From the Brazilian Amazon Forest to the Arctic Circle

By: Adelson Lima Gonçalves, ECOCARE Exchange Student in Spring 2025

I lived in Tromsø, Norway, for five months. How can I describe this period? It was a unique and transformative experience provided to me, an indigenous member of the Tariano people, a lawyer and a master's student in Law from the Brazilian Amazon, by the EcoCare Project.

It was a region completely opposite to where I came from, starting with the climate. The temperature of -14°C when I arrived was a shock, coming from a place where the average is 30°C. Seeing ice and snow for the first time was an indescribable emotion. The people there live in extreme cold, something I had only seen on TV. This experience made me realize the perfection of Mother Nature, which welcomes and sustains human beings in different parts of the world, regardless of the conditions.

There is still a lot to process. The experience of living in such a cold environment and taking some courses allowed me to learn about a Scandinavian approach to marine studies, indigenous peoples of the Arctic, the environment and sustainability. I realized how advanced the dialogue between indigenous peoples there and Scandinavian states is. The Arctic Council (an intergovernmental forum formed by countries that have territory within the Arctic Circle, representatives of indigenous peoples and observer members) is a model that demonstrates to the world the importance of the participation of various actors in defining the future of the place where they live.

I had the opportunity to experience Sámi Week, an annual festival held in Tromsø, Norway. The event celebrates the production, culture and traditional sports of the Sámi people, and takes place in connection with Sámi National Day, celebrated on February 6th. And the Reindeer Race? Only the Sámi people can create it. It was an extremely exciting and enriching experience.

This experience led me to new perspectives on the Brazilian Amazon and its complexities from a Nordic perspective, reflecting the applicability of Scandinavian environmental law in different realities. The Amazon is our Arctic that needs more attention and care.

This exchange made me reflect deeply on the role of the “researcher-observer” and “researcher-object”, gaining a new meaning to my “place of speech as a researcher”. It gained a new dimension when contextualized by the Scandinavian approach to indigenous peoples, which has already made significant progress in dialogue with the Scandinavian states, especially regarding cultural and linguistic policy.

Finally, I feel that I returned more motivated to continue “rowing” in the waters of academic life in the Master's degree in Law, especially with regard to the rights of indigenous peoples.

Adelson Lima Gonçalves

June 19th, 2025, Manaus, Brazil.

Sámi Week February 2025, Tromsø, Norway

Festival of the arrival of the sun in the Breivika Campus, UiT, Tromsø, Norway, January 2025.

Northern Lights in Tromsø, 2025.

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This post can be cited as: Adelson Lima Gonçalves, From the Brazilian Amazon Forest to the Arctic Circle, June 24, 2025.