ANSIPRA BULLETIN 
Arctic Network for the Support of the Indigenous Peoples of the Russian Arctic (ANSIPRA)
Сеть Арктических Организаций в Поддержку Коренных Народов Российского Севера

No. 6/6A, October 2001 - English Language Edition

	Secretariat:	Norsk Polarinstitutt, Polarmiljøsenteret, N-9296 Tromsø	E-mail: 	ANSIPRA@npolar.no
				Norwegian Polar Institute, Polar Environmental Centre, 	Phone: 	+47 - 77 75 05 00
				N-9296 Tromsø, Norway	Fax: 	+47 - 77 75 05 01
	Coordinator / Editor:	Winfried K. Dallmann, Tromsø	
	Assistant Coordinator:	Galina Diachkova (Дьячкова Галина), Moscow
	Assistant Editor:	Helle V. Goldman, Tromsø		

ANSIPRA (formerly NNSIPRA) Bulletin is an information publication of the “Arctic Network for the Support of the Indigenous Peoples of the Russian Arctic”. The Bulletin is issued twice a year. Additional issues are produced as new information warrants it. The Bulletin is edited in English and Russian. ANSIPRA Bulletin is distributed to all registered network participants, as well as relevant state agencies and funding institutions. Distribution is free. All written contributions are appreciated. 

ANSIPRA Bulletin is politically independent. A special part of the English language edition, however, presents translations of articles of the newsletter “Мир коренных народов” (Indigenous Peoples’ World), the official periodical of RAIPON (Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North), selected by RAIPON. 

ANSIPRA (formerly NNSIPRA) is a communication network linking Russian Indigenous Peoples' Organisations (IPOs) with international institutions and organisations alarmed about the future of the indigenous peoples of the Russian North. ANSIPRA's main goal is to spread information, to mediate contacts, and to assist in project coordination and application for funding. 

CONTENTS OF THIS EDITION:	
Information from the Secretariat	3
Short report from the 4th Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the North. Galina Diachkova	4
2nd World Congress of the Association of World Reindeer Herders (WRH). Nils Ole Gaup	5
Danish support for the native North.  T. Køhler	6
Project proposal: Health Care for Indigenous Peoples of the North in the Russian Federation. RAIPON	7
Roundtable discussion between the indig. peoples of the Nenets Auton. Okrug and the oil industry. T. Køhler	10
Russian aboriginals want Yukon treaties.  	10
Press release of the Ministry of Natural Resources	11
A letter from Evensk, Magadan Region.  Liliya Vukvukhay	12
Help save the Samarga watershed in the Russian Far East! Pacific Environment	13
Appeal from the indigenous peoples of Kamchatka.	14
Global action alert. RAIPON	14
"Tkhsanom" ― A collective appeal.	15
Organisational seminar of the Kamchatka Information Centre of the Indig. Peoples...  Anastasiya Chuhman	17
Chukotka and ICC. Galina Diachkova	18
"Yupik" Society.  Lyudmila I. Aynana	19
"My Markovo". Lev A. Treshchenko	20
Bering Strait: New head of Chukotka is more open to West. E. Manning, reprint from Anchorage Daily News	21
New maps indicate little is left of Northern European Russia. Reprint from World Resources Institute	22
New literature	24
Meetings, workshops, conferences	25
Contacts and addresses - update	26
Bulletin 6A: English translations of selected articles from “Мир коренных народов - живая арктика”
(Indigenous Peoples’ World - Living Arctic) No. 6-7, 2000. Only in English language edition.
Press release: IV Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East	27
Report: Our life and future are in our hands. S. Kharyuchi	28
Resolution of the IV Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East. RAIPON	35
Charter of the Minority Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East. RAIPON	42

Information from the Secretariat

Barents Secretariat supports ANSIPRA
In June 2001, the Secretariat of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region (BEAR) granted ANSIPRA NKr 40,000 (ca. US$ 4500), for which we are very grateful. The staff salary and copying costs of the bulletin are in addition covered by an allowance that the Norwegian Polar Institute had allocated to the network earlier in 2001.
The BEAR money will mainly be used for two tasks:
•	to make the ANSIPRA website functional and establish a permanent web service at the Norwegian Polar Institute;
•	to increase translation and text editing capacity.
In this way we hope to spread more information, and to make it more quickly available to the network – at least for those having access to the Internet.

Website will partly replace ANSIPRA Bulletin
We expect to distribute information continuously through our website beginning in January 2002. 
After this date, the English language edition of the bulletin will only be sent to those addressees who have no access to the Internet, or who explicitly wish it. An inquiry will be sent to all registered addressees in time. 
Because of the poor Internet access among our readership in the Russian Federation, addressees of the Russian language edition will continuously receive the printed bulletin.

Contact us
Winfried Dallmann - e-mail dallmann@npolar.no
phone: (+47)-77750648/500 (Norwegian, English) fax: (+47)-77750501
Galina Diachkova - e-mail dagali85@hotmail.com
phone: (+7-095)-9385719/1871 (Russian, English)
fax: (+7)-095-9380600
Helle Goldman - e-mail goldman@npolar.no
phone: (+47)-77750618/500 (English)
fax: (+47)-77750501

Short report from the 4th Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the North, 
Siberia, and the Far East

Galina Diachkova

On 12-13 April 2001, the 4th Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East in Moscow was held with 330 representatives of 30 regional groups taking part. President of RAIPON, S.N. Kharyuchi, gave a talk entitled “Our fate is in our hands”. He spoke of the situation of indigenous peoples, of cooperation with governmental organisations, the founding of unions of scientists and youth within RAIPON, and of the work of the coordination committee. He also discussed the main legislative problems concerning the rights of indigenous peoples, traditional nature use territories, and the Association's strategy until 2005.
	Additional talks were given by the First Vice-Minister of Federal Matters, National and Migrational Politics of the Russian Federation, V. Kirpichnikov: “Russian governmental politics relating to indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East under modern conditions”; and by the Vice-President of the Duma, A.N. Chilingarov: “Development of the process of legislature – towards protection of the rights of indigenous peoples of the Russian North.”
	During the Congress, the report of the auditing committee of the Association was heard, the statute was amended, and concluding documents of the Congress accepted. In addition, the president and the auditing committee were elected, the coordinating council confirmed, and a representative to the UN Permanent Forum of Indigenous Peoples elected.
	Over 60 talks were given during the Congress, the majority of them concerning ecological issues and the rights of indigenous peoples. Many offered suggestions for resolving problems. The main reason for the weak rights of minorities is seen as the absence of mechanisms for law enforcement.
	A statement released by the Congress identified the main priorities for the future. These lie in the programme “Economical and social development of indigenous peoples of the North until 2001”, the release of a number of laws by the Russian Federation that regulate the activities of RAIPON, and the coordination of work and support of regional ethnical associations.
	The Congress resolved to support a concept for development of the indigenous peoples of the North of the Russian Federation in the 21st century, presented by the Russian Academy of Science Institute for Problems of Indigenous Peoples of the North. In a delegation to the Federal Committee, a number of initiatives were introduced: 
•	creation of territories of self-determination of the indigenous peoples of the Russian Federation;
•	ratification of the ILO Convention No. 169 “Convention concerning indigenous and tribal peoples in independent countries”; 
•	acceptance of the Federal Laws “On territories”, “On Northern deer-herding in the Russian Federation”, “On hunting and economies”, “On fishing and preservation of aquatic biological resources”, and “On consolidation of the North”;
•	development of the Federal Law “On improvement of the demographical situation in the North, Siberia and the Far East”;
•	introduction into the “Land Code” the time-unlimited right to own and use land in a traditional way, and compensation for alienated land; 
•	creation of a public consultative expert council on indigenous peoples' issues;
•	introduction of the office of an authority on the rights of indigenous peoples affiliated with the President of the Russian Federation; and
•	introduction of a quota for representation of indigenous peoples in legislative and executive committees.
At the end of the congress, elections were held for the presidency of RAIPON. Among the three candidates were S.N. Kharyuchi and T.S. Gogoleva – head of the social organisation “Yugra Rescue”. S.N. Kharyuchi received the majority of votes and was re-elected. The elections for the UN Permanent Forum representative were tense, as M.A. Todyshev and P.V. Sulyandziga ran for the post. The latter won the election.
	Many Northern folklore groups, from the Kola Peninsula to Chukotka, performed during the congress.

Please find the official documents of the 4th Congress 
in Russian: In "Mir korennykh narodov - zhivaya Arktika" No. 6-7
in English: In ANSIPRA Bulletin No. 6A, part 2 of this issue

2nd World Congress of the Association of World Reindeer Herders (WRH)

Nils Ole Gaup
(reprinted with permission from the Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples' Secretariat)

The Association of World Reindeer Herders held its 2nd World Congress in Inari, Northern Finland18-23 June, 2001, attracting more than 200 individuals including the official delegates. In his welcome speech, chair Johan Mathis Turi gave a thorough overview on the reindeer husbandry, emphasising its global scope. Even in China and down south to the border of Japan reindeer people are found. 
	One estimates that in the whole world the number of semi-domesticated reindeer exceeds 6 million. In recent years the number has been on a steep decrease, in particular, in Russia, due to a fast and significant growth of the wild reindeer and the vast social and economical transitions still prevailing in post Soviet Russia. As much as 1/4 of the soil of the world is used as pastures, the exploitation extending all over the Northern Hemisphere. This Congress served as a forum for the professional indigenous peoples and other local groups in the trade to come together. It is clear that the subsistence itself is more than merely a meat industry. It is a way of life for many Arctic peoples. Therefore cultural identity is intrinsic in the husbandry, which was also transparent through the presentations, and very accurately expressed in the final statement, the so-called Anar Declaration. Concrete remedial measures are being taken in the Arctic Council projects: Sustainable Reindeer Husbandry, Sustainable Development in Northern Timberline Forests and Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic. 
	Due attention must be given to co-ordinated research in a broad sense, however, with particular focus on the socio-economic situation. In this research, the situation of women, children, traditional knowledge and indigenous languages should be adequately addressed. WRH sees the next AC /AMAP report on the status of the Arctic environment an important instrument also for the reindeer peoples. The EU policy on the Arctic and Sub-Arctic region under the name Northern Dimension is highly appreciated. States where reindeer herders live are urged to ratify as soon as possible and implement the relevant international documents, the most prominent of these being the ILO Convention 169. Also to get better access to modern markets, it is necessary to improve meat processing and infrastructures. The action plan developed by indigenous peoples themselves within the Barents Co-operation should get support from regional and central authorities. Both the reindeer herding societies and the responsible governments should strive to capture the sustainable development principles lined out in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Agenda 21.
	Many developments influence reindeer herding, some with serious adverse impacts. To mention some; encroachment on pastures, pollution and contamination, legislation, lack of right to self-determination, political ignorance and poor competence at central authority level. Furthermore, and, perhaps the most conspicuous: the management of predators, wild reindeer and resource exploitation without active involvement by reindeer peoples. 
	However, many positive trends can be noted that will benefit the reindeer herding societies. WRH has been granted observer status by the Arctic Council. Through this forum, concerns can be channelled outwards internationally e.g. to the EU, which has a strong influence on reindeer husbandry in Finland and Sweden. These two countries are members of the union. 
	In this gathering, cultural entertainments were one of the important events. It was wonderful to watch performances of the folk dance group from Kamchatka, the Saami song presentation and the world lasso championship.

The Secretariat of the Association of the WRH has informed us that their official report in English of the 2nd Congress will be published in November, 2001. Translations into Russian, Finnish and Saami will subsequently be prepared. 	-- The Editor

Danish support for the native North

Thomas Køhler, TGK Consult, Denmark

In ANSIPRA one can most often read about the Russian reality, especially the problems of the numerically small indigenous peoples of the North. There is no doubt that ANSIPRA this way helps to distribute important information which Western project workers, donors, organisations, consultants and companies can use in their work in support of the indigenous peoples. Though there is also no doubt that our project work cannot solve the problems of Russia, our work can give a push forward – inspire, initiate or facilitate – the native activists of the indigenous peoples' movement, be it in the framework of RAIPON or at the local level.
 	Denmark has been giving concrete support to RAIPON for five years now. As one of the project partners of RAIPON I would like to present an overview of what new projects have occured this year and which projects are likely to be funded next year. In Denmark both the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (DEPA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can sponsor projects in support of the indigenous peoples of Russia. The actual projects are written and prepared by consultants like myself or NGOs. DEPA has supported the following projects this year:

Implementing organisation	Project title	Project budget
 (1 US$ = 8,50 DKr)	
INFONOR	Support for the work of INFONOR in Denmark and in Russia 	710,000 DKr	
CAFF-Secretariat	Conservation of sacred sites 	519,350 DKr	
TGK Consult/RAIPON	Establishment of the Centre of Indigenous Peoples (the Project Centre)	999,884 DKr	
Indigenous Peoples Secretariat	Partnership conference about the future organisation and working fields	524,000 DKr	
Nature and Peoples of the North	Support for the work in 2001	183,500 DKr	
Nature and Peoples of the North	Preparation of a Youth Conference in Greenland	232,000 DKr	
Scanagro	Capacity building and strengthening of RAIPON	429,221 DKr	
TGK Consult	RAIPON Information Centre 
on Kamchatka	1,500,000 Dkr	
Concordia	Sustainable development and environment in Komi 	833,354 Dkr	
AV Production	Greenlandic part of a documentary on human rights and cultural diversity	300,000 Dkr	
Indigenous Peoples Secretariat	Core-funding	2,300,000 Dkr	
ICC	Support for the chairmanship of the ICC	300,000 Dkr	

The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs started a new programme in support for the indigenous peoples of Russia last year. There is a total of 5 million DKr available. As of today the following projects have obtained support:

Implementing organisation	Project title	Project budget	
IWGIA	Support for RAIPON's participation in the legislative process in Moscow	501,762 Dkr	
Scanagro	Sustainable development and food production on Kamchatka	723,458 Dkr	
INFONOR	Genetic improvement of Even reindeer	571,157 Dkr	

TGK Consult hopes to expand its regional work. We hope that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will support a project on regional development in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug and that it will be possible to carry out a youth conference in Moscow this winter.

