What Did Evenks Get from Modernization? Global Projects of the Century and People’s Destinies

Abstract

The article is based mainly on the materials of the expeditions of 2021–2022 to the areas of close cohabitation of Evenks and Russians – the Verkhnebureinsky district of the Khabarovsk Territory and the Severo-Baikalsky district of the Republic of Buryatia. The territories adjacent to the Baikal-Amur Railway were under the influence of an aggressive policy of modernization, which led to significant transformations in the habitual way of life of the indigenous peoples of the North (often abbreviated in Russian as KMNS, standing for korennye malochislennye narody severa) – in the conditions that prevailed after the construction of the highway and related infrastructure, it became impossible to use traditional ways of subsistence such as reindeer herding, hunting and fishing. Many representatives of the indigenous peoples of the North were unable to adapt to the changed realities. We argue that there is a need for close cooperation between federal authorities, such as the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs of the Russian Federation, with the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North and with Evenk business entities. The central federal authorities should rely less on the reports of local authorities, while constantly monitoring the real situation. It is necessary to pay as much attention as possible to protecting the rights of the indigenous peoples of the North to conducting a traditional economy. This means not only combating violations or abuses within existing laws, but also overhauling the existing model, which often leaves the Evenks vulnerable to exploitation of their lands by private entrepreneurs and tenants. In addition, it is the government of the country that is responsible for creating favorable conditions for changing the activities of those Evenki who do not want or cannot run a traditional economy, which implies improving access to education and creating new jobs, as well as strengthening social support measures.