The treaty organization representing the Athabaskan peoples has spoken out in support of Indigenous peoples in Ukraine amid escalating tensions in the region.
The Arctic Athabaskan Council (AAC), which represents more than 45,000 people of Athabaskan descent in Northern Canada and Alaska, released a statement on Feb. 14 calling for Canada, the United States and Ukraine to “not forget commitments they have made to Indigenous peoples.”
There are nearly 250,000 Crimean Tatars in Ukraine, the vast majority of whom live in the Crimean Peninsula itself, which Russia annexed in 2014.
The AAC statement comes in response to escalating tensions in Eastern Europe. Russia has been amassing troops along its border with Ukraine since November, sparking Ukrainian and Western fears of a possible invasion. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his country doesn’t want an armed conflict, but expressed anxiety about the possibility of Ukraine being brought into the NATO alliance.
“Everyone’s been watching the military buildup regarding the Ukraine, and tensions are getting more acute every day,” said Chief Bill Erasmus, the Canadian chair of the AAC. “We started talking about it, and reminded each other that there are Indigenous peoples there.”
The statement references the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), a non-binding UN resolution that outlines the rights of Indigenous peoples across the world. In particular, the statement cites Article 30 of UNDRIP, which states that military activities shouldn’t take place on Indigenous territory, “unless justified by a relevant public interest or otherwise freely agreed with or requested by the Indigenous peoples concerned.”
In Canada, UNDRIP received royal assent in on June 21 that set the country on the path to implementing the resolution.
Erasmus said the AAC doesn’t usually get involved in the media, but the situation in Eastern Europe is a “direct concern” to the council. The AAC participates in the Arctic Council, of which Russia is the chair until 2023. This means the conflict could have direct consequences on the functioning of the Arctic Council, according to Erasmus.
“We’re concerned that this may have implications for how the Arctic Council functions as an entity,” he said.
“Though Crimean Tatars are not members of the Arctic Council, AAC is obligated to raise awareness and support Indigenous Peoples’ rights in Ukraine,” the AAC statement reads. “Also, as the Russian Federation currently chairs the Arctic Council, AAC fears the current crisis surrounding Ukraine will have a negative impact on diplomatic ties that now exist.”
On Feb. 11, the non-governmental Crimean Tatar Resource Centre issued a statement condemning an “illegal” military exercise by the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy.
“The exercises conducted by the Russian military destroy the ecosystem of the peninsula and are a gross violation of international law,” the statement reads.
Despite their different histories and geographies, Erasmus said he sees some commonalities between the Athabaskan and Crimean Tatar peoples: “The big thing is we’ve (both) managed to survive, and we are functioning today,” he said.