PROJECT PROPOSAL:
“Accessible Health Care for Indigenous Peoples of the North in the Russian Federation: A Strategy for Survival”

RAIPON (Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North)

At present the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East in Russia appear to be on the brink of socio-economic extinction, demographically depleted and politically alienated. These facts are confirmed by the statistical data and scientific research. A special characteristic of the peoples of the North is that they continue to use land and resources in their traditional environment, which is marked by extremely harsh natural conditions. The situation is all more alarming as they are the most archaic and vulnerable part of the Russian population. On the whole, peoples of the North had experienced  integration into the Russian society as a degrading process, resulting in a deep crisis. Destruction of the family, partial or complete isolation of children from their parents, and education and raising of the children with no consideration of their cultural, physiological and mental particularities had pernicious consequences for aborigines of the North.
	The crisis manifests itself in the sharp downturn of the indexes of the health of indigenous peoples of the North – significant decrease in life duration (the average age of aborigines in some regions in the North is as low as 37 years), increase in mortality, including the natal mortality (in some ethnic groups this index exceeds 70 per 1000 live births), and an increase in the disease rate (for example, incidence of tuberculosis in aborigines is 10 times higher than in Russia).
	In some settlements up to 85% of the inhabitants are infected with opisthorhosis (liver fluke infection). The incidence of stabbings among indigenous peoples is 25 times higher than that of the general population. Communicable diseases, consisting 80% of all illnesses, tend to be chronic. Negative tendencies are traced out in many other statistical data on indigenous peoples that reveal specific patterns of origin and development of various diseases. The prevalence of alcoholism among indigenous peoples is up to 20 times higher than an average national proportion. The spread of alcoholism was followed by an increase in suicide mortality. In the period of 1995-98, for example, the number of suicide cases in the Chukotskiy Autonomous Okrug was 150 per 100,000 inhabitants while throughout Russia the suicidal index in 1995 was at most 61 per 100,000 inhabitants.
	High morbidity and mortality are determined by the inadequate organisation of health care, striking poverty, aggravated living and environmental conditions, and especially by combination of all these factors with anthropo-biological characteristics peculiar to aborigines of the North. Many researchers recognise morphological and physiological features of indigenous peoples formed under geoclimatic conditions of the Arctic zone as a “norm”. Lack of information concerning those characteristics was especially harmful for aboriginal children who were exposed to radical external influence. In the Soviet era children of aborigines were separated from their parents. The children were brought up in boarding schools by people of the mainstream culture. At present this educational method is still applied. Furthermore, there are no recommendations for nutrition in nurseries which relate to the particularities of traditional feeding. For example, the majority of aborigines cannot digest cow’s milk. All the political, economic, cultural and ecological changes led the community of indigenous peoples to the current state of degradation and resulted in physical and mental deterioration.
	Thus, peoples of the North are the most vulnerable and suffering group in Russia and are in urgent need of political and legal defense, social, economic and medical assistance. That this category of people lacks or has little access to the necessary aid, is explained by a considerable level of discrimination in the public health service in Russia. In the regions of the North, Siberia and the Far East the existing system of health care has been destroyed, especially the medical aid institutions in the Northern areas. As a result, timely and comprehensive, and especially prophylactic, medical services appear to be practically inaccessible for indigenous people leading a traditional nomadic lifestyle.
	The situation is aggravated by the fact that peoples of the North are just subjects for State policy and have no possibility to solve their own problems independently. The modern Russian legislation in the health sphere is mostly of declarative character, and concerning the peoples of the North does not guarantee human rights according to the international standards and WHO recommendations.
	RAIPON attempts to attract the attention of international (including the World Health Organisation) fora, as well as Russian organisations, to the anthropo-biological aspects of the crisis of the peoples of the North and to raise awareness of the necessity to radically change the health care situation of the Northern indigenous peoples. 
	The mission of RAIPON is to initiate practical activities in Russia aimed at improving the indigenous peoples’ living standards. The list of these activities is really lengthy, but one of the main problems undoubtedly is the development of the State policy and the elaboration of health care concepts relevant for the indigenous peoples of the North. One of the main components of this should be the principle of establishing partnership relations with the indigenous peoples, delegating rights to design and manage the health service.
	The first practical act on the realisation of this principle should be, in RAIPON’s opinion, the creation of a model for independent public health service – a Center of Indigenous Peoples Health under RAIPON.
	This idea of establishing a Health Center (HC) establishing under RAIPON was welcomed at the Summit of Arctic Leaders held in Moscow in 1999. Furthermore, the idea was supported at the International Scientific Conference, jointly organised by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) and RAIPON in May 2000. In addition to practical measures it was recommended to include scientific research the range of the Health Center’s activities.
	The realisation of the project would lay the basis for a completely new approach towards improvement of the health situation of peoples of the North. However, accomplishment of the objectives and research set forth is beyond the financial scope of RAIPON and should be considered as a separate activity.
	The Health Center will be acting as a public service established by the members of the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON). Its main goal is protection of the interests of indigenous peoples of the North in the sphere of health care.

Goals and objectives:
•	to protect the rights of indigenous peoples in accordance with their needs, the Russian legislation and international legal acts; to assist the indigenous peoples of the North to practice their rights, lifestyle and health care;
•	to put in effect a set of actions aimed to improve the physical and mental health of indigenous peoples; 
•	to lay the ground work for the realisation of the necessary reforms; to set the guidelines for the State policy regarding indigenous peoples’ health care;
•	to set up a model for the self-governance in the public health service of peoples of the North;
•	to provide practical aid for the most impoverished people of the North via organisation of rehabilitation and various consultative assistance in the field of health protection and law.

Planned activities:
To implement the goals and objectives stated above the HC will carry out the following activities:
•	Information and analysis comprise collection and processing of various medical and demographic data regarding the territories of indigenous peoples of the North;
•	Creation of a Data Bank and the Health Atlas of Indigenous Peoples of Arctic Russia;
•	Education comprises creation, publication and distribution of a ‘Medical Handbook for Indigenous Reindeer Herders, Fishermen and Hunters’. A short documentary film on health and health service problems of peoples of the North is also planned;
•	Protection of human rights comprises the protection of patients’ interests revealing cases of violation of health care rights, organising seminars and legal consultations for peoples of the North. Participation in drafting and discussion of legislative acts and proposal to various programs is also foreseen;
•	Rehabilitation comprises organisation of medical and legal consultative aid, implementation of sanitary measures and financial support for the patients who need consultative and medical aid in the specialised clinics of the Russian Federation; 
•	Humanitarian aid includes purchase and transportation of drugs and equipment for the peoples who lead a traditional nomadic life;
•	Participation to various programmes of Russian and international organisations and departments designed to solve the socio-economic problems of peoples of the North.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT

The Health Center will perform the following tasks:
•	enlist the participation of local and regional activities, to establish a network for collecting reliable information on the health and medical service problems of the aborigines; on the basis of the data received from the regions as well as existing statistical and analytical data of the various bodies and organisations to detect the principal problems – general and local, to map the problems and gaps and to determine the priorities;
•	formulate the optimal variants of strategy and methods for solving of the existing problems;
•	work out evaluation criteria and tools for progress measuring;
•	select partners and define their roles;
•	seek resources and funds;
•	conduct ongoing work to identify people living on the territories of traditional nature use who need specialised aid, both medical and legal, and to assist in delivering of the aid in every possible way;
•	establish partnerships with the RF Ministry of Health, the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (RAMS) and other departments and organisations.

The staff members of the Health Center will:
•	compile, publish and distribute the ‘Medical Handbook for Indigenous Reindeer Herders, Fishermen and Hunters’ (the handbook should comprise the special health issues pertaining to each indigenous group, regional problems, principles of traditional medicine, human rights in the sphere of health care);
•	develop the methods for aboriginal activists’ training; 
•	organise evacuation for aboriginal patients form the subsistence areas to the central regions for delivering qualified and specialised medical aid.

The Health Center will accommodate patients from northern regions who arrive in Moscow for consultative and diagnostic aid and/or medical treatment. Whenever possible the HC will cover transport and treatment expenses of the most impoverished patients. At the local level, there must be social service staff who will assist to Center activities in all regions. If sufficient funds are allocated, establishment of interregional (or district) health centers in one or two northern regions is possible. Setting up a medical telecommunication connecting regions and the HC is also possible.

Thus, through the implementation of the project RAIPON will develop a conceptual basis for the health protection and care of the peoples of the North and will make comprehensive practical health service accessible to communities and patients and keeping up with the changes in society. This new concept regarding the health protection service for Arctic peoples will be further represented in state bodies leading to changes in the State policy and ensuring long-term support for the Health Center for Indigenous Peoples of the North under the RAIPON umbrella.

Participants of the project:
This project will be performed by a working group organised by the RAIPON Coordinating Council. The council will supervise the work of the working group and the HC. The project will be coordinated by its initiator – Dr. Larisa Abryutina, who is a physician by profession and has been elected a Vice-President of RAIPON. She has been practicing for 15 years in the mobile medical service in Chukotka. Members of RAIPON and invited specialists and researchers will also join the working group and will work in the Health Center.

Roundtable discussion between the indigenous peoples of the 
Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the oil industry

Thomas Køhler, TGK Consult 

NARYAN-MAR, 11-12 April 2001: Representatives of 14 oil companies were present when the regional branch of RAIPON in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug “Yasavey” carried out the first meeting of this kind in Russia between the indigenous people and the oil industry. The initiative had been taken by the newly elected president of “Yasavey”, Vlad Peskov. Representatives of the administration, politicians and the press were present as well. The Moscow office of RAIPON was represented by Anatoly Mikhaylov, from the lawyer’s union “Rodnik” Leyla Zeylanova took part, and from Denmark, Thomas Køhler, was present as an observer.
 	The discussions quickly led to the conclusion that both the oil industry and the indigenous peoples would be interested in an open dialogue. As reflected in the Resolution of the Roundtable, the oil companies urged “Yasavey” to make use of their right to take legislative initiatives and to carry out control with the regional budget. The oil companies also agreed on the need to create a fund for indigenous peoples in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, but whether this would mean that the oil companies should pay extra money - besides the taxes they already pay - remained unclear. The parties agreed to create a working group to follow up on the meeting and to meet again next year.
 	The local administration did not seem pleased with the situation and accused a specific community “Evr” for having made a secret deal with an oil company “Varandeyneftegaz”, ensuring some compensation for the reindeer herders in their area in the eastern part of the Okrug where the company had started up their oil extraction. The representative of “Evr”, Andrey Vyucheyskiy, refused to reveal the details of the agreement which frustrated the administration so much that one deputy accused “Evr” of profiting at the expense of the western part of the Okrug, the Kanin Peninsula, the poorest part of the region.
 	There is no doubt that this Roundtable was the first step in a very interesting process, not only for the Nenets people, but for all of RAIPON. The experience made by “Yasavey” can become of great importance for the rest of Russia.

Russian aboriginals want Yukon treaties 

DAWSON CITY, Yukon, 26 June 2001: Aboriginal people in Russia are hoping they can get a translation of the treaties Yukon First Nations have signed with the federal government. 
	The Russians say Yukon's land claim agreements are the best in the world, and are hoping to use the translation to forge similar agreements with their own governments at home. A delegate from Russia is making the pitch for a translation at the Yukon Council of First Nations meeting in Dawson City.
	The Vice President of the Russian Association of Indigenous People says Yukon land claims could be a blueprint for deals with the Russian government. "We now have the agreement of the President and the Parliament and the officials to allocate and give native people the rights to their lands," he says.
	Grand Chief Ed Schultz agrees the Yukon treaties are the best, though he says he has a tough time convincing his own people that's the case. Schultz and first nations leaders from the N.W.T., Alaska and Russia are working on an agreement to share treaty information.

________________________________________________________________

Press Release: 
Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, 6 August 2001

The MNR of Russia has established a Section for Public Control and Prevention of Law Violations Concerning the Exploitation of Natural Resources and Nature Protection.

With the aim to establish a unified system of public management (ecological control, control of geological surveys, rational exploitation and protection of minerals, control of use and protection of water resources, control of use, protection and management of forests, control of air pollution, and protection of flora and fauna), it is established a Section for Public Control and Prevention of Law Violations Concerning the Exploitation of Natural Resources and Nature Protection.
This unit shall particularly have these tasks:
•	conduct complex analyses of the present legislation concerning the exploitation of natural resources and nature protection, to work out proposals for improvement in agreement with the normative juridical basis;
•	collect and process information about threats against objects in connection with the exploitation of natural resources or the ecological safety, and in addition – on the basis of this information – elaborate procedures to eliminate such threats;
•	fight (together with other Federal bodies of the executive power) against law violations concerning the exploitation of natural resources and nature protection;
•	ensure that those exploiting and using natural resources commit to and fulfil their duties in relation to licenses and agreements, and other prescribed documentation;
•	control the effectivity of the equipment used for exploitation of natural resources.

Denis Valeryevich Kiselev is appointed to lead the section.
________________________________________________________________

A letter from Evensk, Magadan Region 

The ANSIPRA Secretariat received the following letters from Liliya Vukvukhay, the chairman of the district's association of Northern indigenous people of the Southern Evensk District, Magadan Region. With her kind permission, we reprint this letter here because it gives a representative impression of the living conditions in many indigenous villages of the Russian Far East.	 -- The Editor

Dear friends,

I received the fifth issue of ANSIPRA, thank you very much. I found out that the International Conference of Reindeer-Breeders would take place in Finland in June 2001.
	My husband, Evgeniy Vukvukhay, participated in the 1st Conference, which took place in Norway. He came back strongly impressed by what he had seen: how reindeer-breeders lived and worked over there. 
	Reindeer breeding is in sharp decline in our region. The “Parenskiy” collective, for instance, where we used to work, had in the early 90’s 32,000 head of reindeer: it was one of the largest in the Magadan region. Today it has only 1,500 reindeer left, according to the latest count. The majority of reindeer-breeders is now unemployed.
	While it may be true that there are many reasons for this situation, the fact of the matter remains that our reindeer-breeders lead very poor lives, since reindeer-breeding is for them a way of life. Food products are not supplied on a regular basis. There is also a shortage of tents, protective garments, and medications. That’s what life is like among the reindeer-breeders today in our country. 
	The district leaders may disagree and claim that they are taking care of the reindeer-breeders, while they themselves do not want to work, etc. But our folks have always been patient and diligent. I don’t think that anybody else would be willing to work in the extreme conditions of the tundra, regardless of how much they got paid. Our herdsmen get a miserable salary, sometimes only a thousand rubles ($1=29 rubles).
	The bottom line is that without government support, reindeer breeding will never return to the level, which it had in 1990s. 

	My mother, Evdokiya Stepanovna Sherbakova, is 65 years old. She has led a difficult life: she tended the deer and worked as a stoker in the boiler-room. In order to help her fellow-villagers, she established a collective, “Dyunet,” back in 1999. She spent all her retirement money on registration and other paperwork, shooting licenses, renting gear and weapons. You really can’t make a single step these days if you don’t have enough money in your pocket. In our region, there are many registered collectives of this kind (“Producing Subject of the Indigenous Population”), but nobody can work because of financial reasons. 
	At present, I work in the Training Center. I teach decorative and applied arts. Students in this boarding school are children of the reindeer-breeders from faraway villages in the region. Girls enjoy working in our classes. I try to explain to them that our tradition and art are related to the deer. Our life is inseparable from the deer, and if we fail to preserve all that, we will loose everything. 
	By training, I am, like Evgeniy, a veterinary assistant and zoologist. It would be really wonderful to meet you and take part in the proceedings of the Reindeer-breeders’ Conference, as well as to see the masters of the tundra. Women cannot live without the tundra! But without money, we can’t get anywhere, so we have to stay here. 
	I wish you much success and growth, happiness and health!

