History of Sakhalin Indigenous People

Useful links

Indigenous People Settlements

International Financial Corporation (World Bank subdivision focusing on the private sector) on the preparation of the Sakhalin Indigenous Minorities Development Plan:

‘Since most consultations took place during the winter months, a special focus was on enabling the most disadvantaged members of the local community, such as senior citizens, to attend. Vehicles were provided to those who needed them, and younger community members escorted the elderly. Where possible, the consultations were timed to start after the end of the day’s fishing trips. Time was allocated for the participants to share their problems and concerns. The organisers made sure that all those present were treated respectfully, and efforts were made to reach a consensus. As a result, the meetings turned out extremely long, but people felt that their presence mattered’.

See International Finance Corporation. Stakeholder Engagement: A Good Practice Handbook for Companies Doing Business in Emerging Markets 

The Regional Council of Authorised Representatives of the Sakhalin Indigenous Minorities

The Regional Council of Authorised Representatives of the Sakhalin Indigenous Minorities was established at the Extraordinary Congress of the Sakhalin Indigenous Minorities on 25 March 2005.

The primary goal of establishment and activity of the Council is to ensure protection of rights of Indigenous Minorities living in the Sakhalin Oblast. The Council is formed from representatives of the Sakhalin Indigenous Minorities (SIM).

The primary objectives of the Council are:

• presentation and protection of interests of the Sakhalin Indigenous Minorities and their individual representatives at the local, regional, national and international levels, in the government authorities, self-government bodies and courts;
• ensuring that federal and regional laws, decrees of the President of the Russian Federation, executive orders and regulations of the Government of the Russian Federation, Sakhalin Oblast Governor, Sakhalin Oblast Administration, and administrations of municipal formations as well as international regulatory legal acts applicable in the Russian Federation are executed in the Sakhalin Oblast territory;
• implementation of decisions adapted by regional congresses of the Sakhalin Indigenous Minorities;
• organisation and conducting negotiations with industrial and oil companies carrying out their activities in traditional residence locations of the Sakhalin Indigenous Minorities to protect their primordial living environment; management of the EtnosoyuzSIM Development Fund activities; and
• exercising monitoring and control over activities of project operators and their subcontractors covering production, processing and transportation of oil and gas in the Sakhalin Oblast territory and adjacent water area offshore Sakhalin Island to ensure its compliance with design documents and conclusions of ecological and ethnological expert reviews.

Conducting its activities, the Council takes an active part in the life of the indigenous minorities in six compact residence areas.

The members of the first Council were: A.G. Limanzo, A.P. Khatmullina, L.Z. Kravchuk, V.V. Tanvin, Z.L. Ronik, A.R. Minato, V.V. Solovyev, A.G. Shakhmatova who presented ethnic communities of Nivkhs, Uilta, Evenkis and Nanais.

The main achievement of the first Council membership is creation of the Sakhalin Indigenous Minorities Development Plan that was launched on 25 May 2006 on the basis of a tripartite Understanding and Cooperation Agreement signed by the Council, Sakhalin Oblast Administration and Sakhalin Energy.
Report on the Council activity over the 2005-2008 period

The second membership of the Regional Council of Authorised Representatives of the Sakhalin Indigenous Minorities was elected at the 6th Congress of the Sakhalin Indigenous Minorities on 29 October 2008. Its members are: S.K. Kurmanguzhinov, F.S. Mygun, Z.L. Ronik. A.P. Khatmullina, T.A. Shkalygina (from the Nivkhs); G.B. Makarova (from the Uilta); I.Yu. Strakhova (from the Nanais), V.V. Machekhin (from the Evenkis).

The Second Council members assign a high priority to holding offsite meetings in the municipal formations of the compact residence areas of the Sakhalin Indigenous Minorities regarding interaction with executive authorities and self-government bodies towards execution of the Economical and Social Development of the Sakhalin Indigenous Minorities for 2007-2011 regional targeted programme, the Development Plan projects, protection of rights and interests of the Sakhalin Indigenous Minorities.

Report on the Council activity over the 2008-2010 period

/ Achievements

Received the main award in the all-Russian Corporate Philanthropy Leaders contest in nomination The Best Programme for Corporate Philanthropy Policy and Company’s Social Investments Principles

Winner of Vitus Bering International Award

Winner of social investments contest “Corporate Donor of Russia – 2008”

First prize at the Far Eastern International Festival of Indigenous People