Resource Extraction from Territories of Indigenous Minority Peoples in the Russian North: International Legal and Domestic Regulation

Abstract

The existing system of international legal and domestic protection of indigenous minority peoples’ interests in the Russian North concerning mining on their territories is analyzed in this article. This is an especially urgent issue due to the number of indigenous minority peoples in the Russian North who still keep to their traditional way of life (reindeer herding, hunting, fishing, and gathering). The article is drawn from the author’s personal experience and field work in the Russian North, where he met with local NGO leaders, authorities, and representatives of indigenous minority peoples (Nenets). The novelty of the work is that the author uses both legal analysis of source documents as well as empirical methods during the course of the research, and comes to conclusions which could have practical significance for Russian legislation. Keywords: indigenous minority peoples, aborigines, Russian Northern Territories, natural resources, traditional way of life. Citation: Arctic Review on Law and Politics, vol. 4, 1/2013 pp. 4–20. ISSN 1891-6252