Respectfully yours, 
Liliya Vukvukhay
25 April 2001, Evensk

Help save the Samarga watershed in the Russian Far East!

The Samarga watershed is located in the northeastern corner of Primorskiy Region in the Russian Far East. This pristine, roadless 2-million-acre watershed contains some of the last large areas of unprotected wilderness in Russia's biodiverse Sikhote-Alin mountains. The Samarga is an important refuge for wild Pacific salmon populations and is one of the last strongholds for the rare Japanese cherry salmon. The Samarga provides habitat to species including the Amur (Siberian) tiger and Himalayan black bear.
	The forests of the Samarga are also the traditional hunting and fishing grounds for the Udege people, about 200 of whom live in the remote village of Agzu, halfway up the Samarga watershed. For years, the Udege have fought to protect their forests as an officially recognised "Territory of Traditional Natural Resource Use," which would guarantee their right to have a voice in natural resource use. The Udege worked with environmental groups to develop sustainable economic development plans that were based on fishing, hunting, ecotourism, and use of non-timber forest products and that would protect the forests from logging. While the Udege were able to guarantee their rights to wildlife resources, the regional government - interested in the Samarga's timber resources -- blocked efforts to designate the Samarga as a Territory of Traditional Nature Use.
	Now, the situation has taken a turn for the worse. Earlier this year, the Primorskiy Regional government auctioned logging rights to more than 1 million acres of the Samarga watershed to the Russian timber company "Terneyles" without informing or receiving the consent of the local community. The auction was completed without any environmental review - even though this is a violation of Russian law.
	The native community "Agzu" (Samarga watershed), Bureau for Public Regional Campaigns (Vladivostok), Pacific Environment, and Friends of the Earth-Japan are asking for your urgent help! Faxed letters to the new governor of Primorskiy Region and to the chair of the regional Duma (legislature) can help change this situation. International pressure can help convince the regional government to annul the auction and to guarantee indigenous rights to the watershed in the form of a Territory for Traditional Nature Use.
	Please act now! A sample letter can be requested from the e-mail address below. Please print the sample letter on your letterhead and fax it to Russia as soon as possible! Please also send a copy of your letter to Pacific Environment at +1-510-251-8838 or info@pacificenvironment.org.

For more information, please contact:
David Gordon, +1-541-345-9924, 
dkgordon@pacificenvironment.org 
Dave Martin, +1-510-251-8800 x 306, 
dmartin@pacificenvironment.org 
Xenia Soubotin, +1-510-251-8800 x 303, 
xsoubotin@pacificenvironment.org

APPEAL 
from the indigenous population of Kamchatka

We, the northern indigenous peoples living in the Kamchatkan Oblast, appeal to you with the request to determine the legal status of our residence territories in the Kamchatkan Oblast.

The original population of the Kamchatkan territory consists of Itelmens, Koryaks, Evens, Chukchi, Eskimo, Aleutians, Kamchadals and other northern peoples, for whom this land is their native homeland and living environment. Until today, the territory of the Kamchatkan Oblast is not yet recognised as an indigenous residence territory by Russian Law. The fact that these peoples have no legal base for their traditional land use is contradictory to the intentions of the Russian Constitution and legislation. 
	Our legal rights are also being violated. All decisions about exploitation of natural resources are made without our participation and are in conflict with traditional land use. The local administration and State authorities have skirted issues concerning the indigenous inhabitants of Kamchatka and the fulfilment of existing laws (the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Presidential Decree "On urgent measures for the protection of residence areas and economic activities of the indigenous peoples of the North", the RF laws "On the continental shelf", "On the depths", "On the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation", etc.). 
	Taking the above into account, and considering the stated interests of the indigenous peoples, we appeal to you to recognise, by power of legislation, the territory of the Kamchatkan Oblast as a traditional residence area of indigenous peoples: the Kamchadals, Itelmens, Koryaks, Evens, Chukchi, Aleutians and Eskimo. 

This appeal has been sent to the Administration of the Kamchatkan Oblast, the Council of Peoples' Deputies, the Government of the Russian Federation, the State Duma and the mass media.

Oblast Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North
Union of Communities "YaYaR"
Union of Youth of Indigenous Peoples of the North

________________________________________________________________

RAIPON
GLOBAL ACTION ALERT

-- CALL FOR ACTION --

On 14 March 2001, the governor of the Koryak Autonomous Region on the Kamchatka Peninsula issued an executive order that closed the traditional nature use area "Tkhsanom". Established in December 1998, this area is the home to over one thousand indigenous peoples living in Tigilskiy Raion of the Koryak Autonomous Region of the Russian Federation.
	The Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON) is making a collective appeal to the international community in an effort to repeal this executive order and to reinstate the "Tkhsanom" traditional use area. 
	Enclosed is a translation of the letter sent to Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, by local and national leaders of the Russian indigenous movement. We request the world community to appeal to the governmental institutions of the Russian Federation to reverse this illegal action and to defend the constitutional rights of the indigenous peoples at “Tkhsanom.”
	RAIPON requests that you write letters of protest to the Russian President and to other federal and regional officials to make them aware that the international community is following this issue and that it wishes to see the constitutional and legal rights of the indigenous peoples of the Koryak Autonomous Region observed. We have provided names and addresses of these officials at the end of this message. -- Thank you for your support!

"TKHSANOM"
WHY DID GOVERNOR LOGINOV ELIMINATE OUR TRADITIONAL NATURE USE AREA?
A COLLECTIVE APPEAL

To		Mr. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
	President of the Russian Federation
	103132, Moscow
	Staraya Ploshchad, d. 4

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,

The indigenous peoples of Tkhsanom write you to request a repeal of an executive order issued on March 14, 2001 by Vladimir A. Loginov, Governor of the Koryak Autonomous Region that closed our traditional nature use area in Tigilskiy Raion of the Koryak Autonomous Region of the Russian Federation.
	We further request that the rule of law be reestablished in the Koryak Autonomous Region and that the constitutional rights of the indigenous peoples of our region be respected.
	On March 14, 2001, Vladimir A. Loginov, governor of the Koryak Autonomous Region, signed an executive order entitled "Repeal of an Executive Order of the Governor of the Koryak Autonomous Region, No. 317, dated December 2, 1998, entitled "Organising the Territory of Traditional Nature Use Tkhsanom in Tigilskiy Raion of the Koryak Autonomous Region."
	This action is a flagrant violation of the constitutional rights - Articles 69 and 72.1M - of the indigenous peoples who live within the Tkhsanom.
	The Tkhsanom traditional use area was created on December 2, 1998 through an executive order issued by former governor, V. T. Bronevich. The legal motivation for this action is a Russian Federation Presidential Directive issued on April 22, 1992 entitled "Immediate Measures for Protecting Areas where Indigenous Peoples of the North Live and Work." This Directive served as a basis for a law "On Territories of Traditional Nature Use (TTP) in the Koryak Autonomous Region." The effort to create Tkhsanom was led by the Council of Indigenous Elders of the villages of Kovran, Ust'-Khairyuzovo, Khairyuzovo. On November 27, 1998, an executive order issued by the administration of Tigilskiy Raion, No. 136, called for creation of the Tkhsanom traditional nature use area.
	The Tkhsanom traditional nature use area is the historical homeland of nearly one thousand native peoples, including the world's only large settlement of Itelmen people, an ancient people of Kamchatka now threatened with extinction.
	Tkhsanom is the culmination of an effort by the region's indigenous communities to legally define the boundaries for its traditional use areas. Scientists from Moscow State University and from the Kamchatka Institute of Natural Resources and Ecology worked with local people to create the ethno-ecological and economic rational for Tkhsanom. A biodiversity assessment was carried out and indigenous peoples directed a multi-year process to set an agenda of projects to help local communities develop economic and cultural survival programs.
	The protocol describing the functions of Tkhsanom is a unique document. That document provides for the pursuit of traditional economic activities. It also charge the Itelmen and Koryak peoples with the responsibility to carry out environmental protection and rational natural use measures within Tkhsanom. The protocol is based on Russian Federation Constitutional provisions and on current federal enactments, including the Forest Code, Land Code, Land Payment Code, Continental Shelf Law, Animal Kingdom Law, and Protected Territories Law whose articles specifically stipulate the rights of indigenous peoples to traditional natural resources. The protocol anticipated federal laws "On Guarantees of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Russian Federation" and "On the General Principles for Indigenous Communities ("Obshchina") of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation. These recently adopted federal laws give indigenous peoples the right to participate in the preparation and adoption of measures to defend their native lands. They also require that both federal and regional environmental protection laws be implemented, and provide indigenous peoples with the right to self-determination. 
	In pursuit of these directives, Tkhsanom has created an environmental protection system that includes its own inspectors. An ethno-ecology center has opened that conducts ecology and ethnographic programs. An information center has been established. And despite desperate economic conditions, self-awareness has improved as people take responsibility for the management of the lands within Tkhsanom. The experience gained in establishing Tkhsanom is being disseminated through seminars, conferences and in the press, an effort supported by many national and international NGOs.
	The current administration of the Koryak Autonomous Region fails to appreciate these positive steps toward self-determination and refuses to support or assist the dissemination of the lessons learned. The protest made by B. Chuev, acting Prosecutor in the region, and which serves as the basis for governor Loginov's executive order, ignores direct action norms in the law "On Guarantees of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Russian Federation," and specifically, Article 8, Point 1 of this law.
	Governor Loginov's executive order of March 14, 2001 undermines the legal basis for the economic and environmental protection activities of Tkhsanom. It shakes regional belief in any intention by the current governor to respect the rights of indigenous peoples as required by the Constitution and Federal law. His executive order was issued without the knowledge or participation of indigenous representatives or their Council of Indigenous Elders, a flagrant violation of Article 8 of the law "On Guarantees of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Russian Federation" and other federal laws.
	We request that Governor Loginov's executive order be repealed. We demand that rule of law be reestablished and that government agencies cooperate with indigenous NGOs, including the Council for Itelmen Revival, to guarantee the constitutional rights of the region's indigenous peoples.

Signed by:

Oleg Zaporotskiy
President
Itelmen Indigenous Council "Tkhsanom"

Sergey Kharyuchi
President
Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East - RAIPON

Participants in the Seminar
Federal Rights Legislation for Indigenous Peoples of the Russian Federation and How to Use Those Rights

Delegates and Guests of the IV Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East

Copy to:

Mikhayl Kasyanov
Prime Minister
Russian Federation

Yuriy Chaikov
Ministry of Justice
Russian Federation

Vladimir Yustinov
Prosecutor General
Russian Federation

Konstantin Pulikovskiy
Presidential Representative
Russian Far East

B.N. Chuev
Acting Prosecutor
Koryak Autonomous Region

Vladimir Loginov
Governor
Koryak Autonomous Region

The indigenous peoples of the Tkhsanom traditional nature use area in the Koryak Autonomous Region of the Russian Federation make this appeal in compliance with Article 33 of the Russian Constitution specifying the right of Russian citizens to both individually and collectively appeal to government agencies and to municipal management bodies. 

This appeal is being distributed to indigenous, human rights and environmental protection organisations both within Russia and around the world.

Organisational seminar of the Kamchatka Information Center of the 
Indigenous Peoples of the North

By Anastasiya Chukhman, project assistant

In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy from 13 to 20 August 2001 an organisational seminar took place to initiate the opening of Information Center of Indigenous Peoples of North. The Information Center “Lach” is the first informational center, which has been created with the object to protect the environment and rights of people. The basic aim of this seminar was to train the people going to work in the future.
	Pavel Sulyandziga (RAIPON’s vice-president, Board member of IWGIA), Olga Murashko (scientific expert of project), Thomas Køhler (TGK Consult), Information Center staff in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy and its regional sub-units were present at the seminar.
 	The main goals of the Center are the organisation of bilateral exchange between RAIPON and regional structures of Kamchatka, support to indigenous peoples’ public organisations, communities, and indigenous enterprises through training seminars and legal advice. An additional goal is to attract financial resources for the support of initiatives from below, etc.
	The Center will have a Central office in Petropavlovsk and regional offices in Palana, Kovran and Ossora. Three staff members will be working in each regional office where Internet and office equipment has been installed.
	In Petropavlovsk, Olga Davydova was chosen for the post of co-ordinator and will offer legal consultations. Anastasiya Chukhman will be the Informational Center’s assistant director for organisational questions. Dmitriy Bereykov will work as fund-raiser.
	The results of the regional competition for the remaining positions was announced. Ivan Collegov, Elena Appolon, and Elena Popova were hired for the Ossora office. Tatyana Zaeva and Oleg Zaporotskiy were hired in Palana. Lyudmila Smirnova, Evdokiya Sadovnikova and Mariya Nedotopa were hired in Kovran.
	The organisational seminar was opened by representatives of the indigenous peoples of Kamchatka who wanted to cooperate with the Information Center. Afterward the seminar participants met with Olga Chernyagina (director of the league of independent experts in Kamchatka). She talked about the league, perspectives of cooperation, etc. The same day Pavel Sulyandziga, Olga Murashko and Thomas Køhler met with Valentina Uspenskaya (editor of the newspaper “Aborigen-Kamchatki”, a project participant). Pavel Sulyandziga told the project participants about RAIPON's Canadian project. In the evening all participants left for Hotel “Rassvet” (“Dawn”) to continue the seminar outside Petropavlovsk.
	On the second day of the seminar, 14 August, Nina Zaporotskaya started by congratulating the staff of the Information Center with their new jobs and talked about the future work. As guests Valeriy Sankovich, President of the Regional Association of Indigenous Peoples of Kamchatka, Vladimir Dobrynin, Vice-president of the International Association of Aleuts, Maria Sidorenko, President of Association of Indigenous Peoples of North of the Koryakskiy Autonomous Okrug, and Oleg Zaporotskiy, President of the Council of Kamchatka Itelmen “Thsanom” were present at the seminar.
	Pavel Sulyandziga held a lecture about “Information Center in Kamchatka as a part of the strategy of the development of indigenous people’s movement”. He underlined that the Information Center will work in the framework of RAIPON’s Project Center and that the Information Center is a technical instrument of RAIPON, not a political organ. Tomas Køhler and Nina Zaporotskaya jointly went through the project document that describes the work of the IC in the coming years.
	The seminar was continued by Olga Murashko’s lecture on the subject of “Preparation of documents to create a territory of traditional land use, how to collect information about territory of traditional land use, and how to use the law about territory of traditional land use”. Murashko talked about the making of federal law “About territory of traditional land use of indigenous peoples of North, Siberia and Far East”. She explained each article of the new law, adopted in May this year, which elicited a great deal of interest among all the participants.
	The third day of the seminar, 15 August, Olga Davydova made a speech about legal guarantees of traditional fisheries trade of indigenous peoples in the past and present. O. Murashko, T. Køhler and P. Sulyandziga explained Information Center’s participants how to collect the information and how to give an account of the work. Thomas Køhler held a seminar about project writing and LFA. 
	The whole day of 16 August was dedicated to a role playing game. The situation of the game was adapted to the reality. The participants were divided into three groups. Indigenous peoples’ representatives of a community composed the first group; a joint-stock company (“Dark rock”) representatives composed the second group (occupied with the extraction of natural resources). Representatives of the administration composed the third group. The plot was a governmental refusal to indigenous people’s representatives to create a territory of traditional land use. The reason of this refusal was the the decision of the administration to have the joint-stock company “Dark rock” prospect for oil. Generally speaking, the game was a success. Indigenous peoples representatives were actively and persistently defending their native interests. However, the groups did not come to any agreement about the consequences. Therefore, they decided to go to court for consideration of this argument. Unfortunately, we did not have time enough to play the trial to the end. 
	In the morning of 17 August the seminar participants left for Petropavlovsk. At 14.30 in the regional library’s building there was a press conference on the opening of the Center. Nina Zaporotskaya, the director of the Center, led the press conference. Pavel Sulyandziga, Thomas Køhler, Olga Murashko and the staff all participated in it. N. Zaporotskaya told about the beginning of the Center's work, the problems and aim and organisation of the seminar. Sulyandziga spoke about RAIPON’s public work and the Information Center’s role in Kamchatka. Thomas Køhler informed about his public work, the role of his organisation’s cooperation with RAIPON, tasks of the Kamchatka Center and the Danish work to assist indigenous peoples in the world. Olga Murashko related her experience as an expert on indigenous peoples’ issues in the State Duma. 
	During the seminar the Center coordinators held meetings with other project organisers who work in Kamchatka: Frederic Lines (UNDP’s director), Pitter Neuton (UNDP’s coordinator of Kamchatka’s programmes) and Nikolay Shmatkov (representative of the Universal Union of Guarding Nature). All the meetings took place in a friendly atmosphere and generated agreements regarding mutual cooperation.
	At the conclusion of the seminar all the participants agreed on the importance of such seminars and discussed thoughts and ideas on how to continue their practical work on similar seminars. 

