Prospects for Aboriginal Self-Government in Russia

Abstract

The collapse of the former Soviet Union has led to a rapid devolution of power from Moscow to regional and local governments. As a consequence, the various regions and communities of the Russian North are struggling to define their place within the newly emerging, political order. Among those most effected by these developments are the indigenous peoples of the Russian North. The changes attendant with the disintegration of the centralized party-state have provided a critical opportunity for aboriginal peoples to pursue greater self-determination; however, these same changes-social, economic, and political-have created conditions that make the attainment of this goal extremely difficult. Despite the temptation to examine these developments within a post-1991 framework, aboriginal-state relations cannot be understood outside of the context of the Soviet period. The Soviet state created local institutions of state power, mobilized aboriginal peoples into the structures of Soviet state and society, and impacted traditional livelihoods through rapid industrial-resource development. Thus, as aboriginal peoples in the Russian North attempt to secure greater political autonomy, it is essential to understand those elements of aboriginal life which have changed, as well as those facets which have endured.