Arctic Yearbook 2014 | Page 265

265 Arctic Yearbook 2014   income from new activities could create a complex synergy. These may not be equally beneficial in money terms, but can be seen as combinations of different cultural practices. Ammassalik district is one of the country’s poorest, and the base for hunting and fishing, and fish purchasing capacity is inadequate to effectively support the district’s existence. This is a major reason why a part of the population is dependent on social transfers. Interviews carried out in the local community by the engineering students indicated that they see a fruitful connection between their interest in working at the mine and the establishment of a proper settlement at Kangerlussuaq, including space and institutions that gives way to family life and may also provide work for women and have space for children. In this case the rich marine resources might bring other opportunities even though a closing of the mining endeavour could reduce the size of the settlement. There is also a desire for the work to be organized with normal operating hours, allowing time for family and leisure, which is typically spent on hunting and fishing. In this context, there is a desire for flexibility, allowing for holidays or other forms of free time in the periods where this is e.g. narwhal catch, is something that cannot be planned and predicted in the longer term. Very often the life span of a mining process is planned to be short. However, if mining is organized as a slightly less intensive and lengthy process, it seems possible to establish a settlement of about 200 inhabitants. Engaging with the strategies of mining companies it might be possible to offer alternatives to a very fast extraction e.g. in relation to the investments and risks involved. Different scales m