Translated and edited by Roza Tamazanova, Project assistant, RAIPON C.I.P Moscow and TGK Consult. 

Chukotka and ICC

Galina Diachkova

The Moscow Institute for Socio-Anthropological Research conducted this summer a research project in Chukotka, as well as Krasnoyarsk and Primorsk regions, entitled: “The Place of the Indigenous Social Organisations from the North, Siberia and Far East in the Social Policy of the Russian Federation.” The basic goal of the project was to assess the organisational level of the indigenous population and to determine their awareness of their rights and laws. 
	I worked in the region of East Chukotka, which is mostly populated by Eskimos and Chukchis. The population is nowadays struggling to survive under the most complicated socio-economic conditions. The fundamental social problems for the inhabitants of this region are a high unemployment rate, living conditions, alcoholism, medical services and education. 
	Preliminary results concerned the organisations such as Council of the Elders, local associations, “Yupik” and “Avan” societies, and women’s councils. The majority of the respondents, nonetheless, were not only unaware of the Russian Association of Indigenous Minorities of the Far East, but also of the local Association of the Indigenous People of Chuktoka. Even if they had known about it, they pointed out that their connection with the local association was purely formal. Only certain individuals knew the contents of the laws and the rights of the indigenous population. The reasons for such poor knowledge are two-fold: on the one hand, the people of Chukotka is in existential crisis and their main concern is survival; and, on the other, the region has been marked by the absence of media in the last ten years, namely newspapers, radio and television.
	The fact that Mr. Aqqaluk Lynge, President of ICC (Inuit Circumpolar Conference) visited the district center of Anadyr in August 2001 is a sign of positive developments in Chukotka. During the ICC Anadyr visit, an Agreement of Mutual Cooperation was signed by ICC (Aqqaluk Lynge), the government of Chukotka (R. Abramovich) and the Association of Indigenous Peoples of Chukotka (I. Khomitskaya). In addition, Mr. Aqqaluk Lynge met with representatives of the indigenous population on 17 August 2001. At this meeting, it was decided that the collaboration would take various forms, such as the publication of training materials in native languages (L. Ainana) and the creation of a Legal Information Center and a Business Center in Chukotka (G. Diachkova). 

“Yupik” Society

Lyudmila Ivanovna Aynana
President, “Yupik” Society

The Eskimo Society of Chukotka “Yupik” was founded at the general assembly of Yupik Eskimos on August 2nd, 1990 in Provideniya. The goal of this social organisation is to unite the ethnic population living in the Chukchi Autonomous Province, in various cities of the Russian Federation and abroad, and to persevere their culture, language and traditional way of life.
	On January 1st, 2000, there were 1466 Eskimos living in Chukotkan Autonomous Okrug, of these in Providenskiy district: around 800 people, in Chukotskiy district, more than 300, as well as in Yultinskiy district. The significant portion of the Yupik group lives in the village of Uelkal: more than 200 people. 
	The Eskimo Society of Chukotka “Yupik” is an independent social organisation with its Constitution and an elected executive body. The society has a president, a vice-president and a council of co-presidents from nine communities: the town of Anadyr; the Provideniya settlement; and the villages: Uelen, Lavrentiya, Novoe Chaplino, Sireniki, Uelkal, Ushakovskoe (Vrangel community; now abolished) and Cape Shmidt (several families). “Yupik” is managed from its office in Provideniya.
	“Yupik” Society has been a member of the international Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) since 1992. It took part in the following ICC General Assemblies: in Inuvik (Canada) in 1992, in Nome (USA) in 1995 and in Nuuk (Greenland) in 1998. First members of the ICC Executive Committee were: from 1992 to 1995, L. Aynana and Z. Ivanovna; from 1995 to 1995, T. Achirgina and V. Golubeva; and from 1998 to 2002, L. Otrokova and T. Kharchenko.
	This is a non-profit organisation. All work is conducted publicly. 
	“Yupik” takes part in joint projects with indigenous organisations of the State of Alaska (USA). From 1994-1997, the Society was part of the Agreement on the Observation of Distribution and Migration Patterns of the Greenland Whale on the shores of the Chukotkan Peninsula. From 1997-1999, it had a joint project with the United States National Park Service, which was aimed at the development of the traditional ways of exploiting nature and the preservation of biological resources on the territories inhabited by the indigenous population. The “Naukan” Cooperative from Lavrentiya took part in these projects as well.
	Yupik Society tries to help all its members thanks to the relatives from Alaska and joint projects with Alaskan indigenous organisations and ICC. It pays special attention to the families of the Ushakovskoe Village (Vrangel community). During the Soviet regime, these families were moved from the Avan settlement in Providenski district to the village of Ushakovskoe, which has been abolished since. They were resettled in Cape Shmidt, but were given bad accommodation and no employment, so a portion of them remained in the Vrangel community. “Yupik” assigned these families a Johnson-40 HP motor for fishing and delivered it to Ushakovskoe with the help of the border patrol in the name of Lev Nanaun, who was, in 1990, a founding member of the Society in Provideniya.
	In these times of a profound economic crisis, the indigenous population survives thanks to fishery and the humanitarian aid it receives from Alaska, Canada and Greenland. For the preservation of this ethnic group, it would be necessary to change their socio-economic condition and create employment opportunities, especially for young people. 
	“Yupik” functions under complicated conditions. In 1999, for instance, the society was abolished by a unilateral decision of the Arbitration Court of the Chukotkan Autonomous Okrug, following the initiative of the former Governor A.V. Nazarov. Since we could not agree with such a position, we held a Yupik assembly on August 5th, 2000 at Provideniya, and ratified the Constitution, which was passed in February 2000. In accordance with the new Constitution, we chose the governing body consisting of the representatives from Provideniya, Anadyr and Lavrentiya. On February 25th, 2001, another assembly was held: the Constitution with Amendments was passed on this occasion.
	With the exception of the villagers from Sireniki, all Yupik-Eskimos were resettled from their ancestral territories to other villages in 1950s as part of the village consolidation program. Resettling was supposed to improve the supply of necessary goods to the inhabitants, but the organisers of this action did not take into consideration the traditions of these settlements. For instance, villagers from Unazik (cape Chaplino), Sikliuk, Kivak, and some of the villagers from Avan were moved to Tkachen Bay (today: village of Novoe Chaplino) in 1958. In Tachen Bay, however, the water freezes for a long time. In such conditions, it is very difficult to fish. In the spring, hunters have to move to Inakhpak in the neighboring region, which can be reached by car from Novoe Chaplino. Often, hunters simply walk, since they have no means of transportation. 
	While people from Chaplino may live in one village and speak the dialect, which is spread in the Chaplino region, the Eskimos from Naukan went through two resettlements (some even more) and hence their language is not taught anywhere. Consequently, they are losing their culture and language.
	The goal of the Society is the preservation of the Eskimo language, in addition to the preservation and development of fishery. We are trying to preserve the native language by offering organised methodological and programmatic help to kindergartens and schools, in which the Eskimo language is being taught. The group responsible for this includes teachers such as G.A. Nakazik, M.I. Sigunylik, V.F. Ankalina, L.I. Aynana. Our authors took part in the publication of the handbook “Edible Plants and their Preparation” (L. Aynana, I. Zagrebin); “Canoe” (P. Typykhkak, L. Aynana, I. Zagrebin, illustrations by V. Nasalik); and the book “Let the Elders Speak,” written by I. Krupnik, edited by L. Aynana. Currently, L. Aynana, P. Aleinikov, L. Bogoslovskaya, T. Typykhkak and T. Panauge are working on a dictionary, entitled: “Natural Lexicon of Asiatic Eskimos,” written in the Chaplino dialect with Russian and English equivalents, as well as scientific terms for plants and animals in Latin. The dictionary project is partly funded by the Eskimological Institute (Denmark), but additional funds are necessary.

“My Markovo”

Lev Aleksandrovich Treshchenko, President, “My Markovo” Association

“My Markovo” was established in November 1989. Members include not only the indigenous population, but also the Russian and Ukrainian residents of our settlement.
	The first Association Committee addressed the most fundamental issues, such as establishing priorities, distributing accommodation and humanitarian aid, as well as food purchases (fish and meat) for the indigenous population. 
	In addition to the above-mentioned activities, the new Association Committee is currently also working on the following:
1)	preserving indigenous traditions; and educating young people based on these traditions;
2)	creating additional employment possibilities for the population;
resolving the environmental problems in the village and local area.

Bering Strait: New head of Chukotka is more open to West

Elizabeth Manning 
(reprint from "Anchorage Daily News", 16 October 2001)

A new governor in the Russian Far East has renewed hope for research and cultural exchanges between Alaska and Russia as well as dreams of an international park spanning the Bering Strait.
	As recently as last summer, Alaska researchers traveling to nearby Chukotka were often detained by Russian authorities and sometimes even threatened with jail.
	That happens less often now. The difference, according to Alaskans who maintain ties to Chukotka, is Roman Abramovich, a Muscovite billionaire in his mid-30s who was elected governor of Chukotka in December.
	Under Abramovich, Chukotka is more open to the West than it has been in years. "Chukotka now has a governor that wants ties to Alaska," said Sue Steinacher of Fairbanks, who has studied relationships between Alaskans and Chukotkans with funding from the National Park Service. "The last governor wanted to slam that door shut."
	After years in official limbo, the idea of a Russian-American park is expected to come up during discussions this week at the National Park Service's annual Beringia Days conference in Anchorage. The conference, held Thursday and Friday at the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, is open to the public.
	The United States and Russia first agreed to work cooperatively on an international park in 1990, but the idea stalled. There was political opposition in Alaska, and former Chukotka Gov. Aleksandr Nazarov was unwilling to discuss the project.
	Rather than pursuing a park designation, the Park Service instead spent $450,000 annually on research and cultural projects -- the sort of work an international park would do if created. But even then, Nazarov in Chukotka often thwarted research and kept foreign visitors out, according to Park Service officials and Russian experts in Alaska.
	When he left office, Nazarov said he had kept Chukotka "pure" so it could develop from within and emerge strong and independent, according to the Seattle Times.
	But Chukotka never did develop. Instead, its economy collapsed and people left the remote Arctic region in droves. Over the past decade, the population fell by more than half to about 70,000. Roughly 20 percent are Eskimos, Chukchis and other Russia Natives, many of whom have ties to Alaska Natives. Abramovich, a member of Russia's new business elite, told The Wall Street Journal that he was bored with business and that he thought he could help develop Chukotka and deliver it from ruin. He has welcomed Alaska research and cultural projects, along with humanitarian aid and the development of tourism and trade.
	Whenever researchers have run into snags, Abramovich has stepped in to help, said Peter Richter, assistant program manager for the Park Service's Beringia program.
	Abramovich, who commutes between Moscow and Chukotka's capital, Anadyr, did not respond to requests for an interview.
	Chukotkans have told Alaskans that their lives have improved. They now receive wages on time and have food, heat and hope for the future. Abramovich has reportedly spent millions of his own money setting up a foundation that airlifted food, boots and medicine to villagers and flew thousands of Chukotka children to the Black Sea and other vacation destinations.
	Nancy Mendenhall, a Nome resident who coordinates aid packages to Chukotka, said the letters she gets from Chukotka are now more optimistic. People are still poor but have basic necessities, she said. "Chukotka is a place where change is now possible," said John Tichotsky, an assistant professor of economics and international trade at Alaska Pacific University.
	During the Beringia conference this week, participants will discuss a variety of research and cultural projects throughout the Beringia region, from subsistence to archaeology. Park officials say they will also bring up the idea, in informal discussions, of an international park.
	Richter said the Park Service is eager to hear what the Chukotkans and other Russians think about the idea.
	On the Alaska side, Park Service managers said they would designate four existing federal conservation units in Western Alaska as part of the park: Bering Land Bridge Preserve, Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Kobuk Valley National Park and Noatak National Preserve. It's unclear yet which lands would be designated on the Russian side, though Richter has said a Beringia park made it onto a Russian list of federal parks to be designated within the next decade.
	Park or not, North Slope Borough Mayor George Ahmaogak said the new openness should help the two countries better manage important subsistence species such as whales and polar bears. Chukotka also has gold, diamonds, oil and gas and is just 38 miles across the Bering Strait. Alaska could become a staging place for economic development projects, Ahmaogak said.
	Tandy Wallack, who owns Anchorage-based Circumpolar Expeditions with her husband, said her company plans weekly tours of Chukotka next summer. Last summer, with funding from the Park Service, Wallack trained Chukotkans to host tourists and to make maps of their towns for walking tours. Wallack thinks an international park would draw more tourists. Richter agreed. "Look at our parks," he said. "We're bulging with visitors. They're big economic engines."

Reporter Elizabeth Manning can be reached at emanning@adn.com or (+1) 907-257-4323. 

