Traditional Shapsugs’ Natural Resource Use: Prospects for Revival

Abstract

The issue of the current socio-economic situation among the Shapsugs (indigenous people of the Russian Federation), currently live in Tuapse and Lazarevsky districts of Sochi, is considered. Special attention is paid to problems of conservation, allocation and protection of “native habitat” (“ethnic territories”) of Shapsugs and their traditional way of life. The relevance of the study stems from the fact that the politicization of these issues continues. Reduction of territories for a number of indigenous ethnic groups in which they originally lived and led their farm, the pendency of the issue contributes to increasing tensions in Black Sea region. For Shapsugs it is due to the privatization of agricultural land in the 1990-ies and the expansion of nature conservation areas of Sochi city-resort. Periodically the issue is raised about the re-establishment of territorial autonomy in the form of the Shapsug national district - as one of the guarantors of the distinguishing and protection of “native habitat.” The study defined the concept of “ethnic territory,” equivalent to the concept of “territory of traditional nature use.” The article presents the results of a comparative analysis of the situation in other regions of the Russian Federation (Shor national park, Kemerovo region). The attempts to resolve the difficulties are considered. The work is performed on the basis of analysis of historiography, media publications and documents of the Administration of Krasnodar region, data on the national public associations and congresses of Shapsugs.