Indigenous Urbanizationin Russia’s ArcticThe

Case of Nenets Autonomous Region

MARYA ROZANOVA

This article presents the social, economic, and political factors that contribute to the
ongoing urbanization of the Nenets in- digenous communities (“communities-in-
transition”) in the Nenets Autonomous Region. Focusing on the preconditions for
“indigenous flight” from traditional rural settlements to urban areas, the arti- cle
analyzes key indicators—demographics, language proficiency, education level, and
occupational sector, as well as social cohesion, interethnic relations, and political
inclusion in the larger urban context—to describe the adaptation and integration
processes of these new city dwellers. Based on the fieldwork in the region, the article
also presents individual life strategies and career choices of indigenous youth and
describes the role of gender in indigenous urbanization.

Keywords: Arctic, gender, indigenous people, Nenets, Russia, urbanization

Outline

Intro – Urbanization is one of the most significant trends in the modern world. By 2050 68% of
of the world with live in urban areas. Arctic included going from 74.4 to 83.3.

Urbanization trends in NAO - The formation of an Urban Environments in NAO by product of

the Soviet “conquest” (osvoenie) of the Arctic region and it’s exploration for resources in the
early 1930’s.

In a matter of decade, NAO transformed from a rural area nomadic to highly urbanized.

Least populated regions in Russia pop 43,997

Chart showing Urban vs Rural pg. 57

7,500 Nenets who are three groups

living traditional Nomadic way of life on Tundra
Living in Sedentary in Rural Villages (Hunting and Villgaes
Living in Urban environment in Naryan-Mar or Iskateley

Problems of Urbanization
These settlements are affected by ongoing urbanization and subsequent
sociocultural problems such as detraditionalization of Nenets kinship practices
(disintegration of the clan-based social structure as a result of the gradual
weakening of kinship ties and networks),27 indigenous cultural identity loss
(often leading to marginalization), high rates of unemployment and lower
household income, and the extinction of small rural settlements with populations
less than one hundred.

In the context of ongoing urbanization, Nenets people’s ability to develop their

human and social capital, preserve basic elements of their traditions, and
construct refined forms of Nenets culture in the urban space depends on the
following factors: 1) how the process of socio- cultural and economic adaptation
and integration of Nenets migrants in the urban environment proceeds; 2) the
general state of interethnic relations in the diverse urban host community; and 3)
regional and federal authorities’ diversity and cultural policies.

Individual Level Mechanisms for Indigenous People’s Integration

into Urban Areas
Speaking Russian, but Losing Nenets

Educational Opportunities and Gender Imbalances

Traditional Professional Niches for the NAO Indigenous Population

Strategizing an Urban Profession

Recognition Policies and Practices as Prerequisites for Indigenous

Urbanization
Indigenous Culture Recognition

Reconciliation Practices

Political Recognition and Inclusion/Exclusion Practices

Conclusion
In the coming decades, the trend toward the urbanization of indigenous peoples
in NAO could accelerate, as climate change has the potential to seriously affect
Arctic tundra biodiversity and qualitatively change reindeer husbandry as well
as the nomadic/seminomadic way of life.

. It seems that in the future, part of urban Nenets’ mission will be to reinvent
elements of ethnic culture in a new urban environment, promote sustainable
development and the responsible use of lands, and hopefully contribute to the
gradual cultural and economic “decoloniza- tion” of the Arctic region.

Indigenous Urbanization in Russia’s Arctic - The Case of Nenets Autonomous Region

is an article by Marya Rozanova in which she examines the social, economic, and political

factors that contribute to the ongoing urbanization of the Nenets indigenous

communities in the Nenets Autonomous Region. Rozanova clearly shows why this

topic is of great concern as global urbanization is expected to grow rapidly in the next

29 years. The Arctic is expected to have some of the highest urbanization in the world

with over 83% of the population expected to live in urban environments. With such

massive change, there is a lot to explore and Rozanova breaks it in to three clear

categories. What is driving Nenets to the urbanize, how are Nenets integrating and

adapting to city life, and lastly how is the government recognizing and protecting the

Nenets community.

Urbanization and therefore the decrease in traditional Nenets lifestyle according to

Rozanova is driven by one simple fact, and that is the traditional nomadic lifestyle is not

providing a prosperous lifestyle which many Nenets are looking (p. 55). Urbanization is fairly

new to the Nenets community as it appeared during the Soviet period of “conquest” in the 1930’s

so with little less than 80 years of data we can see almost the complete history of urbanization

trends in the region. One of the most informative pieces used to show this trend of urbanization

is a chart found on page 57. It shows that as early as 1959 over 54.4 of the region lived in a rural

environment as compared to only 27.2 in 2018. This shows the clear movement into the city that

Rozanova has mentioned and shows that there has been a clear drive to the city. On page 57 we

get a better look at understanding what is truly happening in the region. We see that the majority

of the influx into the city is from ethnic Russians and not from the Nenets population. With

ethnic Russians at 80.3% living in Urbanized areas in comparison the Nenets are only at 23.6%

of living in Naryan-Mar or Iskateley the two cities in the entire region. This confirms that the

Nenets face a sharp learning curve upon their arrival into a city that is predominately ethnic

Russian who do not share the same culture and language.

The article discuss in depth the large number of problems facing the Nenets community

as a whole. One clear problem facing the community is the loss of language which is

inexplicably tied to nearly all other problems especially the loss of culture and their nomadic

way of life. As of 2002 only 32.4% of ethnic Nenets speak Nenet. As compared to Russian

which 97.4