New maps indicate little is left of Northern European Russia

World Resources Institute, 10 October 2001

WASHINGTON, DC AND MOSCOW - Using high resolution satellite images and old-fashioned fieldwork, a team of Russian experts has created new maps of the Europe’s last remaining wilderness forests. What they saw was not pretty: Northern European Russia is not the endless sea of forest wilderness that many people imagine. Few forest areas remain undisturbed and all are in the remote far north.
	The results of their five-year effort, The Last Intact Forest Landscapes of Northern European Russia, was released simultaneously today in Moscow and in Washington, DC by the World Resources Institute’s Global Forest Watch and Greenpeace Russia.
	Only 14 percent or 32 million hectares of the boreal or northern forests of European Russia remain in relatively undisturbed large blocks of at least 50,000 hectares each. Yet what little is left is at risk, since the most attractive parts for exploitation of these forests are unprotected by federal or local laws. The researchers say that the main threat is fragmentation by logging roads, geological survey lines, and fires that usually follow them. The environmental cost would be high if these remnants are logged.
	“The significance of this work goes far beyond Russian forestry,” says Dr. Alexander Isaev, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a forest minister of the former Soviet Union, who reviewed the report together with scientists from Russia, Sweden and the U.S. “These are the last big forest wilderness areas of Europe and an important part of our common European heritage. We need to keep them wild and protected by law.”
	The authors of the report argue that these remaining intact boreal forests are comparatively cheap to conserve. “No forest guards are needed. The same remoteness and low productivity which has protected them until now will continue to do so,” write A. Y. Yaroshenko, P. V. Potapov, and S. A. Turubanova. “Our last remaining examples of wild nature can be protected even under the very restrictive Russian budget for nature conservation.”
	These forests are unsuitable for sustainable wood production since they are poorly stocked and tree growth is slow. Timber revenues will not cover the cost of reforestation or silviculture and the cost of building forest roads. Less than five percent of the volume logged in the Karelia, Komi, Arkhangelsk, and Perm regions come from the remaining intact boreal forests of European Russia. Most of this wood goes to countries in Western Europe. Several companies have now pledged to avoid buying wood from the remaining intact forests of the world.
	“The maps of the intact forests of European Russia will be valuable to many parties involved in promoting responsible forestry,” said Susanne Bergstrand, environment manager at the home furnishings company, IKEA (http://www.ikea .com). It is one of the major supporters of the World Resources Institute’s Global Forest Watch.
	Mapping European Russia’s intact boreal forests took a lot of detective work on the part of several Russian environmental organisations. They first looked at regular maps and excluded all obviously disturbed areas near roads and towns. Then they examined detailed satellite images to look for additional signs of disturbances, such as logging clearcuts, mines and agricultural fields, and then eliminated these areas.
	They used them to outline blocks of intact forests greater than 50,000 hectares (i.e. at least the size of a square with a 22-km. or 14-mile side). Only sufficiently large blocks of forests are deemed capable of remaining intact, i.e. conserving natural, undisturbed populations of large animals while at the same time letting natural processes such as storms and fires run their course.
	To verify the maps, the research team inspected 67 areas in the field to make sure that the satellite images were correctly interpreted. The resulting maps are the first of their kind, something which the Russian government has yet to create.
	Later this year, Global Forest Watch and its Russian partners will release a similar map of the entire forests of Russia. This is expected to be the first such map of Russia.

	The project succeeded by using a combination of new technologies, unprecedented cooperation among local Russian environmental groups, and a desire for transparency in the management of the country’s natural resources. The maps and other information are made available to the public through the Internet (http://www.globalforest
watch.org, http://www.forests.ru or http://www. greenpeace.ru).
	The same approach is being used to produce reports on the intact forests of Chile, Venezuela and Indonesia, all of which will be released in the next six months. Similar mapping work is going on in Canada, U.S., and Brazil. This is all part of a global effort to map and monitor the remaining frontier forests of the world - of which only half are left. During the next 5 years, the Global Forest Watch network will span 21 countries and cover 80 percent of the world’s remaining intact forests.

For more information, contact: 
Adlai Amor Media 
Director World Resources Institute 
202 729 7736 
E-mail: aamor@wri.org 
Web site: http://www.wri.org

New literature 

Indra Øverland: Politics and Culture among the Russian Saami
Ph.D. thesis, University of Cambridge, England, 2000
Abstract:
The thesis examines the ways in which the Russian Saami perceive the legitimacy of their ethno-political leaders and organisations in the decade from 1989 to 1999, taking into account the history of the Russian Saami, and the role of the Saami in the Nordic countries. Politics among the Russian Saami is also related to theoretical questions about culture and ethnicity.
	The forced amalgamation of  Saami villages in the 1960s put stress on the relationship of the Saami with their land, and resulted in the polarisation of the community along a continuum with one more urban and one more rural pole. Towards the rural pole, the loss of prestige and control over the land resulted in exacerbated social problems of alcoholism, involuntary celibacy and suicide.
	From 1989 onwards the same members of the urban intelligentsia who had attempted a linguistic revival during the late-Soviet period went on to set up ethno-political organisations to speak for the group. The rest of the Russian Saami tend to view these organisations as instruments for the personal enrichment of the urbanised and Sovietised leaders, and as a means to control aid flows from the Nordic Saami and other foreign sources. Thus the activities of the leaders are viewed by the rest of the group as lacking in legitimacy.
	The thesis argues that the urban leaders need the more tundra-oriented part of the group and its culture to bolster the legitimacy of their politics – but the more rural part of the group is nonetheless also dependent upon the organisational and ideological skills of the urban leaders to initiate and lead the ethnic revival. In this situation, culture can neither be conceptualised as a mere construct of the leaders nor as something concrete with narrowly defined essential characteristics that only exists in the rural section of the community. Instead, it should be viewed as a compromise between these two stances.
	The thesis is entitled Politics and Culture among the Russian Saami. Indra Øverland wishes to thank the Norwegian Research Council, the Cambridge Overseas Trust and the Cambridge Board of Graduate Studies, whose generous grants made it possible to complete the thesis.

The new issue of The Northern Review, No. 22 
published by Yukon College, Whitehorse (and info online), is largely devoted to papers by indigenous women from Northern Russia and Siberia.

Petra Rethmann: Tundra Passages: Gender and History in the Russian Far East
Penn State Press, Pennsylvania,USA, 2001

Koriak have been described as a nomadic people, migrating with the reindeer through rugged terrain. Their autonomy and mobility are salient cultural features that ethnographers and state administrators have found equally fascinating and menacing.
	Tundra Passages (Penn State Press, $19.95 paper) describes how this indigenous people in the Russian Far East have experienced, interpreted, and struggled with the changing conditions of life on the periphery of post-Soviet Russia.
	Rethmann portrays the lives of Koriak women in the locales of Tymlat and Ossora in northern Kamchatka, within a wider framework of sexuality, state power, and marginalization, which she sees as central to the Koriak experience of everyday life. Using gender as a lens through which to examine wider issues of history, disempowerment, and marginalization, she explores the interpretations and strategies employed by Koriak women and men to ameliorate the austere effects of political and socioeconomic disorder. Rethmann's innovative work combines historical and ethnographic descriptions of Koriak life, narration, and practices of gender and history.

Gail Osherenko:  Indigenous Rights in Russia: Is Title to Land Essential for Cultural Survival?
The Georgetown International Environmental Law Review, Vol. 13 (3), 2001, pp. 695-734

A review of the history, status, and practice of law related to indigenous peolpes in Russia. 

Meetings, workshops, conferences

Impacts of POPs and mercury on Arctic Environments and Humans
ACIA Conference / Workshop
Time:		21-24 January 2002
Place:	Tromsø, Norway
Contacts:	AMAP Secretariat, Oslo, Norway
Tel./Fax.: +47 23 24 1630 / +47 22 67 6706
E-mail: 	AMAPcon@npolar.no 
Web-site: http://www.nilu.no/niluweb/sevices/amapconf/

Working Group on the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Time:		28 Jan. – 8 Febr. 2002
Place:		Geneva, Switzerland
Contacts:	UN Centre for Human Rights and Biodiversity Convention, 
Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland, 
Tel. +41 22 917 9000, Fax. +41 22 917 9016

13th Inuit Studies Conference
Time:		1-3 August2002
Place:		Anchorage, Alaska
Contacts:	Gordon L. Pullar, Department of Alaska Native & Rural Development, University of 
Alaska, Fairbanks
Tlf.: 00-1-907-279-2700
E-mail: g.pullar@uaf.edu

The 5th International Conference on Environmental Radioactivity in the Arctic and Antarctic
Time:		16-20 June 2002
Place:		St. Petersburg, Russia
Contacts:	Torun Jolle
Telephone: +47/6716-2604
Fax: +47/6714-5444
E-mail: arctic@nrpa.no

International Workshop on Trends and Effects of Heavy Metals in the Arctic
Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) / U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Time:		18-22 June 2001
Place:		McLean, Virginia, USA
Contacts:	AMAP Heavy Metals Group Chair
USEPA, 222 W. 7th Avenue, #19, Anchorage, AK 99513 USA
Tel: +1-907/271-2895
Fax: +1-907/271-3424
E-mail: marcy.suzanne@epa.gov

Bering Sea Summit 2002
Time:		22-26 April 2002
Place:		Egan Center, Anchorage, Alaska
Contacts:	Lisa E. Mahoney (Summit), SAIC
11251 Roger Bacon Drive,  R-1-7, Reston, VA 20190
Fax: 703/318-4684 or 4682
E-mail: lisa.e.mahoney@saic.com
Purpose:		To foster open dialogue among the highly diverse organizations, management agencies, and communities in the Bering Sea region to establish creative alliances and partnerships, and achieve sustainable policies and durable decisions.

CONTACTS AND ADDRESSES - UPDATE

A complete list of ANSIPRA contacts and addresses was published in ANSIPRA Bulletin No. 4. For changes and new addresses see Bulletin No. 5. Listed below are additional changes that have occurred since then, as well as new contacts. For updated complete address lists contact the Secretariat.

Changed addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses:

Komité "Natur og Folk i Nord" (Committee "Nature and People of the North"; Комитет “Природа и народы Севера”)
Mads Fægteborg 
arctic@arctic-peoples.dk

Kristiina Karppi
Vägförvaltning  
PL 376
FIN-33101 TAMPERE
atkrse@uta.fi

New addresses:

Tuula Tuisku
Thule-instituutti, Oulun yliopisto, Suomen ja saamen laitos  (Thule Institute, University of Oulu, Finnish and Sami studies; Институт Туле, Университет  Оулу, отделение финских и саамских исследований)
PL 1000
FIN-90014 Oulun yliopisto 
tuula.tuisku@oulu.fi
ph./тел. (+358) 8-553 3282
fax/факс (+358) 8-553 3488
mob. ph./порт. тел.: (+358) 40-8617917

Yvon Csonka
Ilisimatusarfik  (The University of Greenland, Department of Social and Cultural History; Университет Гренландии, отделение истории общества и культуры)
Postboks 279
DK-3900 Nuuk, Greenland
ph./тел.  (+299) 32 45 22 extension 115
fax/факс (+299) 32 47 97
ili4uni@greennet.gl

Centro di documentazione sui popoli minacciati (Documentation Centre of minority peoples;  Центр документации по коренным народам)
Alessandro Michelucci
P.O. Box 6282
I-50127 Florence
popoli-minacciati@ines.org

Arctic Institute of North America (Арктический институт Северной Америки)
Mary Leeds Stapleton
P.O. Box 12, Site 7, RR 8
CDN-Calgary, Alberta   T2J 2T9
ph./тел. (+1) 403.931.2453
fax/факс +1.403.931.2454
www.circumpolarroute.org

Pacific Environment (Тихоокеанский центр окружающей среды)
Sibyl Diver
1440 Broadway, Suite 306
USA-Oakland, CA 94612
ph./тел. (+510) 251-8800 x 307
sdiver@pacificenvironment.org

Scott Polar Research Institute (Институт полярных исследований им.Скотта)
University of Cambridge
Lensfield Rd
Cambridge, Great Britain CB2 1ER
Isabella Warren
Russian Bibliographer
ph./тел. (+44) 1223-336565
imtw1@cam.ac.uk

Susan Soule
3601 C Street, Suite 358
P.O. Box 240249
USA-Anchorage, Alaska 99524-0249
ph./тел. (+1) 907-269-3790
fax/факс  (+1) 907-2693786
susan_soule@health.state.ak.us
Program manager, treatment and rural services, Department of health and social services, Division of alcoholism and drug abuse
(Менеджер по программам, отдел здравоохранения и социальных программ,отдел наркотиков и алкоголизма)
 
“ЛАЧ” (LACH)
Камчатский Информационный центр коренных народов Севера (Kamchatka Information Centre of Indigenous Peoples of the North)
683009, г. Петропавловск-Камчатский 
ул.Академика Королева 11 кв.2
ph.,fax /тел.,факс (+8) 4152-19-01-32
lach@mail.kamchatka.ru

Dessislav Sabev
University Laval
Pavillion De Koninck, room 0450
CDN-Quebec, G1K 7P4
ph./тел. (418) 6562131 ext.4108
fax (418)656-3023

Ойнвид Григорий  (Grigori Oinvid)
1-ый Басманный пер., 6, стр.4. 
RUS-Москва
ph./тел.  (+7) (095) 261-97-69
факс 261-86-40.
Заместитель председателя, Федеральный фонд поддержки малого бизнеса Правительства Российской Федерации (Deputy chairman, Government of the Russian Federation, Federal Fund for Small Business Support)
Инанкеуясь Александра Васильевна (Aleksandra V. Inankeuyas)
RUS-689315 Лорино
Чукотский р-н, Чукотка
ph./тел. (+7) 93-22-298-242
Депутат районного совета (Deputy of Local Council)

Баум Валентина Владимировна (Valentina V. Baum)
RUS-686300 Лаврентия 
Чукотский р-н, Чукотка
ph./тел. (22)-6-74
Администрация района, Совет старейшин (Council of Elders, administration)

Отек Римма Александровна (Rimma A. Otek)
ул.Ленина 2-2 
RUS-689310 Уэлен, Чукотка
ph./тел. (95)-3-80
Воспитатель (Educator)

Тагрина Евгения Владимировна (Evgeniya V. Tagrina)
ул.Дежнева 47/1 кв.6
695251 Провидения, Чукотка
ph./тел.  (+7) 42735-22008
Научный сотрудник музея (Museum researcher)

Тевляна Лидия Анатольевна (Lidiya A. Tevlyana)
RUS-Янракыннот, Провиденский р-н, Чукотка
ph./тел.  3-40

Карабашлыкова Нина (Nina Karabashlykova)
RUS-Эгвекинот, а/я 29,  Чукотка
ph./тел. 22107
Ассоциация района (Local association)
Translations from “Мир коренных народов – живая арктика” (Indigenous Peoples' World – Living Arctic)

According to an agreement between ANSIPRA and RAIPON (Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North), we present translations of selected articles of the newsletter “Мир коренных народов” (Indigenous Peoples’ World), the official periodical of RAIPON. The following part of this issue presents the official RAIPON documents from the IV Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the North, previously published in Russian in Indigenous Peoples’ World No. 6-7, 2001.

