Mikhail Pogodaev, PhD, Deputy Minister for Development of the Arctic and the Peoples of the North of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia, for the James J. McCarthy Leadership Seminar Series for Future Arctic Indigenous Leaders 2021.The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is a vast region of Russia in which numerous types of reindeer husbandry are practiced. With a surface area of 3,1 million square kilometers, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is the largest sub-national entity of the Russian Federation. Five times the size of France, Yakutia stretches from the Henrietta Islands in the far north to the Stanovoi mountain range in the south. It is a land of contrasts: it has some of the coldest climates and extremes of temperature on the planet (where humans live permanently), some of the largest undisturbed habitats on Earth with rich and diverse biodiversity (protected areas cover approximately 30% of the territory), and indigenous traditional livelihoods such as reindeer herding which have been practiced for centuries. It is also a world hotspot for industrial development. The region is extremely rich in natural resources of oil, gas, minerals and forestry. Some of the largest megaprojects in oil, gas and mining are being developed in the region, particularly within South Yakutia. The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) consists of 35 political units, including 34 districts (ulus) and 1 city, Yakutsk The Republic has classified another 12 settlements as cities, found within certain districts, including Aldan and Neryungri.
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The James J. McCarthy Leadership Seminar Series for Future Arctic Indigenous Leaders 2021 Training seminar for talented and emerging Arctic indigenous leaders, in memory of Professor James J McCarthy and his strong dedication to the Arctic. The seminar was built on recent progress in the fields of resilience, adaptation and leadership, with the purpose of providing competence and confidence building for Arctic indigenous youth for a more sustainable future in the Arctic and beyond. A joint effort by the International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry (ICR), the Arctic Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, the Association of World Reindeer Herders (WRH), Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples Secretariat and the UArctic EALÁT Institute, building on earlier cooperation and outcomes.
