SLAM DUNK IN YAKUTIA

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SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ECON RS
SUBJECT: SLAM DUNK IN YAKUTIA

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1. (U) Former NBA Coach Tom Newell brought his basketball
diplomacy to Yakutia April 22-29 for a week of seminars for
coaches, practice sessions for boys and girls, and exhibition
games. CG joined Newell for a game with local public officials
dedicated to WWII veterans. CG also visited a Yakutia hospital
that has improved its infant and maternal mortality rates thanks
to an extremely successful USAID program, met with local
officials, and celebrated the April 27 Day of the Republic.
CG's wife met with students and English teachers and the
Consulate delegation enjoyed reindeer meat and mare's milk, a
ride on a Yakutsk horse, and a tour of a permafrost museum where
the temperature was minus nine centigrade.

FIVE PUSHUPS
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2. (U) Tom Newell's basketball clinics emphasize community
involvement and the positive role sports play in youth
development. His humor and hands on skills-development training
produces long term results and is an immediate public diplomacy
"slam dunk." Newell believes in "simplicity and execution,"
teaching coaching and students about good and bad habits in
basketball while making points about leadership, teamwork,
dedication and commitment. Newell often lightens the mood by
requiring "five pushups" for minor discipline infractions, like
showing up for practice late. Coaches and players recognize
that Newell is making a point that is understandable in any
language. The "Newell Yakutia All Stars," including real
coaches, beat the CG's team of Yakutia regional officials. Most
of the players in that game were in the over-50 "knee brace set"
but no one was hurt and the game dedicated to veterans was high
spirited. Regional officials had as much chance of winning as
the Washington Generals do against the Harlem Globetrotters but
they were all good sports. Yakutia is a very sports conscious
town, hosting Asian Youth Games every four years and remaining
activite year-round, even during the winter with its minus fifty
degree temperatures. Basketball is popular, but young people
over six feet tall are rare. Newell found this out as he often
hit his head on the low ceilings designed for a shorter
population. CG discussed sports with Vice President Mikhailova
who said that seventy percent of Yakutians are active in sports,
with wrestling, boxing and volleyball being most popular.

USAID IMPROVING HEALTH STATISTICS
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3. (U) At the Republican Perinatal Center, CG saw just how
successful a USAID program has been in lowering infant
mortality. However, young women -- even pregnant ones -- still
smoke heavily and Yakutia is badly in need of anti-narcotics,
alcohol and smoking programs. Mikhailova made a special request
for a US speaker on anti-smoking campaigns. On the positive
side, she cited USAID's Maternal and Child Health Initiative as
being directly responsible for Yakutia's population growth.
Yearly deaths outnumbered live births just ten years ago, but
Yakutia now has a positive demographic balance. Women typically
have six or seven children, so maternal health programs are
vital to this young population.

CRISIS NOT AS SEVERE
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4. (U) On the economy, Mikhailova said the Republic is trying
to diversify away from simply extractive industries like gold,
silver, and diamond mining, though to its credit Yakutia does
not export these as raw materials and has a significant
processing industry. There are diamond cutting and finishing
factories in Yakutia and seemingly a jewelry store on every
block. CG pitched an American product to give greater traction
to automobiles in snow to local leaders. Other than in the
mining sector, there is not a lot of American business in
Yakutia. In fact, there are only four known Americans living in
Yakutia, all of them missionaries, and one of them living in a
remote village accessible only by plane. Almost all contacts
said that the "crisis" was not as strong in Yakutia, where
unemployment for the moment remains fairly low. Sister city
ties with Fairbanks, Alaska are not as vibrant as in the 1990's
but a Fairbanks delegation is expected in June to celebrate the
Yakutian New Year.

SAKHA OR YAKUTIA?
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5. (U) Yakutians number about 450,000 and are one of the major
minorities in the Russian Federation. Their culture and
language is strong, with several radio stations broadcasting in
Yakutian. Yakutia is known as "Sakha" in the local language,
which is spoken frequently in schools, but there is an ongoing
debate as to whether students studying physics and other hard
sciences are disadvantaged by not taking these courses in
Russian. Doing so would provide more access to scientific
materials. There is no "political correctness" to using the

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term "Sakha" or "Yakutia". Either is accepted. English is
officially the third language of the Republic and indeed many
young people speak it well. CG's spouse met with English
students and teachers who are very hungry for native English
speakers and asked for assistance in bringing more English
teachers to the Republic.


6. (U) The "Day of the Republic" event showcased how the local,
Russian and global cultures interact. A reading of Pushkin
could be followed by a modern adaptation of native dance,
followed by a hip hop number. Russians and Yakutians share
positions of power in the Republic and intermarry frequently.
Horses figure prominently in Sakha culture and are considered
sacred, although horse meat is widely available. Yakutian
horses are smaller and can survive on their own in winter by
pawing through the snow to reach fresh grass. Mare's milk is
served at most restaurants and is offered to guests at official
ceremonies.

COOL MUSEUM
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7. (U) A "must see" in Yakutia is the permafrost museum. The
museum is in an old Soviet bunker built into a hillside in the
permafrost. Visitors go from room to room where fabulous ice
sculptures capture native legends or in one case recreate a
modern office made entirely of ice, many scultures were featured
in Harbin's annual ice festivalThe temperature in the museum is
minus nine in summer and minus 17 in winter, when many Yakutians
visit to "warm up" since outside air temperatures are often
minus 50 or below. The permafrost museum also runs a restaurant
with old hunting relics and wildlife trophies on the wall. To
complete the northern scene, some of Yakutia's award-winning
malamute sled dogs are housed outside and visitors are able to
scratch them behind the ears and admire their markings and cool
blue eyes. Yakutia also boasts a beautiful zoo with musk oxen
that were introduced from Canada, bears, arctic wolves, and
other creatures from Yakutia and around the world. The zoo is
also seeking American partners. Yakutia is one of Russia's
richest republics, in terms of size, wealth, and culture and is
well worth a visit.
ARMBRUSTER