Press-release:
IV Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East

The IV Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East has been held in Moscow on 12-13 April 2001, with the registration of 335 delegates and participation of over 400 guests. There were presented 29 federal units of the Russian Federation, practically all the regions inhabited by the minority indigenous peoples and represented by their delegates and grassroot organizations. 
	Main reports were presented by Sergey Kharyuchi, the Russian Association of the Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON) President, Valeriy Kirpichnikov, first Deputy of the Minister on Federal, National and Migration Policy, Artur Chilingarov, Deputy Chairman of the RF State Duma, Aleksandr Nazarov, Chairman of the Committee on North Affairs and Minority Peoples under the Federal Assembly, Valentina Pivnenko, Chairman of the Committee on Problems of the North and Far East, Mikhail Nikolaev, The President of Sakha Republic (Yakutia). During the Congress there were 65 presentations and interventions from regional NGOs and predominantly indigenous delegates.
	The Congress adopted the resolution, where particular attention is paid to preservation and development of the traditional lifestyle and self-management at the traditional land use areas, and the Charter of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East of the Russian Federation. The RAIPON By-Laws have been amended and changed, including approved by voting an amendment that RAIPON is a plenipotent representative of the 40 indigenous nations of the North, Siberia and Far East of Russia.
	During the Congress there was discussed a new structure of the RAIPON – an institution of vice-presidents and regional coordinators established for better interaction with the regional and ethnic organizations of the indigenous peoples. There was adopted a decision to exchange proposals and share the ideas on new political and organizational structure of the RAIPON until the next Coordinating Council (CC) meeting. At present the CC consists of 42 members, including 34 regional elected representatives. The CC is chaired by the RAIPON President. 
	Three candidates were proposed for the RAIPON President election process. As a result of the direct secret vote 192 delegates have voted for Mr Sergey Kharyuchi, 85 for Ms Tatyana Gogoleva and 8 for Mr. Aleksandr Lambin, therefore Sergey Kharyuchi was re-elected a President for another 4-year period. 
	On an alternative basis Mr. Pavel Sulyandziga, RAIPON Vice-President has been elected a Candidate to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues from the NIS region. 
	Representatives from the Arctic state embassies passed greetings from Finland, Denmark and Canada to the participants of the Indigenous Congress, 29 foreign guests were present at the Congress along with the official observers from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and International Working Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA).
	On morning April 13 the action with participation of the indigenous regional leaders has been organized at the Gorbaty Bridge near the Residence (White House) of the Russian Federation Government. After the Congress on an agreement with the relevant Ministries and agencies the delegates have appointed meetings with the official representatives, dealing with the problems and issues of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East. 
	Under the Congress on 7-15 April 2001, there was held a seminar “Federal Legislation on indigenous issues and its enforcement”. 
	The Congress debates have been covered by over 60 journalists from 37 foreign, national and regional press agencies and shootings by 10 TV companies. 
REPORT
by Mr S. Kharyuchi, President of RAIPON,
to the IV Congress of the Indigenous Peoples 
of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation 

Our life and future are in our hands

On activity of the RAIPON Co-ordination Council; analysis of the past activity, strategy and tactics for the future by the organisations of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation till 2005

MOSCOW, Conference Centre of the RF President's Office, 12 April 2001

Dear delegates to the Congress!
Dear guests! 
Ladies and gentlemen!

In these two days we are to discuss the complicated issues, concerning the life and activities of the Indigenous Northerners. We will attempt to determine the ways of development and the strategy for activities of our movement and its role in the life of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation till 2005. This means that we will have to analyse thoroughly all our joint work in the last four years. I would like to remind you that the scope of activity by RAIPON's Co-ordination Council covered the participation in the daily work of the grass-root organisations of our Association. 
	The past four years since the III Congress of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of Russia have shown that despite the challenges in the political, economic and social reforms accompanied by a number of crisis situations, we survived and managed to sustain the spiritual and moral bases of our life. We also participated actively in the integration processes at the international level. We were useful to our compatriots and to our peoples. This is a fact.
	Today RAIPON is recognised at the federal level in Russia, as well as by the international community as the plenipotentiary representative of the indigenous peoples of Russia.
	We managed to work more at the international, the federal and the regional levels, to establish relations of partnership with the governmental agencies, local authorities and with many corporations. In 1999 our constructive work on environmental protection was recognised by the UN Environmental Programme, who gave RAIPON the “GLOBAL-500” award.
	On the 25th January 2001, the UN Committee on NGOs recommended that at the next meeting of the Committee in July 2001 to consider provision to RAIPON a Special Consultative Status at the UN Economic and Social Council. This status is significantly higher than the one we applied. This is the recognition of our work at the UN level.
	Participation of the representatives of the Association as advisers and experts in the law making process at the federal level allowed to speed up the adoption of the federal laws "On guarantees to the rights of the indigenous peoples of Russia ", "On general principles for the indigenous communities in the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation", and promoted consideration of the drafts for the federal laws "On reindeer herding", "On territories of traditional land use by the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation" and of other laws in Russian Parliament. Much more work has been done at the regional levels.
	However, dear delegates, we are concerned by the amount of problems and of the unfinished work that require our efforts in the future, since the majority of our compatriots are experiencing tremendous difficulties in their everyday life. We are still far away from solving their problems.
	Perhaps, this is one of the main issues that demanded the establishment of the Association in the start of the 90s: to promote solving problems for every inhabitant of the taiga and the tundra, every family and every community, every indigenous settlement. These problems range from socio-economic issues to spiritual needs. This was the main direction or our work in the last four years.
	Having created the appropriate opportunities and conditions, the management of Association has already begun working with our grass-root organisations in the regions. The Project Centre for Indigenous Peoples and the Russian Indigenous Training Centre established under the auspices of RAIPON started educational programmes for the indigenous people to educate them in modern ways decision-making in dealing with the social and the economic problems at a grassroot level.
	The second phase of the Canadian-Russian project has been launched as well. It is designed to run to for the next five years. However our special hopes lie with the activities by our profile centres, which are there to respond to the needs of the economic development of the indigenous peoples in the Russian North and in the indigenous communities. 

Dear delegates and guests!
At the III Congress of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation in March 1997, the delegates defined the priorities to work with in the next four years. Based on these priorities, the management of the Association has determined the following directions for our activities:
·	Strengthening of the organisational capacity in our movement;
·	Establishment of an information exchange system with the regional associations and with the foreign partners;
· 	Strengthening cooperation with the Parliamentary Committees, with the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, and with the governmental agencies;
·	Strengthening partnerships with divisions of the UN, with international organisations, national movements, and governmental agencies;
· 	Capacity building of the RAIPON;
· 	Formulation and implementation of the youth policy at the federal level and the regional levels;
· 	Establishment of professional and creative unions and organisations;
· 	Establishment of contacts with the large Russian and foreign companies who conduct industrial activity in the aboriginal lands;
· 	Participation in the formulation, the implementation and the monitoring of the federal programs for socio-economic development of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East.
I will attempt to report on the results of the work done on each direction. I will then present my ideas on further advancing of this work. I will also inform you on our successes and failures.

Dear colleagues!
As you remember, at the time of the III Congress, 29 indigenous organisations were members of RAIPON. These organisations were created either by territorial or ethnic principles, uniting 32 indigenous peoples in 28 administrative divisions of the Russian Federation. These territories cover 64% of the country.
	Absence of office space, funding, communication equipment, technological opportunities for information exchange not only with the foreign partners, but with the regional associations, shortage of the qualified personnel, empty bank account (plus large arrears in taxes) - all this paralysed activities of the Association. The governmental agencies, according to the federal law "On non-governmental organisations", had no right and could not afford to support us in the economic crisis.
	Only due to the decision by Vladimir Kuramin, the then Chairman of Goskomsever (the Governmental Committee for the Development of the North), we could use the premises of the Committee for our central office. Only due to the implementation of the Canadian-Russian project (Phase 1) on institutional strengthening of the indigenous peoples of the Russian North in the framework of the Memorandum on Cooperation between Canada and Russia, the central and the regional offices of the Association were equipped with modern means of communication.
It allowed us to increase our efficiency and to start regular activities in the stable environment. My sincere thanks go to the Vice-presidents, to the members of the Co-ordination Council, to the members of the Council of the Elders, and to the employees at the RAIPON office. The development of the new projects allowed us to attract financial resources from the international organisations in order to develop our own activity.
	The structure of the regional organisations - members of RAIPON - has significantly extended in the last four years. New ethnic, regional and professional organisations joined the Association, for example, the Society of the Veps Culture, the Society for Survival and Socio-economic Development of the Mansi in Sverdlovsk oblast, the Association of the Indigenous Peoples of the North Altay, the Society of the Eskimos JUPIK, and many others. The Union of the Indigenous Scientists (under leadership of Prof. Chuner Taksami), the Organisation of the Indigenous Youth (chairman - Andrey Isakov), The Union of Sea Mammal Hunters are very active in our movement. RAIPON renders them any support it can provide.
	Today 34 territorial and ethnic indigenous organisations are members of RAIPON. These organisations unite 40 indigenous peoples with the associated membership of more than 200 000 people. 34 leaders of the member organisations are RAIPON's regional Presidents, according to our Charter. The regional leaders are also members of our Co-ordination Council. Further, the President, 11 profile Vice-presidents, and the chairman of Council of the Elders are also the members Co-ordination-Council.
	In the last 4 years only one of the nine planned meetings of the Co-ordination Council was cancelled. This was a meeting scheduled to take place in Khanty-Mansiysk. It was supposed to be the first meeting after the III Congress. The man to blame is Mr V.B. Shustov, a former Head of RAIPON's Administration. He was fired.
	According to our annual action plan, the Co-ordination Council has considered a number of actions to achieve the goals set in the Program of RAIPON, in the documents of the III Congress, in the Memorandums and Agreements, signed by the President on behalf of the Association with governmental agencies, with international organizations and industrial companies. However, this was done explicitly within the limits of competence described in the Charter of the Association and following the Russian legislation.
	The Co-ordination Council has among other issues considered a number of questions that deserve attention of the delegates and visitors to this congress. These are:
·	Actions to follow-up the assessment by the delegates to the III Congress of RAIPON (Reports by Mr S.M. Kirillin, RAIPON's First Vice-president and by Ms I.A. Degtiar, Head of Department in Goskomsever).
·	Information on implementation of the federal programs on socio-economic development of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation (Reports by Goskomsever's Vice-chairman and Head of Department of the indigenous peoples );
·	Information on the health issues in the indigenous population in the northern territories (Report by Ms L.I. Abryutina, RAIPON's vice--president);
·	Information on living standards and education of the indigenous students in the universities of St.-Petersburg (Report by Ms N.Ja. Bulatova, RAIPON's Vice-president); 
·	Information on the humanitarian aid to the northern territories after the failure of the annual provision of fuel and foodstuffs (Reports by Mr S.M. Kirillin, RAIPON's First Vice-president, by Ms I.A. Degtiar, Head of Department in Goskomsever, by the representatives of the Canadian government and of the Canadian IСС);
·	Information on the activities by governmental regional agencies in Yamalo-Nenets autonomous okrug on drafting the legal base for the indigenous way of life (Report by Mr E.L. Kerpelman, Vice-chairman of the Regional Parliament of Yamal-Nenets autonomous okrug);
·	Information on activities of the governmental regional agencies in Khanty-Mansi autonomous okrug on socio-economic problems of the indigenous peoples (Report by Mr V.S. Sondykov, Vice-chairman of the Government of Khanty-Mansi autonomous okrug);
·	Information on the international Seminar, on participation in the law-making process, and on the indigenous Parliament of Russia.
We did not limit our activities to a simple discussion of the above issues, we made decisions and implemented them.
	The Co-ordination Council worked closely with the federal governmental agencies. We organised seminars, conferences, meetings, joint working groups, thus promoting implementation of decisions on the major tasks set by RAIPON. Certainly, every idea of RAIPON did not become a law or a governmental standard. Our cooperation with the state did not advance so far as yet. Nevertheless, we formed a good starting point for the partner relations between the Government and our peoples.
	After the III Congress it was important to obtain a clear understanding on the legal status of the indigenous peoples at the federal and the regional levels. In the same time, we needed the information on the relevant foreign experience. The second important task was to study the problems of the indigenous land-use. The third issue was the indigenous participation in the law-making process. Unfortunately, this issue still remains open.
	In order to identify possible solutions, the Co-ordination Council organised international conferences "Human rights and the indigenous people in the ethnic policy of the Russian government" (together with the Presidential Commission on Human Rights and the Severnie Prostory magazine), "Current problems in the indigenous land-use" (together with Goskomsever and the Parliamentary Committee on problems of the North and Far East with the financial support by McArthur Foundation), and the International Seminar "Cooperation between the governmental agencies of Norway, Sweden and Finland with the Saami Parliaments" (together with Parliamentary Committee and the representatives of the Scandinavian countries). This work resulted in the laws I mentioned in the start of this report.
	The III Arctic Leaders’ Summit on the environmental and health issues was a significant event for our movement and the Russian public at large. These issues were discussed in detail at the series of the national, regional and interregional seminars and conferences organised by RAIPON. We will continue working in this field, because the industry still effects the indigenous environment of the North, our health and our life. High levels of cancer and tuberculosis among the northern aboriginals show the lack of adequate concern by the governmental agencies.
	Recommendations by the international seminar specified the necessity to establish the Indigenous Parliament of the North, Siberia and the Far East as a representative and a consultative body. This however requires both time to draft an appropriate federal law or a norm, and a sufficient funding. Therefore at the meeting of the members of the Co-ordination Council with the Mr Gennady Seleznev, the Chairman of the Russian Parliament, we decided upon an intermediate setup - to create a Consultative and Expert Council of the Russian Parliament with the indigenous representatives. The parliamentary leaders supported our suggestion.
	RAIPON's Co-ordination Council developed the draft of the parliamentary resolution, the Statute of this advisory body, and its structure. These drafts were submitted to the Parliament. However 1,5 year later we received neither negative nor positive answer. Today, I hope, we will have a response from the representative Russian parliament to our constructive proposal.
	The analysts from the Institute of the Northern Indigenous Issues developed a draft of a law on the indigenous Parliament based on the recommendations by the international seminar. Unfortunately, the draft did not meet the legal requirements and was therefore rejected. To develop so complicated projects requires involvement of well-qualified lawyers who specialise in the constitutional law. And this is very expensive. Here the efforts by the Association are obviously insufficient. The challenge lies in creating a law on establishment of a Parliament, a law that may be incorporated in the existing legal base of the Russian political system, yet without amendments to the Russian Constitution. The indigenous Parliament will not be a non-governmental organisation but will have advisory and consultative functions. It will ensure a permanent indigenous participation in the Russian parliament where currently no indigenous representatives work. I hope that the development of this bill will be included in the action plan for the Parliamentary Committee on problems of the North and Far East for autumn 2001.
	Speaking on the status of work on establishment of the indigenous Parliament it is necessary to mention the implementation of the Federal Law "On guarantees to the indigenous minority rights", and in particular Article 13 that obliges regional governmental agencies to introduce a quota for the indigenous representation in the law-making bodies and the regional administrations. We believe the lawmakers were too modest in the use of the uncertain formula "they may". Perhaps this is the reason why no indigenous quotas were introduced in the law-making bodies of the northern regions.
	In the same time, the indigenous representations in the Yamal-Nenets and the Khanty-Mansi autonomous okrugs, as well as in Sakhalin were introduced earlier and proved to be the right choice by the governor and the regional MPs.
	Today we observe permanent reductions in the indigenous representation at regional law-making bodies. Suggestions to adopt law on the indigenous quota meet fierce resistance by the regional MPs. For example, in the Nenets autonomous okrug where the Yasavey Association that has a right to come up with legal initiatives has several times suggested a bill on two indigenous representatives in the regional Parliament that on March 30, 2001, has again refused to adopt this law. To protest this decision, Mr A.I. Vyucheisky, an MP and the former president of the Yasavey Association decided to resign from the regional Parliament. This was perhaps too emotional response since he was the only indigenous MP. This story shows that indigenous people want to enjoy their political rights, but the MPs do not want to allow it. 
	A similar situation develops in Kemerovo oblast. Here Ms Nadezhda Pechenina, the only indigenous MP, introduced a draft on the indigenous quota in the regional administration. The other MPs did not support this initiative. In fact, they said that Article 13 of the Federal Law "On guarantees to the indigenous minority rights in Russia" does not comply with the Russian Constitution. Ms Pechenina suggested her colleagues to resolve the matter in the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, but the MPs did not accept this proposal as well. Curiously, they do not want to give us an indigenous quota because "it is against the Constitution" but they are afraid of the Constitutional Court. It is perhaps necessary to amend the formulation in the Article 13 of the Federal Law "On guarantees to the indigenous rights in Russia", to change the wording from "may" to "must".
	In the context of relations with federal governmental agencies on problems of the Northern territories and the Northern indigenous peoples it is necessary to remind that these issues have to be resolved together at the federal level as they often depend on each other. Whatever names are given to the Northern territories as the administrative units of the Russian Federation, they are and will be the place where we, the indigenous people, live and work. Here we maintain the tribal way of life and our traditional economy. It is impossible to separate our economic base from our way of life or to solve our problems and the problems or our territories separately. 
	It is also difficult to solve problems of the northern economic development separately from the problems of the indigenous people. Goskomsever and the interdepartmental Commission co-ordinated the actions by various governmental agencies. They formulated the Northern governmental policy. The issues were considered together but within authorities of every governmental agency. We have several times suggested and will repeat it today - we insist on establishment of a Ministry for Northern territories. We suggest that this Minister should have a status of a Deputy Prime Minister. Many regional governmental agencies support us.
	Our arguments are: the most essential natural deposits are where indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East live and work. This means that in forthcoming decades, even centuries, the Russian economy will be based upon the industrial development of our subsoils. The clash of the two civilisations, two mentalities, two incompatible environmental views will be hard to avoid. We have the traditional norms and rules formed and established in the thousands of years on one side, and the industrial effect on the places of traditional living on the other side. Hence, a central co-ordinating agency is needed to develop the vast northern territories. A serious conflict may otherwise arise.
	Certainly, the dominant side equipped with the modern technology and supported by the governmental authority will take over. Perhaps nobody will notice the disappearance of a small tribe at the federal level. But we are sure that disappearance of a bird, an animal or a plant in result of industrial development will be definitely entered in the Red Book. However we do not want to follow this trend.
	In the western countries the problems of the indigenous people lie in the competence of the Security Councils. In the West they clearly understand that the problems of the indigenous people are first of all problems of territories, land and natural resources. Unfortunately, in Russia the indigenous issues are co-ordinated at a much lower level, in the Ministry for the Federative, Ethnic and Migrational Policy, in the Department of the indigenous peoples at the Ministry of Trade and economic development.
	There is yet another issue to consider. In the eleven years of our work in RAIPON, the 3rd Federal Program on socio-economic development of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation is implemented. The Ministries and the regional governmental agencies report on the work they did, including housing etc. However, according to our information that indigenous peoples are worse off every year. And it proves to be true. There are two reasons to it, in our view. The first lies in the amount of funding. For example, the federal programme on the Northern indigenous development received RUR 81,7 million of the planned RUR 83,5 million in the year 2000. It was almost 100% funded. But when we divide this amount between the 28 regions of the Russian Federation, and divide it further between dozens of indigenous settlements, and take into account the Northern prices for construction materials with transport expenditures, we can clearly see what we get in result, especially in the regions funded from the federal budget.
	The second reason is, in our view, the deficiencies of the funding channels and weak monitoring of spending. The recent experience shows bad practice in the implementation phase and the lack of funds to monitor the implementation locally. 
	What is the present state of the Federal Programme? The Programme-2000 was prolonged to 2001 in December. Since January 15, 2001 the functions of a governmental procurement were transferred to the Ministry for the Federative, Ethnic and Migrational Policy. The Ministry is also to administer the programme "The Children of the North ". Here several questions arise. What are the implementation tools of these programmes? What is the degree of participation by the indigenous people in the implementation phase? The regional structure of Goskomsever was left to the Ministry of Economy, and this Ministry has other functions.
	The Ministry for Federative, Ethnic and Migrational Policy is going to involve its regional Migrational Services who have absolutely no knowledge on the problems of the indigenous people of the North. How does the Ministry envisage the monitoring of implementation phase by the indigenous people? Recently we have received an answer from those who implement the programme "The Children of the North" that RAIPON is an NGO, and therefore they are not obliged to report to us. What is then the future of this programme?
	Now on the Programme-2011. It was developed by Goskomsever. When it was abolished, the materials were also handed to the Ministry for Federative, Ethnic and Migrational Policy. The Ministry was to administer the governmental procurement. However, today the Ministry of Agriculture wants to fill in this role on one Section of the Programme. The Programme is not yet approved by the Government, and if it is not done by the end of April, there will be no funding for 2002.
	RAIPON shall develop an efficient tool of monitoring the implementation phase of the Programme till October - November 2001. This is not related to mistrust in the work of the regional governmental agencies. We strive to involve and develop initiatives of the indigenous peoples, to involve them in process of their own development. We want tools to monitor the Programme in order to counteract local irresponsibilities that we all know takes place. RAIPON wants and has capacities to become a worthy partner to governmental agencies and local authorities in decision-making process that effects our present and future lives.

