Aleksei Chispiyakov — a representative of the Shor indigenous people from Kemerovo Oblast, participant of the 24th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. New York, April 2025
Dear brothers and sisters,
My name is Aleksei Chispiyakov. I come from Siberia and represent the Shor people.
For many years, coal, gold, and other mineral resources have been extracted from our ancestral lands. In the interest of industrial companies, vast areas of our taiga, rivers, mountains, and even Indigenous settlements are being destroyed.
One of the most tragic examples is the village of Kazas, which was burned down. No one has ever been held accountable for this. Our government reported to the United Nations that the village had been resettled. But that is not true. More than ten years have passed since Kazas was destroyed, yet the issue remains unresolved.
That is why, when I hear what our government and some representatives of Indigenous Peoples from our country say here, I feel as if I live not just in another country, but on another planet. The gap between what is said in this forum and what is actually happening to my people is enormous.
Yes, our country does have laws that are meant to guarantee our rights. But regional authorities often fail to implement them, adopting local regulations that in practice deprive Indigenous Peoples of the ability to exercise these rights.
There are councils for Indigenous Peoples under regional governors — and in our region, even under heads of municipalities. However, these councils include more government officials than Indigenous representatives. Moreover, the Indigenous members are not chosen by the people, but are appointed by the same authorities.
As a result, Indigenous Peoples have no meaningful opportunity to influence decisions. In practice, these councils have become instruments for legitimizing violations of our rights.
That is why I believe it is essential to ensure funding for independent delegates to participate in UN processes. I thank the UN Voluntary Fund for enabling my participation in this Forum.
To governments — both my own and others around the world — I make this appeal: do not hide the problems of Indigenous Peoples, but begin to address them. We are gathered here not to attack governments, but to seek solutions to the challenges we face.
To the Permanent Forum, I recommend the development and adoption of a legally binding instrument to ensure the protection of our rights. As we can see, not all states adhere to the principles of the Declaration.
Thank you for your attention.