Small-numbered Peoples Research Articles

Правовое становление и развитие Северного морского пути

The main goal of the article is to show stages of discovery and development of the Northern Sea Route, describe its establishment on the legislative and economic level. The paper reviews prospects of the new strategy of development of this region, where one of the main goals is a change of living conditions in the Arctic for the better, and stages of elaboration of new scientific technologies applied at transportation of a broad range of cargo, extraction of resources, the implementation of which is as complex as space exploration. The author shows changes in the foreign policy of Russia that should aim at multipolarity for the development of this region, attraction of cutting-edge technologies and global investors subject to predominant consideration of interests of indigenous small-numbered peoples.

Формирование арктического этнохозяйственного кластера как условие устойчивого (эколого- и этносохраняющего) развития региона (на примере арктических территорий Красноярского края)

The paper considers the issues of ethno-demographic development and settlement of small-numbered indigenous peoples of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation in the period between the 2002 and 2020 population censuses. The article analyzes the current state and development of the ethno-economic areas of the Arctic zone of the Krasnoyarsk Krai, assesses the potential for the development of traditional economic activity of indigenous peoples and identifies hindering factors. It is shown that the key mechanism for achieving the goals of sustainable development of traditional economic activities in the Arctic region is an active balanced cluster approach adapted to the specifics of ethno-economic habitats of indigenous minorities of the Arctic. The prerequisites and prospects for creating an ethno-economic cluster in the Arctic zone of Krasnoyarsk Krai are assessed. Promising areas of investment development of socio-economic potential and cooperative relations of traditional economic activities of indigenous minorities are identified. The results of the cluster formation will be increase in the degree of processing and in the output of traditional economic activities, increase in employment and improvement of the standard of living of indigenous small-numbered peoples, transformation of traditional economic activity into a full-fledged sector of the economy of the Arctic zone of the Krasnoyarsk Krai.

Nutrition Culture of Indigenous Peoples in the Context of Socio-Cultural Space of Post-Soviet Russia

The article analyzes the process of formation of new food traditions among the indigenous peoples of Russia in the period of 1992–2000. The diversity and variety of methodological concepts, an interdisciplinary approach in historical science at the beginning of the XXI century allowed the humanitarian intelligentsia to study the interethnic problems of Soviet and Russian society. The socio-cultural approach that has been established in the last two decades makes it possible to qualitatively compare various historical events in dynamics. In the history of any state, we can trace ethnic processes that, as facts, causally or illogically, can influence the history of the development or extinction of individual nations, peoples and nationalities. The author recreates the historical processes of the influence of market relations on food as one of the most important processes in the life support of any person. We conclude that with the decline of the Soviet Union, a complex process of reorganization of economic and logistics chains serving the northern territories of Russia began. We also conclude that the lack of the necessary legislative framework, the lack of social adaptation skills, the decrease in the use of the northern sea route and the change in ownership forms in agricultural management had a negative impact on the development of food practices. The results of the study showed that in the conditions of a transforming social structure, there was a significant difference in values and in traditional nutrition. The national cuisine of the indigenous peoples is characterized by the use of specific food products and cooking recipes, which are a unique spiritual heritage. The analysis of the materials shows that the traditional cooking of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North was formed as knowledge about the methods of their preparation developed, which ranged from oral creativity to scientific research. Western European cuisine was not available to thepeoples of the North, and therefore the search for the most optimal ways of cooking began. In general, it can be concluded that the need to search for culinary recipes was expressed among indigenous peoples in a return to traditionalism in the national cuisine.

Indigenous Turkic-Speaking Peoples and the Urbanization of Southern Siberia (20<sup>th</sup> – Early 21<sup>st</sup> Century)