Dear delegates and guests!
In order to strengthen relations with our partners, RAIPON has entered into Agreements on cooperation with the Ministry for Federative, Ethnic and Migrational Policy, the Ministry for Economic Development and Trade, the Ministry of Natural Resources. RAIPON has working contacts with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The principles of cooperation were formed to work with the indigenous organisations of the Northern countries: the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, the Saami Council, the Aleut International Association, the Council of Yukon First Nations (Canada), the Gwich’in Council International and the Arctic Athabaskan Council. Together with these indigenous organisations we are the permanent participants of the Arctic Council. Since 1998 we take part in the work of the Permanent Parliamentary Committee of the Arctic countries. 
	RAIPON has established working relations with the divisions of the United Nations, first of all with the Work Group on the indigenous affairs and NGOs. Our congress will select a candidate to the post of a representative to the Permanent Forum on the indigenous issues at the UN Economic and Social Council. I hope we will make the right choice, since we have plenty to choose from.
	We started constructive cooperation with the Presidential Administration, first of all with its Legal Department. We intend to establish close cooperation with Presidential Representatives in those federal okrugs where indigenous people live and work.
	I hope that this will be a fruitful cooperation to benefit our country. We may inform the President on the true situation in the Russian North while the President and his Representatives may effectively influence the regional policy to promote sustainable economic development.
	A relationship with the industry that works on the indigenous land is a matter of our special concern. For the last 4 years we worked closely with the Arctic Gas Company (Mr V.N. Baranov is its Director General). The company works in Yamal-Nenets autonomous okrug. Mutual responsibilities, permanent information exchange, follow-up on mutual advice and personal relations are the features of this cooperation.
	Many positive words may be told about the employees of Nadymgaspom, the eldest Arctic gas company (Mr L.S. Chugunov is the former Director General, Mr V.I. Kononov is the present Director General). This is perhaps the first industrial corporation that in early 90s realised the necessity to establish the partner relations with the northern indigenous communities and NGOs. In order to work with the indigenous population, a Department on Indigenous Affairs and a position of an Advisor to the Director General on Indigenous Communities were introduced. Mr H.M.Ezyngi works successfully in this capacity from the very start. He is the former president of the association "Yamal to the Future Generations". Recently he has been elected to the Regional Parliament of Yamal-Nenets autonomous okrug for the third time. 
	One has to experience the mutual relations of the representatives of the two civilisations. However it is possible to tell the others that the traditional knowledge in the land use and the moral norms of the indigenous people are in demand. They became basic rules for everyone who lives and works in the severe Arctic conditions of the Yamal.
	I gave you the examples various it their significance but united by the same tasks and goals. Our delegates may tell many other positive stories. However I am concerned with something else. In the last four years we managed to provide technological and communication equipment to the central and regional offices, we have trained all leaders to use the equipment. However most of them do not use this equipment. In result, our work suffers.
	The important sphere of the activity by the Co-ordination Council was and will be work with the youth. Since January 15, 2000, a post of a Vice-president on Youth was introduced. 
	Half a year before this decision was made the Congress of the Indigenous Youth took place. Its delegates discussed a wide spectrum of issues, not only limited to the life of the young people, they have discussed the general problems of the North and its indigenous population. The major result was widening the group of the young people who desire to change the indigenous life to the better. It is a clear sign that our youth has organised to use the creative potential in the interests of the society. It shows as well that we have to strengthen our work with the younger generation. Our fathers and grandfathers told us repeatedly to care about tomorrow, about the future of our land, our children, and nations. If we do not show our concern with the youth, do not support their initiatives, we will deprive our movement and our nations of the future. Support to the youth shall become one of our main strategic tasks for the long term development.
	 Today we attract more young people to the daily work in our central office and to the activities of the Co-ordination Council. They work successfully on the given tasks, they have also volunteered to work in the information exchange with the regional associations. The doors of RAIPON are always open to the young people and students, including those who come to us from the regions. Here they will always receive support, information and advice.
	 Any activity and its final result depend upon effective operational structure. We understood that from the very beginning of our work. As you know, following the suggestion of the President, the Co-ordination Council authorised introduction of 11 positions of Vice-presidents. Ten showed good organisational skills in their daily duties. You might have time to read about results of their work in the information leathlets distributed at this Congress.
	Some will perhaps find so many political appointees in the management of the Association to be excessive. I was reproached for it many times. However this decision proved to be correct. We had to achieve recognition at the national and the international levels. Without appropriate status for my assistants it was difficult to achieve these results. Today the situation requires other approaches to the organisational structure. It is the task of the leaders and the Co-ordination Council set priorities for the future. RAIPON is well established at the federal and the regional levels, from now we have to focus on the grass-root level (the indigenous communities and settlements). The new organisational structure shall be devised and adopted. Since the political management of the Association is elected by the Congress, the new organisational structure shall be oriented towards establishment of a strong executive structure. The proposal on the new structure is available in your information materials. I hope that it will be approved.

Dear friends!
The intensive work on restructuring RAIPON and creation of the new office practice resulted in successful completion of projects that will be a base for new international projects. We work hard in this direction. Since the last Congress, a three-year long project known as the Danish/Greenlandic initiative was accomplished. Ten other short-term projects were implemented as well. Two long-term projects (the Canadian and the Norwegian) together with six short-term projects are in the implementation phase. RAIPON will continue working internationally as any large indigenous NGO does in other countries around the world.
	Today the Association has three basic executive divisions:
·	The Project Centre is responsible for the co-ordination of projects implementation, for collection of information on the proposed regional projects and Research of international funding opportunities;
· 	The Training Centre is responsible for education of activists to work with regional organisations and for implementation of community projects;
· 	 The Information Centre is responsible for collection and distribution of information about indigenous people, about our work for the indigenous people of Russia. Here the magazine "Indigenous Peoples’ World - Living Arctic" is published, the RAIPON Internet site is updated.

Dear delegates and guests to the Congress!
Together we went through another four challenging years. These were the difficult times of economic crisis and of political struggle with strong emotions. Nevertheless we are a success as an organisation that represents the interests of the indigenous peoples at the national level and in the international organisations.
	The time of ambitions and emotions is over. Today is the time for actions. Everybody starts to realise that our lives and our future are in our hands. Together we have always been and will be strong.
	I wish you successful and constructive work at the Congress, I wish you to be optimists and to stay together. Let our Gods care for you - the Gods of the tundra and the taiga, of the mountains and the steppes, of the water and the fire, of the earth and the heaven!

Thank you for your attention!

Resolution of the IV Congress of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation

MOSCOW, 13 April 2001

We, the delegates to the IV Congress of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East, representing 40 indigenous peoples of the Russian Federation, with account to the presentations by the delegates and the participants of the Congress on the socio-economic situation and the legal status of our peoples,
observe, that the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the governmental agencies and the local authorities of the Russian Federation, the non-governmental organisations have achieved certain results in ensuring the sustainable social, economic, ethnic and cultural developments of the Northern peoples;
approve the aspirations of the Russian and the foreign NGOs in assistance to RAIPON;
in the same time we believe that the governmental agencies should act urgently to overcome the negative effects of the socio-economic and the political processes listed below since these effects result in the degradation of the traditional life style and land use and pose a threat to the existence of the Northern indigenous peoples:
-	the destruction of the social infrastructure and of the governmental support system to public health services, culture, trade, household economy and transport in the indigenous areas of the North. In result, the indigenous population engaged in reindeer herding and in the traditional craftsmanship, the people who maintain nomadic and semi-nomadic ways of life found themselves in complete isolation;
-	a deep crisis in the traditional economy that is a basis for life support to the peoples of the North is a result of the unreasoned and hasty privatisation of the main production tools in the traditional economy;
-	reduction of the indigenous population engaged in traditional economy, the chronic latent unemployment resulted in the impoverishment of the indigenous people, in the sharp increases of disease and mortality rates, in reduction of indigenous life expectancy;
-	governmental actions on preservation and support to the indigenous cultures on the background of the increased vulnerability in cultural, language and genetic funds of these peoples are insufficient. The globalisation pushed more than ten indigenous nations to the verge of existence. This poses irreparable moral and cultural losses not only to the Russian Federation, but to the global civilisation as a whole;
-	absence of implementation tools for the indigenous rights guaranteed by the Constitution and the federal legislation of the Russian Federation land-use regulations, in self-management, in development of traditional economies, and in the cultural area. These tools should comprise a comprehensive system of the regional and thematic laws and standards. We do not have it at present, hence it is impossible to implement the rights declared by laws.
Having discussed and analysed the present situation, we, the representatives of the indigenous peoples of the North, address the President of the Russian Federation, to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, to the Government of the Russian Federation, to the regional governmental agencies and law-makers, the indigenous organisations, the intra- and the non-governmental organisations, and the global community with an appeal to take on urgent actions in support of the preservation and development of the indigenous peoples of Russia.

