Ethnic leaders and the preservation of traditional culture among indigenous peoples of the Amur-Sakhalin region

This article examines the role of ethnic leaders in preserving the traditional culture of the indigenous minority peoples of the Amur-Sakhalin region (Nivkhs, Nanais, Ulta, Evenks) in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Drawing on field materials and published sources, the author examines the key stages in the institutionalization of ethnic leadership. The author shows that the establishment of the Association of Indigenous Minority Peoples of the North (1990) resulted from the consolidated efforts of the first leaders – V.M. Sangi, Ch.M. Taksami, and others. Particular attention is paid to the Assistance Plan for the Deve-lopment of the Indigenous Peoples of Sakhalin Region – a tripartite agreement between Sakhalin Energy, the regional government, and the Council of Authorized Representatives of Indigenous Minority Peoples, under which more than a thousand projects supporting language, culture, and traditional livelihoods have been implemented since 2006. The author then characterizes the activities of a new generation of leaders – K.B. Limanzo, A.G. Limanzo, S.N Sangi, E.A. Bibikova, and K.M. Beldy. The study concludes that the functions of ethnic leaders are currently undergoing transformation: today they act as mediators between traditional communities and modern institutions, acquiring new legal, economic, and communicative competencies.