Traditional nature management in history and in modern reconstruction (using the example of nature management by the Sami people of the Murmansk region)

This paper presents the results of the first phase of a study examining the contradictory balance of tradition and modernization in the sociocultural lives of the indigenous peoples of northern Russia. One of its key objectives is to identify the role and place of unique traditions in a unified, technologically driven modern world. The analysis presented in this paper is based on the premise of a close connection between traditional nature management, which does not harm natural ecosystems, and the traditional culture of these indigenous peoples. It can be assumed that transformations in nature management inevitably lead to noticeable, easily detectable changes in culture. The study focused on the economic activities of the Sami, a people living on the Kola Peninsula in Russia. Their economy began to change significantly as early as the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries as a result of industrial development and the expansion of market relations. The works of ethnologists and ethnographers, as well as literary, ethnographic, and travel accounts of travelers who visited the Kola Peninsula, were reviewed. The restructuring of a traditional economy under the Soviet planned economy is illustrated, revealing a shift in its leading industry. While fishing was the dominant industry in the 19th century, reindeer herding became the dominant industry in the USSR. The modern reconstruction of this tradition was examined through an analysis of online resources of Sami activists and the websites of regional administrations where the Sami live. The reconstruction focused on the Soviet experience, while also extending it to earlier eras. Emphasis is placed on reindeer herding, which began to develop during the Soviet era, but which also modernized and lost many traditional features. As a result, a modernized, eclectic construct of traditional reindeer herding economy and culture is emerging. Research into the traditions of indigenous peoples of the North in the modern world as a sociocultural phenomenon should focus on a more in-depth retrospective analysis of these previous changes and their economic foundations. It is also necessary to identify the underlying foundations and mechanisms of this modern reconstruction, if any. It is assumed that the basis of the reconstruction lies in the search for a unique, special identity in a unified modern world.