Continuous Militarization as a Mode of Governance of Indigenous People in the Russian Arctic

Abstract

This article analyzes ethnographic data that shows long-term militarization forms a significant part of state governance of the population and environment in the Arctic. Kola Peninsula, the study region, is a borderland with the West and has since the 1950s been a heavily militarized area. Applying insights from research on militarization, subjectivities, materiality, borders, and regionalism in autocratic regimes, I show how militarization shapes the environment and the lives of Indigenous reindeer herders. Despite discourses of demilitarization in the 1990s, Kola Peninsula did not move away from militarization as part of governance. The article explores what I call <em>continuous militarization </em>by engaging with two phenomena: (a) fencing off territories for military use and infrastructure, and (b) nuclear pollution. It discusses the interrelations of materiality and knowledge in maintaining Indigenous subjectivities and culture in line with the objectives of militarization, and shows how Russia uses participation in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region to support the objectives of militarization and justify them to the local population. The article finds that militarization is employed by the authorities to solidify the current autocratic regime among residents in the Arctic.

Arctic environmental governance: challenges of sustainable development

“…Mentioning indigenous people signals some acknowledgment of their existence and importance. The discourse of indigenous people and its importance in the Arctic was one of the key goals of the AC, which has been somewhat successful in promoting the values and norms of governance and an inclusive approach to governance (that is, taking into account the interests and priorities of all actors involved including the indigenous people (Lavelle 2022;Borozna 2024;Vladimirova 2024). Unfortunately, this perspective seems to have been fading away.…”

“…Once Russia 'broke free' from membership in the AC, it has not been subject to the institutional mechanisms of accountability to the international community and institutions in regard to its actions in the Arctic, or to the institutional limits that were previously in place. Currently, indigenous people in Russia are more vulnerable than ever before (Vladimirova 2023(Vladimirova , 2024Martínez-Alier with Hanaček (2023).…”

“…Emerging post-2022 studies on the AEG are still catching up on these radical changes and their consequences for climate change in the region and globally. Scholars point to historical experience in international scientific climate collaboration over the Cold War period (Doose et al 2023;Beuerle 2023;Viktor et al 1998;Vladimirova 2024;Obydenkova 2024;Borozna 2024). Doose, Poberezhskaya, and Beuerle, for example, state that, even during the 20th century Cold War, "amidst high political tensions and economic restrictions when climatologists had to adapt, they were still able to contribute to climate knowledge and international dialogue" (2023, p.47).…”

“…Some historical lessons on international environmental cooperation can be found in the 20th century, the period of the divided world (Oldfield 2018;Doose 2022). 11 A number of studies examine how international scientific and environmental collaboration was developing over this uneasy period of the Cold War (Doose 2022;Viktor et al 1998;Vladimirova 2024). Doose, Poberezhskaya, and Beuerle point out that "it is important to continue engaging with Russia for the success of global efforts in climate mitigation and adaptation" (2023, p. 47).…”

“…Even prior to 2022, non-democratic states were the site of socio-environmental conflicts involving indigenous people in the Arctic, with conflict settlement in favor of governmental and entrepreneurial actors at the cost of local populations . The situation of indigenous people in the Arctic was complicated further by the new geopolitical situation in the post-2022 world (Vladimirova 2024). Some studies have detailed the cross-border networks of indigenous people (e.g., the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC), the Saami Council, the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON), and the Aleut International Association (AIA); see Martínez-Alier with Hanaček 2023).…”