To the President of the Russian Federation
1.	Ensure protection of the indigenous rights to the land and the natural resources in the indigenous territories where the indigenous peoples maintain the traditional economy according to recognised norms of the international law, the international agreements and the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Do not let our land become an object in business transactions, do not let it become an object for the predatory exploitation of the natural resources.
2.	Submit to the National Security Council a proposal to consider the issue on “Critical state of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East”.
3.	Establish an Institute of Ombudsman on the indigenous peoples’ rights 
4.	Initiate ratification of the Convention of International Labour Organisation №169 of 1989 'On the indigenous and tribal peoples' by the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
5.	Recommend the Presidential Inspections in the North-Western, the Ural, the Siberian and the Far East Federal Okrugs to establish consultative expert councils on the indigenous affairs. The indigenous organisations should be represented in these councils. 
6.	Do not let nuclear waste enter the indigenous territories of the North

To the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
1.	Ratify the Convention 169 of the International Labour Organisation of 1989 'On the indigenous and tribal peoples'.
2.	Speed up the development and adoption of federal laws and other regulation on the most important issues for the indigenous population of the North in the areas of:
-	traditional land use;
-	northern reindeer herding;
-	hunting and hunting economy;
-	fishing and preservation of aquatic bioresources;
-	preservation and maintenance of the indigenous languages and cultures of the North;
-	establishment of Northern indigenous representative bodies who may effect the law-making process (including the Parliament of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East of the Russian Federation);
-	development of the traditional forms of self-government by the Northern peoples;
-	establishment of the ethnological assessment to the industrial projects in the indigenous areas in the North.
3.	Ensure the indigenous rights in the Russian laws on land, that is to provide individuals, families, communities, enterprises and organisations of the indigenous North an inalienable right to a permanent and a free use of the indigenous land, the plant and the animal worlds in order to preserve the traditional economy and to compensate the damage to the owners when the land is taken away for industrial activity by companies in any form of ownership;
4.	Establish a consultative expert council on indigenous affairs at the office of the Chairman of the State Duma. The leaders of indigenous organisations and regional MPs shall become members of this Council.
5.	Determine an indigenous quota in the law-making and the executive bodies at the federal, regional and local levels. 
6.	Following the Russian Constitution and the federal laws on the indigenous rights, introduce amendments to the appropriate federal and regional legislations, including: 
-	The Civil Code of the Russian Federation and the Federal law 'On non-profit organisations' in order to provide indigenous communities in the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation a status of a legal body;
-	The Federal Law 'On general principles for indigenous communities in the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation' in order to provide the indigenous communities a status of a self-government body and a status of a body that has a right to conduct economic activity according to the traditional forms of association of the Northern peoples;
-	The Federal Law 'On the military duty' - to provide exemptions to the young indigenous people due to their engagement in the traditional economy of the North;
-	The Federal Law 'On education' - to provide the young indigenous people with the quota in the Russian educational institutions.
-	The labour legislation of the Russian Federation - to introduce amendments and additions in order to reduce continuous record of employment to establish an incentive pension for the reindeers from the present 25 to 20 years, and to keep the 'northern' incentives stipulated by the law 'On governmental guarantees and compensations to people who live and work in the Far North and the areas deemed as the Far North'.
-	The federal legislation on natural resources - the Land Code, the Forestry Code, the laws 'On subsoils', 'On animal world', 'On continental shelf', 'On protected territories' and others - to introduce changes and additions according to the re-adopted federal laws on the rights to the indigenous peoples, and to develop the appropriate legal tools to enforce these rights. 
7.	Carry out parliamentary hearings on indigenous quotas for fishing and other bioresources used by the indigenous people of the North as their traditional products and are the base to their life support systems.

To the Government of the Russian Federation
1.	Develop and adopt a concept for a governmental ethnic policy towards the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East.
2.	Consider the possibility of establishing a special executive authority aimed at the solution of the problems of indigenous peoples of the North.
3.	Speed up the development of federal laws and other regulation of the issues vitally important to the peoples of the North, in the following areas:
-	traditional land-use;
-	northern reindeer herding;
-	hunting and hunting economy;
-	fishing and preservation of aquatic bioresources;
-	preservation and maintenance of the indigenous languages and cultures of the North;
-	establishment of Northern indigenous representative bodies who may effect the law-making process (including the Parliament of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East of the Russian Federation);
-	development of the traditional forms of self-government by the Northern peoples;
-	establishment of the ethnological assessment to the industrial projects in the indigenous areas in the North.
4.	Adopt the Federal Programme 'The economic and social development of the indigenous peoples of the North till 2011' taking into account the comments by the indigenous organisations. The programme shall have a built-in mechanism of annual corrections for volumes and objects of funding in order to use the budgetary means to an ear-marked support to the Northern peoples, and first of all to rescue the disappearing ethnoses, instead of covering up the holes in the regional budgets of the Northern administrations. The programme staff shall be employed with participation of RAIPON.
5.	Implement the federal law 'On guarantees to indigenous peoples’ rights'. To do this, an Act on the indigenous Ombudsman shall be adopted.
6.	Make amendments to the RF Governmental Decree No.7 of January 5, 2001, article 2, on the optional manufacturing an additional blank for passports with the ethnical identification if desired by the citizens. The form of this blank is to be determined by the respective executive bodies of the regional authorities and the Ministry for Internal Affairs on agreement with the Heraldic Council under the RF President.  
7.	Develop effective implementation tools to the 'Concept of governmental support to economic and social development of the Northern regions' adopted by the Governmental Act №198 of March 7, 2000.
8.	Develop and adopt a Legal Statute for traditional land use by the indigenous peoples of the North.
9.	Develop and adopt an Act on lease of the indigenous lands by the indigenous peoples of the North to the users of subsoils for industrial activities on the basis of compensatory agreements. The Act shall determine obligatory contributions by the industrial companies engaged in development of subsoils for the damage incurred to the indigenous lands and for the profits losses by the traditional economies of the North.
10.	Restore activities of the National Organising Committee for the International Decade of the Indigenous Peoples; develop and adopt an Action plan till 2005.
11.	Introduce annual governmental reviews of the national Report on the indigenous affairs in the Russian Federation. Review the Report 'On implementation of recommendations by the National Congress 'The indigenous peoples of Russia at the threshold of the XXI century: problems, prospectives, priorities' (Moscow, December 10-12, 1999). Implement urgent actions following the recommendations by the Congress. 
12.	Recommend interested executive authorities to consider the proposal of the RAIPON to organize in March 2004 a World Conference of Indigenous Peoples in Moscow.
13.	Introduce the annual statistical reporting of socio-economic development of the urban and rural indigenous population. 
14.	In order to maintain the development of languages, education, culture and science of the indigenous people, develop and adopt a Governmental programme on an on-going education for the indigenous people, and a programme for preservation, revival and development of the indigenous culture providing establishment of ethno-cultural centres in the indigenous territories. 
15.	Discuss the prolongation of registration and accounting of the indigenous unemployed who live in remote settlements.
16.	Develop additions to the federal law 'On governmental environmental assessment' in order to provide indigenous participation in the governmental environmental assessments of industrial projects on indigenous territories, and in the licensing process for development of new mineral deposits in indigenous territories.
17.	Develop legal norms to assess natural resources, to protect biodiversity, to preserve the sacred sites of the northern indigenous peoples in the indigenous territories.

To the Office of Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation
Carry out an on-going control of implementation of the federal legislation on the indigenous rights including federal laws:
'On guarantees to indigenous peoples’ rights',
'On general principles for establishing indigenous communities',
'On territories of a traditional land use by the indigenous peoples'
and other federal, regional and local legislation that regulates indigenous rights.

To the regional governmental agencies of the Russian Federation
1.	Observe national and international norms on indigenous rights in the regional law making.
2.	Following the Russian Constitution, develop a protection mechanism of a 'traditional environment and of a traditional lifestyle for small ethnic communities' as parts of the Northern indigenous people who live in various administrative regions of the Russian Federation. You have to acknowledge that the nature is a basis for the very existence of the indigenous people, while their culture creates a basis for transition to the sustainable development in the Arctic region.
3.	Develop implementation tools for the indigenous rights on participation in the programmes of economic development, in governmental and non-governmental environmental and ethno-environmental assessments with regards to any projects in the indigenous territories, and to the production sharing agreements.
4.	Carry out the inventory assessment of the indigenous territories, establish cadastres of the natural and cultural resources (heritage) in order to estimate their environmental and demographic capacities for traditional economy, traditional land use and rational use of these resources (heritage).
5.	By legal and practical means ensure preservations of the places sacred to the peoples of the North.
6.	Take on action in the cultural and educational field towards recognition of the northern indigenous cultural and natural heritage, the traditional knowledge and the practice of the land use.
7.	Develop and carry out the regional and interregional programmes on preservation and maintenance of the traditional land use, of the indigenous languages, the indigenous culture. Support the self-government according to the customs and the traditions of the peoples of the North.

To the inter-governmental international organizations
1.	Recommend initiating an establishment of the Second International Decade on Indigenous Peoples in 2005-2014 by the United Nations.
2.	Request European Union to assist in the improvement of the present situation of the indigenous peoples in Russia. 
3.	Express the gratitude to the Arctic Council for the assistance in the solution of the problems of the Arctic indigenous peoples and appeal to further develop the cooperation with the indigenous peoples in the circumpolar region. 

To Russian and international non-governmental organizations 
Having acknowledged that the culture, the traditional way of life, the spiritual and natural heritage of the Northern indigenous peoples are parts of the global cultural and biological diversity, taking into account the high vulnerability of indigenous cultures in globalisation, and taking into account the critical socio-economic situation experienced by the Northern indigenous people of Russia, we appeal to the international community:
1.	To support informational contacts with the indigenous organisations, to distribute through the mass media an information on the indigenous life, culture and common issues, as well on projects aimed at the solution of their problems.
2.	To render the indigenous peoples  assistance in development and realisation of the Russian and international non-profit projects in the fields of indigenous culture, health, education, self governance, environmental protection and improvement of the socio-economic situation of the indigenous people to the better.
3.	To promote application of modern communication tools in order to preserve indigenous languages, culture and traditional land use, to promote exchange of experience with other indigenous peoples of the Arctic region, to propagate importance and value of the traditional culture. 
4.	To assist in struggle with violations of indigenous rights, with particular emphasis  on activity of the multinational corporations.
5.	To observe international ethical standards and to co-ordinate any projects on indigenous territories with RAIPON and other non-governmental organisations of the indigenous peoples of the North.

To the Russian Associations of the indigenous peoples
1.	To co-ordinate activities of every indigenous NGO based upon the democratic principles of RAIPON's Charter.
2.	To support the elaboration of the 'Concept for development of the indigenous peoples of the Russian Federation in the XXI century'  by the Institute for Indigenous Issues, the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, to use the Concept as an ideological basis for the indigenous movement in Russia.
3.	To strengthen the democratic political system and to establish an efficient executive structure in RAIPON based on the proposal to the IV Congress of RAIPON.
4.	To strengthen and to distribute RAIPON's experience on information sharing and in legal education of the Northern indigenous peoples, with particular focus to training sessions and courses, and to establishment of the regional information centres, as well as to information sharing and distribution of legal advice through the magazine 'The Indigenous People’s World - the Living Arctic' and through other publications by RAIPON.
5.	To develop and to participate in development of programs on preservation and maintenance of languages and ethnic cultures, traditional and neotraditional economies, training and public health of the Northern indigenous peoples.
6.	To strengthen the constructive interaction between RAIPON, governmental agencies and law-makers on protection of the indigenous rights at the federal level and in traditional land use areas.
7.	To intensify the interaction between RAIPON and national as well as the international NGOs in order to support development projects for indigenous organisations and communities.
8.	To establish cadastres on the cultural and the natural heritage of the Northern peoples, to take an active part in creation of the cadastres for the territories of traditional land use, and to take part in drafting the legal regulation for the cadastres.
9.	To develop action plans and programmes on the basis of the constructive suggestions made by the delegates and the participants to the IV Congress of RAIPON.

Adopted by direct voting at the Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East in Moscow on 13 April 2001

C H A R T E R
of the Minority Indigenous Peoples
of the North, Siberia and Far East
of the Russian Federation

We, the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East of the Russian Federation,

believe that:
The Air, the Land and Water are blessed,
Nature is the source of life,
Man is but a drop in the whirlpool of life,
The river of time is but a reflection of the past, present, and future and that how our ancestors lived in the past is how we now live and how our offspring will live in the future; 

know that:
Man is a part of nature and bears responsibility for protecting the diversity of the environment;
Our home is the tundra, the taiga, the steppe and the mountains bequeathed to us by our ancestors, these are great, powerful, harsh, kind and generous manifestations but defenseless in the face of technical progress;
Use of knowledge can bring not only perfection and happiness but can cause pain and inflict injury;
Thoughtless work of human hands is capable of polluting and poisoning the air, the land, and the water, of destroying the living and of killing both large and small;
Economic growth, expanding wealth and assets for the few do not always improve life and prosperity for the majority;
Social, economic, and environmental policies of those now in power:
•	do not eliminate need and injustice,
•	do not protect the health of man and so the tree of life, of our kinfolk and our fellow countrymen, is rapidly withering away,
•	do not renew the disrupted natural processes that forms our historical development,
•	do not return the land of our ancestors, the lands of our traditional use;
Our way of life, based on time-honoured experience of communal, social organization, has been created from the original cultures and beliefs of our ancestors and is the one, true way of maintatining life and sustainable development;
No one, neither society nor civilization, will ever solve our problems and only we, and the good will of the government, are capable of accomplishing this task;

desire that:
•	our unique cultures, our ancestral homelands and way of life be protected by the government;
•	our legal rights be observed and that we can participate, as equal partners, in the planning strategies for the sustainable development of the North of our country;
•	our experience, knowledge, interests and traditional approaches to the use of the environment be accounted for when decisions are made on how the lands of our ancestors shall be used.

Everything that we believe, everything that we know and all that we desire must serve as the basis for advancing our traditional way of life.
We speak of development and not simply of “preservation” or “government protection,” emphasizing our desire to take part ourselves in the process of sustainably developing the North, our government and the world in general, using and improving on the accumulated wisdom of our ancestors.
Only in harmony with nature will humanity find a way out of its current crisis. We, the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia, and Far East of the Russian Federation, know this path!

Adopted at the IV Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East, Moscow, 13 April 2001