The foundations of life of Nenets people on the arctic island of Kolguev

The strategic goal of research in the Arctic is the scientific study of rational and safe use of natural resources and the preservation of indigenous culture and strengthening of the traditional economies of small peoples of the North. In accordance with the “Principles of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic for the period up to 2020 and beyond”, one of the priorities is to improve the quality of life of the indigenous population and social conditions of economic activities in the Arctic.

The area for studying of the indigenous population of the Arctic island is the Kolguev Island — traditional territory of Nenets and unique natural system where the oil is actively extracted.

Picture 1. Kolguev Island in the NAO. URL:

Collection of ethno-sociological data was carried out by polls. In 2006, 113 residents of the village Bugrino were surveyed , in 2007 — 187 people, in 2014 — 70 people. In 2014, we also made an expert interviews and three focus groups (with representatives of reindeer husbandry, education and retired people). The probability and target sample was used to form the focus-groups

Major problems of social and economic life of Nenets

In 1858, the population of the island was more than a hundred people involved in traditional economic activities. In 1936, the administrative center of the island — village Bugrino got a few houses, a boarding school and a bakery shop. The nomadic population of the island moved into the houses. October 1, 2014: in the village 464 people registered. About 80% of the population — the Nenets 221.

The main problems of island life for the past nine years are: 1) lack of jobs; 2) poor housing conditions; 3) alcoholism among the population; 4) The low level of income. However, the greatest urgency (1st place) in a survey of 2014 had the problem of reducing reindeer herds.

Table 1

	The number marked this problem, people		Rating place Problems frequency
What are the acute problems
You most concerned about?
	2006	2014	2006	2014
1)    reduction in the number of deer	7	61	13	1
2)     the lack of jobs in the village,	54	59	2	2
3) unemployment
4)    substandard housing,	47	55	3	3
5)    destructed (dilapidated) houses
6)    alcoholism, drunkenness	32	53	4	4
7)   low wages, pensions	60	51	1	5
8)   lack of attention to the needs of the administra-	12	51	8	5
tion of the NAD to the island's population
9)   lack of food and manufactured goods on sale,	11	48	9	6
their high price
10) absence of 9-year school, children who are not	13	47	7	7
studying
11) the deterioration of the state of the natural envi-	14	44	6	8
ronment
12) lack of competent managers among locals	10	42	9	9
13) not enough cultural and entertainment events,	4	39	14	10
concerts
14) decline national cultural oblivion traditions, lan-	6	38	13	11
guage
15) lack of regular transport links with the mainland	30	34	5	12
16) bad relationship of people to each to other	7	34	11	12
17) the development of oil fields on the island	3	34	15	12
Kolguev
18) inadequate medical care	9	32	10	13
19) other	5	8	12	14

The results of public opinion polls on current issues, Nenets livelihoods on Kolguev (2006, 2014)

Since settling Kolguev Nenets have been living from reindeer, it was the basis of ethno-social and economic life of the islanders. At the end of the 19th — early 20th century there were 800 of reindeer. In the 1920s—1930s, with Russia's transition to a new government policy, the number of reindeer increased to 5—7 thousand [1]. In the spring of 2013 in the agricultural production cooperative “Kolguev” it was documented that 570 reindeer had died2. The die-off continued, and after a year on the island the herd of 12 thousand reindeers reduced to one thousand3. Despite the measures taken to stabilize the situation, by the end of 2014 the population was reduced to 153 4. Official reports indicate that the main cause of death of reindeers was starvation and there were no evidences of dangerous diseases.

Table 2, presents the results of public opinion polls 2006 and 2014 and indicates the importance of reindeer herds to the village Bugrino and a people’s concern about life in connection with the death of the deer.

Table 2

The results of a public opinion poll on the impact of reindeer herd reduction on the life of the village Bugrino (2006, 2014)

“How will your life change if there will be no reindeer herd on the Kolguyev Islans?»	Amount of answers		% of answers
	2006	2014	2006	2014
- must improve	1	0	1	0
- will improve	1	0	1	0
- won’t change	7	4	6	6
- worsen	47	5	42	7
- undoubtedly worsen	53	61	47	87
- difficult to answer	4	0	4	0

In 2014, the villagers pointed out in an interview that the reindeer is the basis of their power, and with its disappearance their diet will change. This may negatively affect the health of the indigenous population of the village. People expressed the hope that somebody will bring venison and sell it to the population of the island. In the absence of the venison necessary in the diet of population may force them to be more actively engaged in hunting, harvesting goose, collection of birds' eggs, fishing, and gathering berries and even mushrooms.

