Komi reindeer herding: the effects of socialist and post-socialist change on mobility and land use
This paper contributes to the discussion concerning the way in which Soviet state policies have influenced the lives, social organization, economy and culture of a group of indigenous Komi reindeer herders of northern Russia: its main focus is to explain how these policies have changed the herders’...
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Norwegian Polar Institute
2009
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ftjpolarres:oai:journals.openacademia.net:article/2829 2023-05-15T18:02:40+02:00 Komi reindeer herding: the effects of socialist and post-socialist change on mobility and land use Dwyer, Mark J. Istomin, Kirill V. 2009-08-01 application/pdf https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2829 https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v28i2.6117 eng eng Norwegian Polar Institute https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2829/6456 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2829 doi:10.3402/polar.v28i2.6117 Copyright (c) 2018 Polar Research Polar Research; Vol. 28 No. 2 (2009); 282-297 1751-8369 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2009 ftjpolarres https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v28i2.6117 2021-11-11T19:13:21Z This paper contributes to the discussion concerning the way in which Soviet state policies have influenced the lives, social organization, economy and culture of a group of indigenous Komi reindeer herders of northern Russia: its main focus is to explain how these policies have changed the herders’ patterns of migration and land use. Extensive anthropological fieldwork—to determine current and past herding practices—was carried out and archives were thoroughly investigated to document land use changes in relation to state reindeer herding policies. It was found that compared with those of several decades ago, the migration routes are now much shorter, as the herders have abandoned large areas of winter pastures located in the southernmost part of their herding territory. This “abandonment” phenomenon is endemic amongst reindeer herders generally, throughout the Komi Republic. Whereas the reasons for the abandonment of winter pastures are diverse, they can be attributed mostly to the state sedentarization policy, which has modified the family structures of herders, and the continuing decreases in state subsidies that have changed the balance between state and private ownership of reindeer. Both these factors have greatly contributed to the herders’ dependence on visiting towns, where they now own flats, and on selling reindeer products, upon which they are increasingly reliant for financial security. Article in Journal/Newspaper Polar Research Polar Research (E-Journal) Polar Research 28 2 |
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Polar Research (E-Journal) |
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English |
description |
This paper contributes to the discussion concerning the way in which Soviet state policies have influenced the lives, social organization, economy and culture of a group of indigenous Komi reindeer herders of northern Russia: its main focus is to explain how these policies have changed the herders’ patterns of migration and land use. Extensive anthropological fieldwork—to determine current and past herding practices—was carried out and archives were thoroughly investigated to document land use changes in relation to state reindeer herding policies. It was found that compared with those of several decades ago, the migration routes are now much shorter, as the herders have abandoned large areas of winter pastures located in the southernmost part of their herding territory. This “abandonment” phenomenon is endemic amongst reindeer herders generally, throughout the Komi Republic. Whereas the reasons for the abandonment of winter pastures are diverse, they can be attributed mostly to the state sedentarization policy, which has modified the family structures of herders, and the continuing decreases in state subsidies that have changed the balance between state and private ownership of reindeer. Both these factors have greatly contributed to the herders’ dependence on visiting towns, where they now own flats, and on selling reindeer products, upon which they are increasingly reliant for financial security. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Dwyer, Mark J. Istomin, Kirill V. |
spellingShingle |
Dwyer, Mark J. Istomin, Kirill V. Komi reindeer herding: the effects of socialist and post-socialist change on mobility and land use |
author_facet |
Dwyer, Mark J. Istomin, Kirill V. |
author_sort |
Dwyer, Mark J. |
title |
Komi reindeer herding: the effects of socialist and post-socialist change on mobility and land use |
title_short |
Komi reindeer herding: the effects of socialist and post-socialist change on mobility and land use |
title_full |
Komi reindeer herding: the effects of socialist and post-socialist change on mobility and land use |
title_fullStr |
Komi reindeer herding: the effects of socialist and post-socialist change on mobility and land use |
title_full_unstemmed |
Komi reindeer herding: the effects of socialist and post-socialist change on mobility and land use |
title_sort |
komi reindeer herding: the effects of socialist and post-socialist change on mobility and land use |
publisher |
Norwegian Polar Institute |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2829 https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v28i2.6117 |
genre |
Polar Research |
genre_facet |
Polar Research |
op_source |
Polar Research; Vol. 28 No. 2 (2009); 282-297 1751-8369 |
op_relation |
https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2829/6456 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2829 doi:10.3402/polar.v28i2.6117 |
op_rights |
Copyright (c) 2018 Polar Research |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v28i2.6117 |
container_title |
Polar Research |
container_volume |
28 |
container_issue |
2 |
_version_ |
1766173110697984000 |