Since the Russian colonization of the Sakha Republic in the 17th century, the region has experienced a depletion of natural resources, pollution, poverty, and systemic cultural erasure. Russian settlers, or priyezhiye (incomers) as they are euphemistically called, first came to the region in search of luxurious furs. In the Soviet times, gold and diamonds were discovered, attracting even more settlers, who derived significant profits from these resources. However, no money has been recirculated into the Yakutian economy; instead, it has been invested in larger cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Russian government has also used Yakutia as a dumping ground for toxic cosmic waste that has contaminated the region’s water supply and, subsequently, has given the native population health issues such as cancer and chronic dental issues. The radioactive decay from the waste has also led to mutations in animals. According to Yakut activist Evdokia, she lived in an area "poisoned by underground nuclear explosions, river pollution, and space waste." The Russians have also attempted to systematically expunge Yakutian culture via assimilation and subjugation. Indigenous peoples are treated as second-class citizens, and their cultural identities are portrayed as something to be ashamed of, even to the point where they believe that their ethnic names are slurs. Growing up, Evdokia believed that the word Tajik was derogatory:
"Ethnic Russians occupied all management positions in Russian cities. Therefore, there were only three of us in the ethnic Sakha class, and we were forced to encounter racism. My classmates constantly told me and two other Yakut students that we were strangers, that we should go back to our village, and that we were “overrun.” They constantly called me churka, mambetka (a derogatory name for Yakuts). A group of girls even pushed me into a puddle. Because of these attacks, I wanted to change my appearance. So, I pretended that I didn’t know my language."
These shameful practices have been perpetuated by not only the Russian government, but also by the Russian people. According to Historian Alexander Morrison, the Yakuts suffer from a “colonial allergy.” One incident that Edvokia mentioned in the interview was a shop displaying its store name in Yakutian, before being changed to Russian due to local Russian protests.
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