Purpose. This article integrates studies relating to the history of urban communities of the Southern Siberian indigenous peoples (Altaians, Chelkans, Khakasses, Kumandins, Shors, Telengits, Teleuts, Tozhu Tuvans, Tubalars, Tuvans). A multidisciplinary approach to urbanization processes was used; their stages, rates, causes, and principal characteristics were analyzed. The database consists of our own field findings, published results of sociological studies, and those of All-Union and All-Russian population censuses.Results. During the 19th century, the prerequisites for the urbanization of the indigenous Turkic-speaking peoples of Southern Siberia were laid. There are three stages of urbanization of the indigenous peoples of Southern Siberia: 10) up to the middle of the twentieth century; 2) the 1950s–1980s (for the Shorians it is 1930s–1980s); 3) from the 1990s to the present. At the first stage of urbanization representatives of the indigenous population of the region moved to the city mainly in order to improve the level of education and within the framework of the policy of forming national personnel. At the next stage, during the period of industrial development of the eastern regions, there was an intensification of urbanization among a number of peoples (Shors, Teleutes and Kumandins) who lived near industrial centers. Industrial development was accompanied, among other things, by the transfer of rural settlements to urban ones, as well as the absorption of villages during the expansion of urban boundaries; since the 1990s, the reverse process began. At the last stage, educational strategies play a decisive role. The liquidation of unpromising villages in the middle of the 20th century affected primarily small populations, contributing to the growth of migration to cities. Cities are beginning to attract representatives of indigenous small-numbered peoples (Telengites, Tubalars, Chelkans and since the 2010s Tuvinians-Todzhins), whose territory of traditional residence is located at a considerable distance from large settlements. The share of townspeople among Altaians, Tuvinians and Khakas during the 20th century grew gradually, which was associated with a relatively less intensive industrial development of their territories of residence.Conclusion. The peculiarities of urban population formation among the indigenous peoples of Southern Siberia are: asynchrony of urbanization; orientation of Aboriginal migrations to the nearest cities and urban-type settlements; incompleteness of urbanization not only in terms of qualitative, but also quantitative characteristics. With the exception of the Shors and Kumandins, the rest of the indigenous peoples of the region remain poorly and medium-urbanized.

Victimological Characteristic of Crimes against Aquatic Biological Resources

The article is a study of the main victimological features of crimes against aquatic biological resources . The author identifies the main groups of people most exposed to the adverse consequences of these crimes. The key criteria for the identification of these groups were the peculiarities of their fisheries management activities, the degree of their material dependence on it and the natural characteristics of the relevant regions. These persons include fish farms, industrial fishing entities, representatives of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation and other participants in fisheries relations . Special attention is paid to the damage caused to the interests of the state . A set of measures for victimological prevention of crimes against aquatic biological resources is proposed. These measures should be aimed at the formation of active social behavior of these persons, along with which public authorities and local-self governments, law enforcement agencies, representatives of industry businesses and certain categories of citizens should participate in their implementation . The results are important for the further development of the doctrinal provisions of environmental criminology in terms of issues of environmental victimization, and countering criminal encroachments in the field of fisheries.

Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples of the Arctic as Environmental Law Subjects

Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples of the Arctic as Environmental Law Subjects

Regional ethnic economy: features and prospects of development (on the example of Khakassia)

The socio-economic realities of today force to look for development ways at the expense of internal resources. The deployment of local systems is perspective at the regional level, because they based on the traditional economic patterns of ethnic communities inhabiting the region. Ethnoeconomical patterns are the relevant model for the geographical, spatial and socio-cultural conditions in which they were formed. This fact allows us to highly evaluate their potential. This article attempts to assess the prospects for the development of the ethnic economy of a region Khakassia. Author uses statistical data and materials of sociological survey of ethnic communities of the region (Russians, Khakass people and Shors). They have the greatest influence on the vector of ethnoeconomical development of the republic. The peculiarity of the ethnic economy of Khakassia is the high role of households of the population. They play a significant role in the agricultural sector. They produce a large amount of both vegetables and meat products. There are various programs aimed at supporting the livestock industry for both peasant (farmer) farms and personal subsidiary farms at the regional level. Representatives of the titular ethnic group (Khakass people) and indigenous small-numbered peoples (Shors) generally remain focused on traditional economic practices: cattle breeding and crafts. Author concludes that the support of the distinctive types of economic activities of these ethnic groups is necessary not only from the point of view of economic expediency, but also for the preservation of the culture of these people.

