Форсайт-портал СФУ (Сибирский федеральный университет)

Prospects of the Sakha people as the ethno-cultural community. Project "Sakha (Yakutia) Republic Foresight - 2050" results
Valerii Efimov, Alla Lapteva, Anton Efimov
Siberian Federal University,
E-mail: expert.sfu@gmail.com

Keywords: Sakha (Yakuts), ethnic identity, the Yakut language, culture, generational dynamics, institutions, urbanization, strategy for ethnos preservation.

Abstract: The question about prospects of saving lifestyle, culture and languages of the Russian northern peoples becomes relevant in connection with the Arctic and Russian northern areas industrial development.
Main results of ethnosociological research conducted within the project "Sakha (Yakutia) Republic Foresight – 2050" are presented in the article: a) analysis and forecast of changes in Sakha people identity, language and culture transmission considering urbanization process and generational dynamics; b) basis for possible educational and cultural strategies, aimed at the Sakha people preservation as an ethno-cultural community.
A survey of 1600 of Sakha people representatives about the various aspects of the native language usage and attitudes to cultural heritage and expert survey (1600 pers.) about the problems and prospects of the Sakha peoples’ language and culture preservation were conducted during the research in the republic. The research results allowed to construct trend lines and formulate evaluative prognosis up to 2050 for the transmission processes of Sakha peoples’ ethnic identity, language and culture; for the role of social institutions that provide cultural transmission.
An analysis of the responses of villagers and Sakha townspeople in the first and second generation allowed to define the urbanization impact for cultural transmission processes.
Comparing age groups of respondents shows that a significant substitution of the Yakut language by Russian language may occur by mid-century. Most of Sakha will know Yakut language, but significantly smaller proportion will communicate, think in their native language.
It is shown that transition from mono-identity (I am Yakut) to a complex identity, combining ethnic and nationwide (Russian) identity, occurs with the change of generations.
The research showed that the role of a number of social institutions that provide Sakha language and culture transmission (family communities, media, book publishing etc.) is reducing; few young Sakha read books and newspapers, watch television programs in the Yakut language. The proportion of those who are not ready to teach their children the Yakut language is increasing among young people.
A number of ideas for cultural and educational policy in the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic are presented in the article: 1) review of "ethnicity" as a special resource; 2) identification of Sakha and other indigenous peoples’ promising roles in multicultural societies; 3) identification and preservation of the indigenous cultures’ "core"; 4) design a new mode of "Man of the North" as an anthropological guide for educational and cultural practices; 5) implementation of educational and cultural practices, providing "living" the native culture; 6) support for family education; 7) development of legal mechanisms and institutional solutions for direction natural resource rents for the indigenous peoples development, including the establishment of sovereign funds, etc.

Published: 2nd International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference on Social Sciences and Arts SGEM2015

Prospects of the Sakha people as the ethno-cultural community. Project "Sakha (Yakutia) Republic Foresight - 2050" results. Valerii Efimov, Alla Lapteva, Anton Efimov / SGEM2015 Conference Proceedings