Siberia's 30 different tribal peoples range in number from under 200 (the Oroks) to 34,000 (the Nenet). They live in an area that covers 58% of Russia.
How do they live? Some of these peoples are nomadic reindeer
herders, living in the tundra (arctic plain); others, who live in the
forest tundra or taiga (coniferous forest), rely on a mixture of
reindeer herding and hunting and gathering, and often live in
settlements. Today 10% of Siberia's tribal peoples live a nomadic or
semi nomadic life, compared to 70% just 30 years ago. The languages the
different tribes speak are from a range of linguistic families: some
bear no similarity to any other language, and none bear any relation to
Russian. Some larger indigenous peoples, the Sakha (formerly called
Yakuts) and Komi, have their own republics within the Russian state.
What problems do they
face? Under the Soviet administration, the tribal peoples lost their
land to state-run industries. With industrialisation, their region was taken
over by outsiders, and the authorities made strong efforts to suppress indigenous
languages, culture and ways of life. Today their biggest problems are the
environmental degradation caused by the oil, gas and logging industries in the
area, and the lack of clarity about land rights.
How can I help?
Click here to donate to Survival.
Click here to write a letter to your MP or MEP (UK).
Click here to write to the President, your senators, congressmen or other elected officials (US).
Write to your local Russian embassy, click here to find out the address.
How does
Survival help? Survival supports Russian indigenous organisations such
as the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON), backing
their demands that indigenous peoples are consulted about industrial projects
and given the right of veto, and given compensation where their land has already
been destroyed. We also support the call for Russia to ratify International
Labour Organisation Convention 169 on the rights of indigenous and tribal
peoples, and specifically for tribal land ownership rights to be recognised.