ETHNOSTATISTICAL STUDIES OF MULTINATIONAL RUSSIA IN THE WORKS OF VIKTOR IVANOVICH KOZLOV (on the 100th Anniversary of the Scientist’s Birth)

The purpose of the article is to analyze the ethnographic monographs of Viktor Ivanovich Kozlov, one of the famous and outstanding researchers of multinational Russia. In 1975, V.I. Kozlov’s book “Nationalities of the USSR (Ethno-demographic review)” was published, the uniqueness of which is explained by the fact that it was the first empirical experience of ethnostatistical studying the country’s population. Later, in 1982, V.I. Kozlov’s book “Nationalities of the USSR: an Ethnogeographic Review” was published, which presents scientific material on the Mordvins in the context of the Volga region peoples. V.I. Kozlov analyzed and illustrated the main patterns of demographic development and the reasons for the change in the quantitative indicator of population. In the ethnogeographic review, Viktor Ivanovich singled out a semi-ethnic, semi-estates group of “Teptyars”, representing immigrants from the Volga region, formed from a mixture of mainly the Tatars and the Mordvins. He explained the introduction of the term “Mordovian dialect” in the 1897 census, which took into account the ethno-lingual and religious composition of the population. Viktor Ivanovich is also known for his contribution to the development of Russian cartography and preservation of ethnographic maps when developing the scientific research topic dedicated to the settlement of the Mordovian people. The settlement of the Erzya and the Moksha in the Volga region in 1926 is shown on an ethnographic map, which reflects the results of migrations of the Mordvins over the entire previous period. Materials and methods. With the help of the historical and ethnographic method, a comprehensive analysis of demographic processes, the history of forming the national composition of the population, the geography of settlement of various nationalities across the country, and the features of demographic development was carried out. Study results. The published works of V.I. Kozlov’s works reflect the history of forming the ethnic composition of the population, the geography of settlement of various nationalities on the territory of Russia, and the peculiarities of demographic development. In migration of the peoples of Russia, it is necessary to focus also on multinationality formation in the Republic of Mordovia, as one of the regions of the Volga Region in the Russian Federation. In the Republic of Mordovia, scientists are studying the migration processes of the Eastern Slavs, the peoples of Central Asia and Transcaucasia, ethnographic expeditions have been conducted, but in general this aspect has not been fully understood. Conclusions. Small-numbered peoples live in Mordovia, which have been studied in fragments and require additional research, including according to the All-Russian Census of 2020. Methodology of V.I. Kozlov provided significant assistance in collecting, analyzing and typologizing the formation of multinationality, including foreign population in the Republic of Mordovia.

Development of gedner identity in nenets adolescents – representatives of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the north

Development of gedner identity in nenets adolescents – representatives of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the north

О сакральных местах коренных малочисленных народов Севера в Арктической зоне Республики Саха (Якутия)

The traditional culture of the indigenous peoples of the North in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is one of the priority values, but the active industrial develop-ment in their places of residence in the Arctic zone implies the vulnerability of their traditional way of life. This necessitates the formation of measures to pro-tect and preserve traditional culture, lifestyle and habitat. Sacred objects are also included in the system of specially protected natural territories along with the ter-ritories of traditional nature use of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North. Taking into account the need to take urgent organizational measures to protect sacred sites and give them a legal status, work is underway in the republic to compile a Register of sacred sites of indigenous minorities of the North and their mapping. Taking into account the relevance of the work on compiling the Register, this article is devoted to the problem of sacred places of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North living in extreme climatic conditions of the Arctic zone of Yakutia. In the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the total area of the Arctic zone is 1,701 thousand square kilometers, which is 55.2% of the territory of the republic and which includes 13 territories of municipalities of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

Etnicheskaya i konfessional'naya politika Azerbajdzhana

This article describes the protection and development of the rights and traditions of the national minorities, small-numbered peoples and ethnic groups living in the Republic of Azerbaijan, based on the tolerance principle of the state legislation.

Ecological camps for children of indigenous peoples of the North: background and prospects

To organize any environmental camp, it is necessary to find its prerequisites, from which the goals and objectives of the camp are established. Since 2000 up to the present time in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) nomadic camps - temporary educational organizations during summer days for children living in remote, hard-to-reach settlements of the Arctic, where indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North live. The article deals with the process of creating the first ecological camps for children of the indigenous peoples of the North - Evens, as well as the development and search for optimal options for new forms of temporary children's groups during the summer vacation days in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) for environmental education, rational nature management, teaching the native language and culture, including traditional economic activities of the peoples of the North. Experience has shown that the nomadic ethno-ecological camp is a new form in the field of environmental education. During the camps' activities, various technologies and methods were applied with the direct participation of conservationists and educators in the field of ecology and biology.

