Development of mineral resources in the territories of indigenous minorities in the Arctic zone of Yakutia: ethnological expertise of projects

Abstract

The Arctic is one of the world’s last vast undisturbed regions, and its role in the ecological balance of the Northern Hemisphere is enormous. It possesses rich mineral, raw material and fuel and energy resources; therefore, the development of the Arctic is becoming one of the key strategic priorities of the socio-economic development of the Russian Federation (RF). The study was conducted using historical-geographical, analytical, synthetic, and statistical methods. The purpose of the article is to identify constructive approaches to the relationship between indigenous communities and mining companies operating in the areas where these peoples live. The objectives are: 1. the characteristics of the main types of traditional environmental management of indigenous peoples; 2. the environmental and social consequences of the development of the mining industry on the livelihoods of indigenous peoples; 3. investment projects for the development of mineral deposits and ethnological examination. Conclusions: 1. Subsoil user companies conducting economic activities in territories of traditional natural resource management must provide economic and financial guarantees to protect the rights of indigenous minorities of the North. 2. The list of basic guarantees must be reflected in the Agreement on socio-economic cooperation between the municipality and the subsoil user company. 3. A common observation for the submitted EER projects was the insufficient full use of source material: data from tribal communities in the calculation of standard indicators for estimating gross farm income.