Resilience in a changing world: Indigenous sharing networks in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

• Published in: Polar Record
• Main Authors: Solovyeva, Vera, Kuklina, Vera
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2020
• Subjects: Climate change; Polar Record; Republic of Sakha; Yakutia; Yakutsk
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247420000406; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247420000406

Abstract Global change poses challenges for remote Arctic Russian indigenous communities in the Republic of Sakha. On the basis of interviews from the village of Khara Tumul (Oymyakonskiy ulus) and city of Yakutsk, we illustrate the manners in which sharing networks may be used to enhance resilience in remote conditions as these communities confront climate change, industrial development and limited support from authorities. We identified the main carriers (givers and recipients), location, relationships and mediators, objects, and social and cultural meanings of sharing practices both in daily life and in the case of extreme events. The circulation of goods, money, information and people between cities and remote communities ultimately combines traditional values and modern technologies.