Indigenous connections with the resourcescape in the Russian North and Siberia

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article analyzes the impacts of resource extraction on indigenous communities focusing on the case studies of two indigenous minorities in Russia: Veps in Karelia and Soiots in Buriatia. Veps and Soiots have a history of engagement with resource extraction, which goes back to the eighteenth century and continues till the present time. By focusing on two models of human – landscape relations and industrial development in indigenous territories, the article discusses the perceptions of decorative stones among Veps and Soiot households. It specifically focuses on parallels between mining and other forms of economic activities such as hunting, fishing, or tourism development. The article demonstrates that different forms of resource extractions are closely connected in Veps and Soiot villages, forming a common resourcescape. Both mining and other forms of extracting natural resources contribute to local visions of sustainability, which unite various forms of engagement with nature.