Аннотация:The following conclusions stem from this brief overview:
1. Over the past decade, the Russian north has seen a considerable acceleration in the pace of land exploration and development by oil, gas and mining industries.
2. In 2012-2013,the Russian authorities imposed reorganization and leadershipchangeon the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON) – the key umbrella organization defending the rights of indigenous communities. Yet, when many in Moscow thought everything was under control, an objection came from the grassroots level – from the tundra, and this objection was vocalized by the Voice of the Tundra. This is a new force and a fundamentally new political phenomenon for present-day Russia.
3. Over the past few years, self-awareness and identity of some indigenous populations have been taking shape based on ethnic and tribal mobilization on the grassroots level, and environmental activism, care for the ancestral land, and language solidarity have been the contributing factors. Persistence of indigenous ethnicity is growing as a response to environmental and technological challenges. This all lead to the emergence of the Voice of the Tundra network-type protest movement.