wayfinders circle governance report english - Flipbook - Page 36
a) Udege People, Bikin |
RUSSIA
The Udege people number about 1,600 and inhabit more than 1.5 million hectares of pristine taiga, or boreal
forest, of the sub-arctic Bikin region of the Russian Federation. Their territory makes up the Bikin National
Park, implementing a co-management system. This unique model for the Russian protected areas system
recognizes, respects, and protects Indigenous peoples’ rights to their territory and values their traditional
knowledge of resource management.
In 2013, the Russian government decided to create a national park on the Udege territory. A political negotiation process was initiated to discuss establishing a national park after three years of top-level dialogue
between the Udege people, the regional government, and Moscow federal officials. The Udege people and
the federal government came to an agreement based on an innovative concept of co-management, to share
control over the natural resources and forest with recognition of the Udege people’s traditional knowledge
and customary law.
04
TEMPERATE FORESTS
The Permanent Council of Indigenous Peoples was established under the National Park Management, to lead
and consult as an advisory board and self-governance entity on all issues related to Indigenous peoples and
their rights to the National Park. The Permanent Council is composed of 12 Indigenous members including
hunters, elders, women, and youth who hold weekly meetings to discuss relevant issues related to traditional
activities like hunting, fishing regulation, traditional knowledge, and promotion of ecotourism. The Chair of
the Council is deputy director of the park in charge of Indigenous issues, and oversees the 70% of the national
park territory reserved for traditional activities like hunting, fishing, and non-timber forest production.
The Udege people agreed to the idea of the establishment of a national park to stop massive illegal cutting,
commercial large scale timber production, poaching, and overfishing at the Bikin river basin. After fighting
for more than 25 years, Udege people have decided to create a more stable and sustainable situation, with
most of their demands based on Free, Prior, and Informed Consent and a co-management approach. The
creation of the Permanent Council, the 70% of the hired staff that are Indigenous, and practice of traditional
activities are substantial indicators of the Udege people’s fulfilment of their self-determination rights and
their self-governance on their traditional territory.
The Udege community controls and leads their own development and future, based on their own vision and
values, to manage the sustainable forest use and natural resources. The approach of co-management is based
on principles of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent, dialogue, negotiation, respect of rights, and traditional
knowledge. This strong example of a national government and Indigenous peoples working together
promotes shared and sustainable management of the biodiversity of the Boreal forest.
UDEGE
COMMUNITY
GOVERNANCE REPORT
|
APRIL 2022
36
