On January 20, around 250 representatives of the Evenk, Nivkh, Nanai, and Uilta indigenous peoples of Sakhalin Island took to the streets in Venskoye settlement, Nogliksky, to protest the activities of international oil companies in the area. The first in a series of actions, participants declared that construction of oil and gas pipelines, processing facilities, and other large industrial sites are having a direct negative impact on the lives and livelihoods of indigenous peoples. ExxonMobil, BP, and Shell are among the companies who have benefited from eight years of oil and gas extraction on the island.
In a memorandum sent to oil companies’ representatives, as well President Vladimir Putin and other local politicians, the protesters insist on full inclusion in all future decision-making processes regarding the protection of their native homelands, traditional way of life, and socio-economic development. The Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON), backed by the World Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace, organized and scheduled the protests. In subsequent actions, protesters have been able to halt at least 100 Exxon-Mobil and Shell trucks through road blockades.
