Regional Law No. 897-Z No. 715-IV ““On the protection of the original habitat, traditional way of life, economics and crafts of indigenous peoples of the North of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).”

This Regional Law regulates legal relations arising during the implementation in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) of state policy in the field of protection of the original habitat, traditional way of life, management and crafts of the indigenous peoples of the North residing on the regional territory. Protection of the original habitat, traditional way of life, economics and crafts of small indigenous peoples shall be intended the activities of the regional state authorities, local governments, natural persons and legal entities, aimed at creating economic, social, environmental, organizational, legal and other conditions for preservation of the historically established habitat of small indigenous peoples, as well as the historically established method of their livelihoods. The basic principles of protecting the ancestral habitat, traditional way of life, management and crafts of small indigenous peoples are: (a) provision of state guarantees for the preservation of the original habitat, traditional way of life, management and crafts of small indigenous peoples; (b) preventing the potential danger of planned economic and other activities in the places of traditional residence and traditional economic activities of small indigenous peoples; (c) ecological balance of environmental management in the places of traditional residence and traditional economic activities of small indigenous peoples; (d) responsibility for negative consequences when carrying out activities related to the use of natural resources in the places of traditional residence and traditional economic activities of small indigenous peoples; and (e) openness, participation of public organizations (associations), taking into account the opinions of small indigenous peoples. The main directions of participation in the implementation of state policy in the field of protecting the ancestral habitat, traditional way of life, management and crafts of small indigenous peoples are: (a) preservation of the original habitat, traditional way of life, management and crafts of small indigenous peoples; (b) implementation of the priority right of small indigenous peoples to own and use land and other natural resources, including ancestral agricultural, hunting, and fishing grounds, in accordance with the law; (c) assigning to small indigenous peoples the territories of their traditional residence and traditional economic activities; (d) improving the quality and improving the living conditions of small indigenous peoples in places of traditional residence and traditional economic activities based on the development of the economic, educational, cultural and healthcare sectors, increasing the level of social and medical services; and (e) preventing the potential danger of the impact of the planned economic and other activities on the ancestral habitat of small indigenous peoples and the socio-cultural situation in the places of traditional residence and traditional economic activities of small indigenous peoples.