Feedback On the International Day of the World‘s Indigenous Peoples, Anti-Discrimination Centre Memorial starts a series of podcasts on the rights of Indigenous peoples. The first episode (in Russian), “Indigenous peoples‘ Rights to Land, Resources, and a Healthy Environment,” is dedicated to the environmental rights of Indigenous peoples. An English version of the episode will be issued soon.
Indigenous peoples practicing a traditional way of life have a special connection with the territories of their residence, with the surrounding nature – forests, rivers, steppes or tundra. The ancestral territories of Indigenous peoples serve not just as a place of residence, but form the basis of their identity and well-being. The land, flora, and wildlife are part of their worldview and spirituality, a place for conducting traditional economic activities, preserving culture, and passing cultural heritage on to future generations. Separated from their traditional territories, Indigenous peoples are vulnerable to assimilation and loss of identity and culture. That is why the special collective right of Indigenous peoples to lands, territories and resources is fundamental and protected by international legislation.
The problems of violation of the environmental rights of the Indigenous peoples of Russia are discussed by the experts:
- Yana Tannagasheva, representative of the Shor Indigenous people, activist of the International Committee of Indigenous Peoples of Russia (ICIPR)
- Maxim Olenichev, a Human Rights lawyer experienced in defending the right of Indigenous communities to land
- Olga Abramenko, expert of ADC Memorial
Sound design: Ostap Kukhar