Arctic Indigenous Peoples Summit Addresses Preservation of Cultural and Linguistic Heritage of Northern Ethnic Groups

Participants of the Arctic Indigenous Peoples Summit, held November 2 in Moscow, discussed the latest approaches to preserving the languages ​​and cultural heritage of indigenous peoples of the Arctic, their traditional economy , cross-border cooperation and state regulation of the activities of communities of indigenous ethnic groups in the North. The summit was held as part of the plan of events for the Russian chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021-2023, which are organized by the Roscongress Foundation. “Russia is constantly striving to improve the well-being of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic and to preserve their cultures, customs and languages. Summit participants presented their expert assessments and ideas regarding the problems most important in the development of groups in the Russian North. I am convinced that the work that has been done will become a solid basis for future projects in this area and will result in new legislative initiatives,” said Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the Russian President and Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee of the Russian Chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021-2023 Specifically, summit participants discussed the implementation of the Arctic Council project “Digitalization of the linguistic and cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic”, launched by Russia. Mikhail Pogodayev, special representative of the Russian Presidency of the Arc Council tic for Indigenous Peoples and Regional Cooperation and Deputy Minister of Development of the Arctic and Northern Peoples of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), said that the project is mainly aimed at preserving the endangered languages ​​and cultures of the peoples of the North. As part of the project, a GIS map of languages ​​of ethnic groups in Russia will be created. In the future, these materials will be used for educational purposes and to promote the indigenous peoples of the Arctic. Reports were also presented on the initiatives of the Association for the Preservation and Development of Indigenous Languages, an interactive atlas of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East, as well as an Olympiad in the indigenous languages ​​of the peoples of the Russian Federation. “We will encourage interaction between indigenous and economic operators in the high latitudes. This is important for people and for ensuring the socio-economic development of the regions. in the Arctic”, which aims to study the gastronomic traditions of the peoples of the North, to promote the products of the indigenous peoples and to increase their added value. All this will contribute to solving food security problems. We are also thinking about the possibility of put forward an initiative to establish the Creative Arctic project. This is an important project that will help to develop and establish creative skills and abilities among representatives of indigenous peoples of the North,” said Nikolay Korchunov, President Senior Arctic Officials and Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Cooperation of the Russian Foreign Ministry Summit participants also discussed the implementation of a program of state support for traditional economic activities Indigenous Peoples of the Russian Federation, which was approved in 2021. Soslan Abisalov, Director of the Department for Development development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation and the implementation of infrastructure projects of the Ministry of Development of the Russian Far East and the Arctic, said that the program includes 40 measures aimed at improving the well- to be indigenous peoples and to develop infrastructure, education and the tourism industry.

The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Nenets and Chukotka Autonomous Districts participate in the program. “The measures of the plan are aimed at supporting indigenous communities. Some of the interesting projects that are being implemented include the creation of a network of commercial and logistics centers for deliveries in the north, the establishment of production facilities for nomads in the territory of the Nenets Autonomous District, and the supply of vehicles for educational organizations in Yakutia,” Abisalov said. An expanded meeting of the Expert Advisory Council of the Russian Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs on Socioeconomic Development indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East was held within the framework of the Summit Experts from specialized organizations, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Russian Ministry of Agriculture and government of the Nenets Autonomous District discussed the practice of registering the place of residence of Russian citizens among the indigenous peoples who lead a nomadic or semi-nomadic community. way of life and have no permanent place of residence. During the Summit, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova and President of the Association of Indigenous Minorities of the North Grigory Ledkov signed a cooperation agreement to protect the rights of indigenous peoples, organize educational projects, exchange information on human rights violations, and organize joint events to draft bills and promote them in parliament. The discussions brought together representatives of 40 indigenous peoples of the Arctic, legislative and executive authorities, as well as experts and specialists from public bodies. NyadmaNyaruy and MasneVanuyto, artists from the National Center of Cultures of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, performed on the sidelines of the Summit. The Summit was held within the framework of the 3rd National Forum of the Peoples of Russia and was timed to coincide with the International Decade of Indigenous Languages ​​(2022-2032). The event was organized by the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs. Russia will chair the Arctic Council in 2021-2023. One of the main priorities of the Russian Presidency is to develop human capital in the region, including the indigenous peoples of the North. Russia pays particular attention to maintaining the sustainability and viability of the peoples of the North, promoting measures to adapt them to climate change, improving well-being, health, education and people’s quality of life, and ensuring sustainable socio-economic development throughout the region. The Russian side has launched projects to digitize the cultural and linguistic heritage of indigenous peoples in the North, develop renewable energy sources, create an international Arctic research station running on carbon-free energy and ensure biosafety in the arctic. In addition, Russia is preparing draft proposals on traditional medicine of indigenous peoples and the development of creative industries in the Arctic, and is working on an initiative to create digital museums of the Arctic.

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