Nenets People Research Articles

Urban development of heat island territories and the health of the northern indigenous population

The paper considers the issues of urban development and climatic conditions of Sumburgh municipal entity of Purovsky district located in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The authors have carried out the correlation analysis of the climatic conditions in the environment of the region and the health status of the Nenets people living in the cold desert (tundra).

Indigenous Children’s Right to Learn Their Mother Tongue at School: Implementation and Realization in Russia

According to official statistics, there are decreasing numbers of Nenets people – the largest group of indigenous small-numbered people in Russia – who know their native language. Moreover, it is mostly elderly people who know the language. Even though children learn the Nenets language at school, they do not know it properly. This is especially true in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug in northwest Russia. In the eight-year period between the population censuses of 2002 and 2010, the number of Nenets speakers in this area decreased threefold. While many factors have contributed to this decline, this article focuses on the legal issues that have impacted the situation. Particular emphasis is given to the inadequate implementation into national legislation of international commitments that guarantee the right of indigenous children to learn their mother tongue at school and the ineffective realization of legal commitments of national legislation concerning this right. This article examines how sources of law concerning indigenous children’s right to learn their mother tongue are implemented and realized in Russia. The focus is on the Nenets Autonomous Okrug.(Published: 6 November 2015)Citation: E. A. Zmyvalova. ‘‘Indigenous Children’s Right to Learn Their Mother Tongue at School: Implementation and Realization in Russia.’’ Arctic Review on Law and Politics, Vol. 6, No. 2, 2015, pp. 151–174. http://dx.doi.org/10.17585/arctic.v6.117

Основы жизни ненцев арктического острова Колгуев

Основы жизни ненцев арктического острова Колгуев

Oljeutvinning i Nenets autonome okrug - interessefellesskap og interessemotsetninger

sen@gmail.com Abstract: Oil Production in Nenets Autonomous Okrug – Common Interests and Conflicts of Interest While reindeer herding is an important way of life of the indigenous people in Nenets Autonomous Okrug, there are significant oil deposits in the area, and those involved in traditional activities are competing with oil companies for use of the land. While oil extraction is a main source of income for the Russian state, preserving the traditional way of life of its indigenous people is an explicit goal of the Russian authorities. The aim of this article is to examine the complex situation among the oil companies, Nenets people and local authorities. As this article shows, dialogue and, to some extent, cooperation have already been established in this area due to the many common interests of the stakeholders. Most interviewees painted a fairly positive picture of the coexistence, but there can be no doubt that the stakeholders have different interests, and hence not all problems are readily resolved. Many of the laws and projects aimed at supporting the indigenous way of life have been poorly implemented. Moreover, negotiations between reindeer herders and oil companies are characterized by uneven stakeholder power.

Календарь рода Тибичи как выражение этнической специфики менталитета и культуры ненецкого народа

Календарь рода Тибичи как выражение этнической специфики менталитета и культуры ненецкого народа

High prevalence of lactase non-persistence among indigenous nomadic Nenets, north-west Russia

ObjectivesThe frequency of adult-type hypolactasia (lactase non-persistence) varies widely among different ethnic groups. The cultural historical hypothesis assumes a link between the occurrence of hypolactasia and the distribution of dairy farming. The nomadic Nenets have been reindeer herders for generations and have therefore not consumed any dairy products. The hypotheses here was that the prevalence of lactase non-persistence (−13910 C/C genotype) among Nenets people having four Nenets grandparents is high, while the prevalence among Nenets originating from ethnically mixed families is lower.Study designThe material was collected in four typical Nenets settlements in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Russia. One-third of the adult Nenets population were invited to answer a questionnaire and to donate buccal samples for genotyping by a doctor from the team of medical professionals who make rounds in this area. The total number of available participants was 177.MethodsGenotyping was performed with the AbiPrism system. We used the method of concordance of grandparents’ national origin to ascribe ethnicity.ResultsThe prevalence of adult-type hypolactasia (−13910 C/C) among Nenets who had four Nenets grandparents was found to be 90%. The figures among others reporting three, two and one grandparent of Nenets origin were 72, 60 and 28%, respectively.ConclusionThe findings are in accord with the cultural historical hypothesis.

Climate change and consequences in the Arctic: perception of climate change by the Nenets people of Vaigach Island

BackgroundArctic climate change is already having a significant impact on the environment, economic activity, and public health. For the northern peoples, traditions and cultural identity are closely related to the natural environment so any change will have consequences for society in several ways.MethodsA questionnaire was given to the population on the Vaigach island, the Nenets who rely to a large degree on hunting, fishing and reindeer herding for survival. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted about perception of climate change.ResultsClimate change is observed and has already had an impact on daily life according to more than 50% of the respondents. The winter season is now colder and longer and the summer season colder and shorter. A decrease in standard of living was noticeable but few were planning to leave.ConclusionClimate change has been noticed in the region and it has a negative impact on the standard of living for the Nenets. However, as of yet they do not want to leave as cultural identity is important for their overall well-being.

THE NENETS PEOPLE AND OIL

In 2002, a review was launched to assess plans for the establishment of a new Protected Natural Area on the Island of Kolguev. The review included a survey on the opinions of the inhabitants of the Bugrino settlement as well as ethnographic research with in-depth interviews with the settlement's residents, and interviews with decision makers. The main results of the survey were presented to the residents of Bugrino in a meeting in March 2002, and at a conference to which representatives of oil companies and the administration of the Nenets Autonomous Area were invited. This field research, which continued throughout 2004, provides an ethno-sociological portrait of a group of the Nenets population living on the Island of Kolguev and reveals the basic contradictions that exist both on the island and beyond. Research on the Island of Kolguev is now being carried out under a research programme of the Russian Academy of Sciences entitled ‘The Ethno-cultural Interactions in Eurasia’. In this article we report on the findings of our research carried out between 2002 and 2004.

Comparative Analysis of the Graphical Result Presentation in the SOM Software

In the paper, we analyze the software that realizes the self-organizing maps: SOM-PAK, SOM-TOOLBOX, Viscovery SOMine, Nenet, and two academic systems. Most of the software may be found in the Internet. These are freeware, shareware or demo. The self-organizing maps assist in data clustering and analyzing data similarities. The software differs one from another in the realization and visualization capabilities. The data on coastal dunes and their vegetation in Fin- land are used for the experimental comparison of the graphical result presentation of the software. Similarities of the systems and their differences, advantages and imperfections are exposed.