Traditional Institutions and Knowledge of Siberian Aboriginal Community

Svetlana Panakarova, Maxim Vlasov

.
Institute of Economics, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia.

DOI: 10.4236/me.2013.49061                

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the perspectives of the use of traditional knowledge in national socio-economic development in general and in the development of local communities of aboriginal nations of Siberia in particular. This study aims to analyze the traditional economic activity with the help of the questionnaire of 1500 respondents (from different ethnic groups) in different parts of the Siberian region—Khakasia. The results of empirical research have shown that in Khakas communities traditional kinds of activity are extended and they are of great importance for people as earlier. The comparative analysis of labor productivity in animal husbandry and wildlife management allows to draw a conclusion of the positive influence of traditional knowledge in these fields of activity. Some clusters of traditional economic institutions of the indigenous people of Southern Siberia have been identified such as: institutions for corporate property of land, institutions for private property of cattle, institutions for labor mutual aid, institutions for wandering, institutions for communal managements. The results of evolution of traditional institutions and their current state are presented. Even the transformed institutions are accepted by members of national communities as earlier. Therefore they can become the effective instrument of social and economic development of indigenous people territories. The spiraling process of traditional knowledge of Khakas people is explained in the SECI Model. According to the research, regarding the Khakas community, the management process of knowledge has to include three types of economic agents: local government authorities, entrepreneurs, members of Khakas community. Three strategies to manage the traditional knowledge are recommended such as: animal husbandry development, commercialization of traditional wildlife management, realization of a state policy taking into consideration the existence of traditional institutions. The research demonstrates the traditional knowledge may be the factor of economic increase and social development for local society. Moreover, it is a national heritage and it needs to be managed.

Keywords

Indigenous People; Traditional Knowledge; Traditional Institutions; Socio-Economic Development; Community

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, “Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage,” 2003. www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/convention
[2]	J. Xu, E. T. Ma, D. Tashi, et al., “Integrating Sacred Knowledge for Conservation: Cultures and Landscapes in Southwest China,” Ecology and Society, Vol. 10, No. 2, 2005, p. 7. www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol10/iss2/art7/
[3]	A. Logacheva, “Khakassia—Perception the Population of New Living Conditions,” Sociological Researches, No. 9, 2005, pp. 82-85
[4]	G. T. Kandalova, “How to Optimize the Use of Steppe Pastures of Khakassia in Modern Conditions,” Steppe Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 29, 2010, pp. 3-20.
[5]	S. Panikarova, “Borders and Structure of Ethnoeconimy of Region,” Regional Economy: Theory and Practice, Vol. 39, No. 222, 2011, pp. 39-47
[6]	T. Veblen, “The Place of Science in Modern Civilization and Other Essays,” Huebsch, New York, 1919.
[7]	R. Nelson and S. Winter, “An Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change,” Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1982.
[8]	G. M. Hodgson, “What Are Institutions?” Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. XL, No. 1, 2006, pp. 1-26.
[9]	V. L. Makarov, “Institution Calculus,” Economics and Mathematical Methods, Vol. 39, No. 2, 2003, pp. 14-37.
[10]	G. Kleiner, “Evolution of Institutional Systems,” 2004.
[11]	M. Vlasov, “Resource Differentiation of Knowledge,” Proceedings of the 11th European Conference on Knowledge Management, Portugal, Vol. 1-2, 2-3 September 2011, pp. 1057-1063.
[12]	E. V. Popov and M. V. Vlasov, “Dependence of Research Productivity on Transactional Costs,” Actual Problems of Economic, Vol. 5, No. 131, 2012, pp. 427-437.
[13]	D. North, “Structure and Change in Economic History,” Norton, New York, 1982.
[14]	S. V. Panikarova, “Stability Factors Institutions for Ethnoeconomy of the Indigenous People (on the Khakass Republic Materials),” Zhurnal Ekonomicheckoj Teorii, No. 1, 2013, pp.108-114
[15]	I. Nonaka and H. Takeichi, “The Knowledge-Creating Company: How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation,” Oxford University Press, New York, 1995.
[16]	P. Yodmongkon and N. Chakpitak, “Applying Intellectual Capital Process Model for Creating a Defensive Protection System to Local Traditional Knowledge: The Case of Meahiya Community,” Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 7, No. 4, 2010, pp. 517-534.