel was moderated by the former US Ambassador to India, Don Heflin and included Ian Johnstone, John Burgess and Rockford Weitz, Director of the Fletcher Maritime Studies Program.

The conference concluded with remarks from Dean of the Fletcher School, Kelly Sims Gallagher, and Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, former president in the Tibetan Central Administration, the Tibetan government-in-exile.

Source: Tufts University Fletcher School

Photos: (c) ICR and (c) Fletcher School at Tufts University