Issues concerning indigenous peoples (IPs) in Russia have become a “hot
topic” despite the fact that they represent only 0.2 percent of the
population. Constant amendments to the laws affecting the life of IPs and
lawsuits filed before local Courts denouncing the violations of IPs’ rights are
signs of the struggle surrounding these indigenous peoples. Moreover,
between 2012 and 2013, the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the
North (RAIPON), the umbrella organization of IPs in the country, was ordered
to shut down and subsequently given the permission to reopen by the Russian
Ministry of Justice within the course of less than six months. This article aims
to gain a deeper understanding of the recent developments vis-à-vis
indigenous peoples’ legal protection and IPs’ increasing efforts to exercise
their rights