Производство знания и наследия как борьба с неопределенностью: кейс коренных народов Таймыра в 1920–1930-е гг.

The process of accumulating knowledge about the indigenous communities of Taimyr and the formation of museum collections is examined through the optics of uncertainty studies using the example of several cases covering the activities of the Committee of the North, the Krasnoyarsk Local History Museum (the State Museum of the Yenisei Region) and the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography in the first decades after the revolution. The main purpose of the study was an attempt to establish how the museification of household items and the study of traditional life practices recognized at the state level as “backward” and “archaic” in the logic of the Bolsheviks were supposed to bring victory over “backwardness”, the transition to a sedentary lifestyle, collectivization and modernization of the economy, integration of the indigenous population into Soviet structures. It seems true to assert that the power of experience created by a museum or other cultural institution was used to maintain the narrative of the imminent transition of indigenous Northerners to socialism, which was supposed to mark the predictability of life. Having studied the activities of the local history post of the Khatanga cultural base and the museum-expedition work of famous ethnographers and Northern historians B.O. Dolgikh and A.A. Popova, the author comes to the conclusion that the struggle with uncertainty took place in two dimensions: a) the very accumulation of information about nomads allowed the authorities to more effectively determine the ways and forms of territorial management; b) the representation of the cultures of the northern nomads in the “modernizing” discourse explicitly represented the path from the “primitive” state “on the verge of extinction” to socialism and “civilization”. The work also showed that the very signification of things and practices through their transformation into exhibits largely laid the foundations of the Soviet policy of working with indigenous heritage, which was developed in subsequent years. The research is based on archival materials of the Committee of the North in the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF) and publications devoted to expeditionary activities and the collection of Taimyr museum collections of the period under study. The author also expresses gratitude to her colleagues who worked on the research commissioned by the Russian Geographical Society “The history of the settlement of indigenous small-numbered peoples of Taimyr in the territories of the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine and related infrastructure in the 1920s and 1980s”, project manager D.A. Funk, as well as A.S. Basov, S.O. Kovalsky and A.A. Pushin. The author declares no conflict of interests.

ДОШКОЛЬНОЕ ЭТНОКУЛЬТУРНОЕ ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ НА ТЕРРИТОРИЯХ ТРАДИЦИОННОГО ПРИРОДОПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ КОРЕННЫХ МАЛОЧИСЛЕННЫХ НАРОДОВ ЮГРЫ НА ПРИМЕРЕ ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНОГО ПРОЕКТА «СТОЙБИЩНАЯ ШКОЛА-САД»

The paper describes an online form of pre-school education for children of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North, organized in nomadic camps. The purpose of the study is to demonstrate how parents of preschoolers participating in the project “Nomadic kindergartens” assess its performance. The questionnaire survey data obtained in 2023 are used in the paper. It has been proved that a key factor is a socio-psychological one. As the child grows and reaches preschool/primary school age, the online format of education in nomadic camps allows adapting it to new social conditions and consider its ethnocultural component during the education.

Взлеты и падения: как меняется численность среди коренных малочисленных народов (по результатам переписи 2021 г.)

In December 2022, the fifth volume of the All-Russian Census of 2021 was published, which provided new information on the linguistic and national composition of the country's population. The census is of particular importance for groups of indigenous small-numbered peoples, since their numerical indicators are one of the criteria for inclusion in the “Unified List of Indigenous Small-numbered Peoples of Russia”. This paper examines the stories of four peoples who had changes in quantitative indicators between 2010 and 2021: The reasons for the increase in the number of Soyots and Tubalars are being investigated, while the decrease in Nagaibaks and Shapsugs is being investigated. The Besermians, whose number has remained the same, are considered separately, but their strategy of preparing for the census is of interest for this work. The purpose of the paper is to study the conditions and circumstances that led to fluctuations in the number of ethnic groups. As the study shows, the population change is not due to demographic reasons, but is a consequence of socio-cultural processes taking place in the community. It is important for Buryat Soyots to revive their own culture and preserve the memory of their ancestors. For Tubalars, it is important not only to identify oneself as a representative of an ethnic group, but also to support its cultural potential. For the last ten years, the Nagaibaks have been in ethnic calm, but new circumstances can intensify interest in their identity. Different naming of Shapsugs gives them the opportunity to choose their own designations depending on current conditions. The threat of extinction motivated the Besermians to consolidate the community and actualize their own identity. It should be noted that the presence of preferences for small indigenous peoples plays an important role in identifying themselves in the census. It is possible that the significance in this is not the benefits themselves, but the feeling of self-worth of the people through support from the outside. This study demonstrates the variability and drift of ethnicity, as well as its dependence on external and internal circumstances. Today it is impossible to predict what will happen to the number of ethnic groups in question in the future — the more interesting and valuable it is to observe this in the future.

