Problems in the Indigenous Reindeer Breeding in Kamchatka

New Policy and Significance of Reindeer Breeding

Abstract

After the foundation of Soviet Union, an initial policy of the collective farm for indigenous people of Kamchatka was to establish reindeer breeding farms. However, collectivization brings reorganization of indigenous settlements that have harmful influence on traditional custom and social system of indigenous society. From 1960s, most collective farms of Kamchatka were gradually reformed to state farms because of aggravation of management, and in the early 1990s, with the collapses of the Soviet system, both collective farms and state farms were disorganized and also most indigenous people lost their job. During such political and economic confusion, reindeer breeding industry which was supported by subsidy of the government forced to be on the brink of extinction. However, in 2006 the government had taken a new policy to promote reindeer breeding business of indigenous people. In this paper I would like to consider the perspective of reindeer breeding industry and also the significance of reindeer breeding as a traditional subsistence for indigenous society.