Size and Place in the Construction of Indigeneity in the Russian Federation

Abstract

Within the Russian Federation there are nearly 200 recognized "nationalities," approximately 130 of which could claim to be "indigenous." However, only 45 peoples are officially recognized as "indigenous small-numbered peoples of the Russian Federation" and thereby qualify for the rights, privileges, and state support earmarked for indigenous peoples. This status is conditioned upon a maximum group size of 50,000. While experts insist that this numerical criterion is provisional and without serious political implications, our fieldwork demonstrates that it has become a social fact that cannot be ignored, especially in light of the 2002 All-Russia Census and the release of its results in 2004. This numerical benchmark forces a dichotomization into small-numbered versus non-small-numbered peoples and creates a peculiar type of identity politics based on ethnic-group size. The "indigenous small-numbered" status is also conditioned upon a set of overlapping but often contradictory residency requirements. Using case studies from southern Siberia and the north of European Russia, we document the dynamic interplay between these dimensions of identity and the opportunities for maneuvering in the competition for the benefits that attach to certain categories. However, indigenous peoples who engage in such identity politics run the risk of becoming "incarcerated" within the confines of those categories.

Repatriation, Doxa, and Contested Heritages

“…However, deregionalization (recentralization) politics under President Putin are increasingly undermining the federal model (Goode 2010) and the possibilities for indigenous titular nations. Until now, the federal government has abstained from integrating international standards because of the reluctance to provide indigenous peoples rights over land and its resources, and fear of ethnic instability (Donahoe et al 2008, p. 1009, Newcity 2009). Only small and manageable groups of under 50,000 people are recognized as "official" indigenous peoples (Donahoe et al 2008(Donahoe et al , p. 1010Donahoe and Halemba 2006).…”

Mixed Communities in the Russian North; Or, Why Are There No “Creoles” In Siberia?

“…Thus the label Kamchadals became vacated, and local Old-Settler groups started to fill it (for details, see Hancock 2001;Murashko 1996). After decades of struggle, the Kamchadals were recognized as one of the "indigenous small-numbered peoples" (korennye malochislennye narody) in 2000 (Donahoe et al 2008(Donahoe et al : 1001. A similar case, that of the Chuvans, is connected to our study community of Markovo and will be discussed below.…”

Benefit-Sharing Arrangements between Oil Companies and Indigenous People in Russian Northern Regions

“…The receipt of such a license is determined by the level of awareness of the local community about the company's projects and investments in the development of a particular territory, the compensation to indigenous peoples for extraction of land, and the industrial impact caused to land [2][3][4]. The need for justice in relationships between extractive industries, local residents, and indigenous peoples has been further developed in the framework of the more specific, and narrowly-defined, benefit-sharing concept.…”