Ethnofederalism and Indigenous self-determination in Northern Canada and the Russian Federation

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores the impacts of ethnofederalism on the efforts of Indigenous peoples in Canada and the Russian Federation to self-determine in regional contexts that are politically dominated by ethnic groups who constitute national minorities. We compare the evolution of Indigenous governance institutions in Quebec and Sakha (Yakutia), asking whether Indigenous peoples in these jurisdictions have benefitted from the efforts of the titular nationalities (the Quebecois and Sakha) to enhance their own autonomy within their respective federations. We consider whether these constituent units’ governments, as representatives of larger ethnic minorities who have struggled to assert autonomy within a federal system, are more sympathetic to the territorial and political aspirations of smaller Indigenous groups. The article contributes to a dearth of scholarship comparing the efforts of Indigenous peoples in Canada and Russia to achieve greater self-determination. We conclude that while the Inuit of Nunavik in northern Quebec have made significant progress in realizing autonomy, they have been constrained by the political environment in the province. Indigenous peoples in Sakha (Yakutia) have made less progress in terms of securing political autonomy but have benefitted from an alliance with the Sakha in the face of centralizing tendencies at the federal level.