INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION Johannes Rohr Report 18 IWGIA – 2014 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION Copyright: IWGIA Author: Johannes Rohr Editor: Diana Vinding and Kathrin Wessendorf Proofreading: Elaine Bolton Cover design and layout: Jorge Monrás Cover photo: Sakhalin: Indigenous ceremony opposite to oil facilities. Photographer: Wolfgang Blümel Prepress and print: Electronic copy only Hurridocs Cip data Title: IWGIA Report 18: Indigenous Peoples in the Russian Federation Author: Johannes Rohr Editor: Diana Vinding and Kathrin Wessendorf Number of pages: 69 ISBN: 978-87-92786-49-4 Language: English Index: 1. Indigenous peoples – 2. Human rights Geographical area: Russian Federation Date of publication: 2014 INTERNATIONAL WORK GROUP FOR INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS Classensgade 11 E, DK 2100 - Copenhagen, Denmark Tel: (45) 35 27 05 00 - Fax: (45) 35 27 05 07 E-mail: [email protected] - Web: www.iwgia.org This report has been prepared and published with the financial support of the Foreign Ministry of Denmark through its Neighbourhood programme. CONTENTS Introduction................................................................................................................................................................. 8 1 The indigenous peoples of the north ................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Matters of definition .......................................................................................................................................... 9 1.2 Regions and landscapes ................................................................................................................................ 10 1.3 Endangered linguistic diversity ........................................................................................................................11 2 Legal status ........................................................................................................................................................... 13 2.1 Constitutional order ........................................................................................................................................ 13 2.2 Indigenous framework laws ............................................................................................................................ 14 2.3 Conflicting definitions: Indigenous peoples under Russian and international law .......................................... 14 2.3.1 Significance of place of residence ......................................................................................................... 16 2.4 Self-determination vs self-administration ........................................................................................................ 16 2.5 Customary law of indigenous peoples ............................................................................................................ 17 2.6 Rights to land and resources .......................................................................................................................... 17 2.7 Territories of traditional nature use ................................................................................................................. 17 2.8 Status and role of Obshchinas ....................................................................................................................... 19 2.8.1 Case study: Dylacha – Economic discrimination against indigenous peoples ...................................... 20 2.9 Federal legislation on land and resources ...................................................................................................... 21 3 The indigenous movement .................................................................................................................................. 23 3.1 The beginnings ............................................................................................................................................... 23 3.2 Consolidation and professionalisation (1997-2008) ....................................................................................... 25 3.2.1 The backlash (2009-13) ........................................................................................................................ 26 4 Present-day human rights situation ................................................................................................................... 30 4.1 Marginalisation, structural discrimination and racism against indigenous peoples ......................................... 31 4.1.1 Lack of reliable data, failure to track the human rights situation .................................................................. 32 4.1.2 Overall demographic development .............................................................................................................. 32 4.1.3 Life expectancy and health .......................................................................................................................... 32 4.1.4 Indigenous children ............................................................................................................................... 33 4.1.5 Poverty .................................................................................................................................................. 34 4.2 Civil and political rights ................................................................................................................................... 34 6 5 Extractive industries & conflict hotspots ........................................................................................................... 36 5.1 Oil & gas ......................................................................................................................................................... 36 5.1.1 Case study: The Iz’vatas: The impossibility of being indigenous .......................................................... 38 5.2 Mining and metals .......................................................................................................................................... 41 5.2.1 Case study: Living and dying in Kazas .................................................................................................. 42 5.3 Energy & dams ............................................................................................................................................... 43 5.4 Aerospace ...................................................................................................................................................... 45 5.5 Conservation, tourism and timber................................................................................................................... 46 6 International human rights obligations of the Russian Federation ................................................................. 48 6.1 UN Human rights instruments ........................................................................................................................ 48 6.1.1 Russia’s indigenous peoples and the UN treaty bodies ....................................................................... 48 6.1.1.1 The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) ............................................ 49 6.1.1.2 The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) ........................................... 50 6.1.2 The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) ................................................................................................... 52 6.1.3 The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) ................................................... 54 6.1.4 The UN Special Procedures .................................................................................................................. 55 6.1.5 The Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples .............................................................. 55 6.1.6 Working Group on the Issue of Human Rights and Transnational and other Business Enterprises, the UNGP and the OECD Guidelines ................................................................................ 55 6.1.7 Russia and the ILO Convention no. 169 – A difficult relationship .......................................................... 56 6.2 European human rights mechanisms ............................................................................................................. 57 6.2.1 The European Human Rights Convention and the European Court of Human Rights .......................... 57 6.2.2 The Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) ...................................... 57 7 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................ 59 Appendices Appendix 1: Recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 61 1.1 Recommendations to the Russian Federation ......................................................................................... 61 1.2 Recommendations to the foreign governments ........................................................................................ 63 1.3 Recommendations to indigenous peoples................................................................................................ 63 1.4 Recommendations