Numerically Small Peoples of North and Far East Seek Not Independence but Transformation of Russian Federation, Orcas Island Declaration Says

Paul Goble
    
    Staunton, Apr. 18 – Because of the small size and settlement patterns of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East do not seek the creation of independent states on the territory of the present-day Russian Federation but rather the transformation of that country into a democratic and law-based state, a conference of leading activists has declared.

    At the same time, the representatives of movements of the indigenous peoples from this enormous region met on Orcas Island in the US state of Washington pledged to recognize the right of other nations within the current borders of the Russian Federation to seek independent status (indigenous-russia.com/archives/43432, indigenous-
russia.com/archives/43455 and indigenous-russia.com/archives/43483).

    The location was symbolic: Orcas Island is part of the traditional land of the Lummi native American people; and the organizers and participants of the meeting way that like that community, they want to work with democratic organizations and follow the efforts to improve the lives of native peoples through reconciliation and other measures.

    The participants adopted the Orcas Declaration which signatories said had been “inspired by the reconciliation experiences of Canada, the United States Australia and Norway” and was intended to guide their common work forward. Specifically, the signatories
 
•    Condemned past and present colonial policies, assimilation and repression against the indigenous
•    Emphasized the need to achieve historical justice;
•    Called for working together with democratic forces for a common future based on equality and rights;
•    Announced the creation of a permanent platform for dialogue; and
•    Set as its first tasks “the monitoring of violations and pursuit of legal support, the development of legislative projects concerning the rights of indigenous peoples … and the development of research and educational projects.”

    Among the signatories were Dmitry Berezhkov, an Itelmen who edits the Russia of Indigenous Peoples portal, Dmtry Valuyev, president of Russian America for Democracy in Russia, Maria Vyushkova, a researcher at the Batani organization, Aleksandra Garmazhapova of the Free Buryatia Foundation, Vladislav Inozemtsev, co-founder of the European Center for Analysis and Strategies, and Pavel Sulyandziga, an Udygey with the Batani Foundation.