Transformation of Institutions Governing Traditional Nature Management (a Case Study of the Udege People of the Bikin River Basin)

Abstract

The article analyzes the transformation of institutions regulating traditional nature management of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East with a case study of the Udege population of the Pozharskii district of Primorskii krai from the end of the 19th century until now. It uses materials from field studies conducted by the author in 2011 (study of the conflicts between the Bikin Udege people and the Les Export company) and 2015 (a study of the socioeconomic situation in the village of Krasnyi Yar in connection with the organization of Bikin National Park), as well as the results of an analysis of ethnographic and geographical literature, publications in the media, and statistical data. The main rules and norms governing hunting and collective decision-making in nature management are considered. The main factors determining changes in institutions regulating traditional nature management are revealed, such as market relations, isolation and remoteness from the regional center, proximity to China and Korea, and richness of ecosystems, including rare plant and animal species and unique landscapes.