Traditional resource use on Kolguyev is adjacent to the industrial production of hydrocarbons. Development of oil and gas deposits in the area of the river Peschanka had started in the 1970s. Oilers work and reside in the shift village Peschanka located about 80 km from Bugrino. Oil production on the island Kolguev got negative attitude of the indigenous inhabitants, but the majority of the respondents believe that their lives will not change because of termination of oil production on the island, as it is evidenced by the survey results (Table. 3).

Table 3

The results of a public opinion poll on the impact of oil production on the life of the village. Bugrino (2006, 2014)

“How will your life change if there will be no oil industry on the Kolguyev Islans?»	Amount of answers		% of answers
	2006	2014	2006	2014
- must improve	3	7	3	10
- will improve	11	11	10	16
- won’t change	68	42	60	60

4 Na Kolgueve mogut vvesti 10-letnij moratorij na uboj olenej // Naryana vynder. 07.05.2015. URL: http:// nvinder ru/news/7784-na-kolgueve-mogut-vvesti-10-letniy-moratoriy-na-uboy-oleney (Accessed: 17 October 2015).

- worsen	14	2	12	3
- undoubtedly worsen	5	8	4	11
- difficult to answer	12	0	11	0

Hoping to revive reindeer herds, the islanders have expressed concern in connection with plans for the implementation of field development project in the center of the island. Herders say that the best berry places are found in the areas of oil production.

Reindeer husbandry is of great importance for reindeer herders, and for the Nenets people not involved in it directly. It performs vital functions, is a common symbol of the identity of indigenous peoples [2]. Keeping reindeer herd on Kolguyev is important from the point of view of preserving the traditional language of the island, as herders is the group of the population, which continues to use the Nenets language. The children in the families of the reindeer herders also speak the native language. This is done intentionally because the parents know that “the Russian language and it is taught in school”. There have been cases in the village when in order to prepare children for school people brought children who knew only Nenets language to the kindergarten.

In general, on the island the bilingualism is common. A 2007 survey showed that Russian and Nenets languages are native to 45% of all respondents; Nenets language — 41%; only the Russian language - 10%. However, the skill are different but among the various forms of language a dominated one was the Russian language. Knowledge of the Nenets language for almost 40% of all respondents is only limited by knowledge of words. In contrast to the Russian, Nenets language is the language spoken at home, but it was like saying “sometimes on the occasion”. The need to study the Nenets language is seen as the preservation of traditions by the majority. [3]

Problems of transformation of the natural environment, its impact on the lives of islanders were discussed in focus groups (2014), where there were climatic anomalies, changes in vegetation, wildlife and birds discussed.

Climate changes are not clear for residents of the island. Some said that it had become warmer: a protracted snowless autumn period, early melting of the ice in the Barents Sea, the hot summer days of 2013. Others believed that winter had become very cold. Herders pointed to different directions of climate chang e, swings in the warm periods of cold and vice versa. Changes in vegetation are largely due to the problem of degradation of reindeer pastures. Most of the tundra in the summer became dry, moss dries and becomes brittle, moss growing locations are covered with grass and shrubs. Atypical of the island is the mass vegetation in 2012, a variety of mushrooms, among which, according to the Nenets, there were new species. Before the inhabitants of the island were usually eating cloudberries and collected it ones in two years, but now — every year.

Discussing the ongoing changes on the island, the participants of the focus groups, in particular, pointed to the increase of Barnacle Goose, the displacement of its nesting places from coast to the tundra, the displacement of geese to the north of the island. In the lakes, in the opinion of the population, there were fewer fish. There had been a significant decrease in the number of partridges, and swallows were began to meet more often. In connection with the death cases of reindeer, people mentioned an increased the number of foxes. Residents pointed to the appearance of the mice in the village, which had not been there before. The polar bear had become rare, perhaps because of the ice conditions.

In general, according to residents, many of the observed phenomena of transformation of the natural environment may have a direct or indirect impact on the reduction in the number of reindeer on the Arctic island of Kolguev.

More urgent is the problem of pollution of the territory of the village and the surrounding coastal and tundra territory by the household wastes and wastes of reindeer. In the focus groups, worsen attitudes to keeping the environment clean were discussed.

Conclusion

In conclusion it should be noted that in recent years, the positive socio-economic changes on the island Kolguev, construction of houses and infrastructure and improving living standards occurred. At the same time, it increased the influence and intensified the transformation of the natural environment and had an impact on the lives and opportunities of the aboriginal population.

Death of the reindeer herd had negative impact on a quality of life, undermining the foundations of sustainable livelihoods of indigenous people who live on one of the most northern islands in the Arctic.

Reviewer: Zaykov Konstantin Sergeevich,

Candidate of Historical Sciences, Director of ACSS of NArFU