Our Arctic Neighbors: Annual public hearings

Subsidiaries of Russia’s energy giant Gazprom have helped to build trading posts for the indigenous people and infrastructure to support their small dwellings, Kharyuchi told the conference. There are annual public hearings in Yamal to draw up plans to develop the indigenous communities based on input from reindeer herders, fishers and hunters, he added.

“Such public dialogues between the authorities, the companies, the industry and the indigenous population are a very efficient way to see the outstanding issues and to find mutually acceptable solutions,” Kharyuchi said. “Usually we also have the practice of parliamentary visits in the remote areas, which gives us an opportunity to see and feel the issues on the spot, to be able to look at them practically.” In recent years there have been visits dedicated to the environment, to cooperation between agriculture and oil and gas companies, to furthering the development of agriculture, to improving the salaries of teachers and to the social and economic development of municipalities.

“I know from personal experience ... that you can never underestimate the positive effect of the participation and involvement of the indigenous people,” Kharyuchi said. “This is probably the most efficient way to take stock of the opinions, problems and challenges of the indigenous population. It is actually a moral imperative to include and involve the indigenous peoples.”

—Sarah Hurst