Indigenous Population of Khakassia: Miscegenation as Assimilation Factor

Abstract

Goals. The article attempts an analysis of miscegenation as a reason behind the Khakass population decline and the titular ethnic group’s assimilation. Despite there is an increasing number of publications examining various aspects of miscegenation among indigenous Siberians, such works dealing with the complex social process in Khakassia are scarce enough. The working hypothesis rest on the assertions as follows: the increased number of mestizos has led to significant changes in identities of descendants of interethnic marriages in recent decades; positions of the Khakass language as a means of everyday communication and cultural transmission have been weakened by the globalization and electronic communication development; the two put together may result in that the Khakass would lose their native language and culture on the way toward total assimilation. Materials and methods. The study focuses on official statistics data and outcomes of the author’s survey conducted in 2018, as well as on some bibliographic interviews with ethnic Khakass individuals and mestizos of Khakassia obtained in 2023. The snowball sampling method proved most instrumental in identifying further interviewees. Results. Present-day Khakassia witnesses quite a difficult situation: the increase in miscegenation and decrease of Khakass population trigger accelerated linguistic and cultural assimilation trends. The former have resulted from somewhat changed ethnic composition across the region, urbanization, and globalization. However, in the face of the mentioned circumstances, ethnic consciousness of the Khakass remains stable enough, the latter being manifested in the recognition of the Khakass language as mother tongue, in their understanding of the need to protect and develop traditional Khakass culture. But despite the efforts aimed at preserving Khakass, there is a real threat of its extinction. As compared to descendants of monoethnic marriages, mestizos tend to choose assimilation behavior strategies, which also entails dramatic risks for ethnic survival.