Legacies of territorial reorganization for indigenous land claims in Northern Russia

Research for this paper, including field work, was supported by grants from the National Council for Soviet and Eastern European Research (NCSEER), the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) with funds provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the United States Information Agency, and the U.S. Department of State (Soviet‐Eastern European Research and Training Act of 1983, Public Law 98–164, Title VIII, 97 Stat. 1047–50). The Baykal Institute of Rational Resource Management (Ulan‐Ude), and especially Senior Researcher Darima Dorzhiyevna Mangatayeva, provided logistical and academic support. Thanks to Greg Poelzer, Gail Osherenko, and two anonymous reviewers for their comments on earlier drafts of this paper. None of these organizations or individuals is responsible for the contents or views expressed herein.

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Abstract

Territorial reorganization of indigenous society in Russia's North during the Soviet period included the disruption of indigenous land tenure mechanisms, sedentarization, and forced relocation. These historical processes now serve as a backdrop for current efforts toward land reform, one alleged goal of which is to increase the potential for indigenous self‐government. This article explores the effects of territorial reorganization on the scope (geographical and functional) of indigenous petitions for land allotments, their gendered nature, and the problems of legitimate ownership rights. 1 map, 1 table, 26 references.

Notes

Research for this paper, including field work, was supported by grants from the National Council for Soviet and Eastern European Research (NCSEER), the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) with funds provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the United States Information Agency, and the U.S. Department of State (Soviet‐Eastern European Research and Training Act of 1983, Public Law 98–164, Title VIII, 97 Stat. 1047–50). The Baykal Institute of Rational Resource Management (Ulan‐Ude), and especially Senior Researcher Darima Dorzhiyevna Mangatayeva, provided logistical and academic support. Thanks to Greg Poelzer, Gail Osherenko, and two anonymous reviewers for their comments on earlier drafts of this paper. None of these organizations or individuals is responsible for the contents or views expressed herein.