Этнокультурные аспекты арктической специфики в стратегиях социально-экономического развития регионов и муниципалитетов Арктической зоны Российской Федерации

The article addresses the integration of ethnocultural aspects of the Arctic issues concerning the Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Russian Far East (ISNP) into the socio-economic development strategies (SEDS) of the regions and municipalities within the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF). The study is based on the authors' methodology for content analysis of strategies, which enables the identification of the presence of various Arctic-specific topics in the texts. The content analysis of 61 strategies from Arctic regions and municipalities reveals a low level of implementation of federal regulations dedicated to supporting ISNP in regional and municipal SEDS. The development of the "nomadic schools" topic in the SEDS is also examined, and the strategies where this issue is covered are described. The article compares municipalities and regions of the AZRF based on the presence of ethnocultural topics in the strategies and their corresponding socio-economic indicators. A final grouping of municipalities is conducted according to the actual proportion of ISNP in the population of Arctic municipalities and the degree to which ISNP-related issues are reflected in SEDS, determined by the frequency of the marker word “Indigenous Peoples (ISNP).” Five groups of municipalities are identified, with particular attention given to Group IV: “Significantly Underrepresenting Important ISNP-Related Topics for the Municipality.” Additionally, the results of the municipal grouping highlight the prominence of regional boundaries. Differences in content analysis results based on the geographical location of the municipalities are identified. The article may be useful for providing recommendations to Arctic strategists on incorporating Arctic-specific issues into strategic documents.

The impact of soft law on the regulation of sustainable investment in the Arctic Region

The article discusses the issue of regulating sustainable and responsible investment in the Arctic region. The execution of large-scale investment initiatives in this region will require substantial capital, including foreign ones, as well as a large-scale impact on the ecology of the Arctic region. The work emphasizes the importance of making sustainable investments, which in the long term will not harm either the environment or indigenous and small-numbered peoples living in the project areas. The purpose of the work is to study how soft law instruments affect the regulation of investment in the Arctic using narratological methods. Currently, there is a clear lack of international legal regulation of sustainable investment, and the legislation of different states on relevant issues follows different approaches. When investment relations are not properly regulated, it can be difficult to implement sustainable and responsible investment, which will also have negative economic consequences. In this regard, the author concludes that currently the norms of the so-called ?soft law? play the most important role in regulating investment activities. An analysis of so-called ESG investing is being carried out. The work presents an overview of some of the most significant sources of soft law and classifies soft law norms depending on their source of origin. Explanatory examples demonstrate how investors and enterprises implementing investment projects apply soft law in their activities. The author concludes that the concept of soft law is a reflection of the way in which entrepreneurs' narratives can influence the behavior patterns that will be adopted by the relevant association of entrepreneurs. The article gives examples to examine the impact of narratives on the creating and implementation of soft law provisions, and further analyzes these methods of influence.

Conditions contributing to productive family-school cooperation aimed at developing civic iden-tity and patriotism in adolescents: With the main focus on representatives of indigenous small-numbered peoples (the Kumandins)

Introduction. The article examines the problem of productive cooperation between family and school aimed at the development of civic identity and patriotism in Kumandin adolescents as representatives of indigenous small-numbered people, taking into account their ethno-cultural characteristics. The purpose of this article is to identify the conditions enhancing productive cooperation between family and school in solving the problems of forming civic identity and patriotism in Kumandin adolescents. Materials and Methods. The methodological basis of this study includes scientific works by leading experts devoted to the formation of civic identity and patriotism. The empirical data were obtained in Altai Krai in 2023-2023. The study used ‘My Ethnicity’ sociological questionnaire, which enabled the authors to identify cognitive and affective aspects of adolescents’ ethnic identity. Using the scale of civic consciousness as patriotism and nationalism of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) allowed to assess constructive and non-constructive manifestations of adolescents’ civic identity. Also, the authors used D. J. Finney’s Ethnic Identity Scale for assessing adolescents’ ethnic identity. In order to identify factors determining the formation of civic identity and patriotism in Kumandin adolescents, a survey of school teachers was conducted and moral education curricula were analyzed. The study involved 90 Kumandin adolescents. Results. The article presents a theoretical analysis of approaches to the formation of civic identity and patriotism. The results of the study showed that the majority of Kumandin adolescents demonstrated a high level of ethnic identification. Based on research data obtained by means of D. J. Finney’s inventory, the authors identified high internal consistency in the manifestations of cognitive and emotional components of adolescents’ ethnic identity. The authors revealed significant features in the intensity of various components of civic and ethnic identity among Kumandin adolescents compared to representatives of other nationalities. In particular, statistically significant strong (d from 0.65 to 0.92) differences were found for all indicators of ethnic identity according to D. J. Finney’s method, with average values higher among Kumandin adolescents. At the same time, it has been found that Kumandin adolescents have a poor understanding of the culture and traditions of their ethnic group, practically do not speak the Kumandin language, and do not strive to demonstrate their belonging to the indigenous people. The study showed the need for schools to organize conditions for productive cooperation between family and school aimed at the formation of civil identity and patriotism in Kumandin adolescents: targeted and systematic educational work on studying Kumandin culture and preserving the language in classes attended by Kumandin students, involving the family as part of civic and patriotic education by means of social projects, engaging Kumandin teenagers to participate in civic and patriotic events related to their ethnic characteristics, developing recommendations for teacher. Conclusions. Based on the data obtained, the authors identified the conditions for productive cooperation between family and school aimed at developing civic identity and patriotism in Kumandin adolescents.

The edge between regional and exploratory work in ethnological expertise

Recently, there has been an urgent need to accelerate exploration for oil and gas in Eastern Siberia, including the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). The need is due to the reversal of the country’s energy industry in the eastern direction due to the illegal sanctions of a number of Western countries. For territories with complex transport logistics and difficult climatic conditions, one of the main factors of the success of geological exploration is the availability of sufficient time to fulfill the planned plans. Using the example of the regional law “On ethnological expertise in places of traditional residence and traditional economic activity of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)”, the risks of non-fulfillment of license obligations by subsoil users are shown. Seismic exploration works are considered as the main tools for regional justification, areal prospecting and preparation of objects of exploratory drilling for oil and gas. It is noted that in areas with weak seismic exploration studies, the exploratory stage of geological exploration has the characteristics and scope of the regional stage of work. The main criterion for the regional understudy of promising oil and gas territories is proposed to accept a low density of seismic observations. For promising territories with seismic exploration studies with a profile density of less than 0.2 km/km2, it is proposed to make a relaxation in the form of exemption from passing an ethnological examination in places of traditional residence and traditional economic activity of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) regardless of whether they are carried out on a state assignment or at the expense of the subsoil users’ own funds.

Право и социоэкосистема малочисленных народов Севера Российской Федерации: теоретико-правовой анализ соотношения социальных явлений

Introduction. Achievements of scientific and technological progress oblige humanity to carefully introduce them into existing socioecosystems, which is especially important in relation to socially vulnerable communities of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North of Russia. The possibility of their survival is currently an important theoretical problem. Theoretical analysis. The interrelation of social and natural foundations is investigated, the importance of legal anthropology in the preservation of the ecological and social system of the peoples of the North is substantiated. Traditional nature management is considered as a special type of relationship between people and nature, which poses the task of improving regulatory regulation in order to maintain socio-natural unity. Empirical analysis. The author analyzes the gaps and conflicts of legal regulation in the field of preserving the traditional foundations of life, which can lead to the disappearance of the identity of small-numbered peoples and the leveling of their cultures. Results. The introduction of new technologies into the life of the social ecosystems of small nations inevitably leads to a change in life activity, which leads to the transformation of moral values and the emergence of new ideas. In order for the identity of the peoples of the North not to perish, the role of law as an effective protective mechanism must manifest itself. It is noted that it is necessary to conduct a cultural and anthropological examination of normative acts affecting the traditional spheres of relations at both federal and regional levels for their compliance with the spiritual and moral values of the peoples.