Abstract: the article provides a comprehensive legal, ethnic and historical analysis of the current state and legal status of small indigenous peoples in the Russian Federation, in particular the North, Siberia and the Far East. We consider the legal regulation, basic concepts and terms, lifestyle of national minorities, their diversity and various activities. It is said about the current population, the data of the All-Russian census are analyzed, the tendencies of growth and reduction of members of national minorities are investigated.
The state national policy aimed at preserving and enhancing the spiritual and cultural heritage of small indigenous peoples is reviewed. For these purposes, the Concept of Sustainable Development of Indigenous Minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation is analyzed and the tasks of the state in the area of habitat conservation, traditional way of life, modernization, improvement and development of traditional types of handicrafts, economic activities, improvement of quality of life, demographic indicators and mortality reduction, in the provision of educational services, in the support and development of forms of self-government, in the field of preservation of cultural heritage and so on.
Some existing problems associated with the provision of technology, medicine, and the formation of small nations are identified. The key problem is the increase in the number of national parks, strict legislation on protected areas in Russia, together with European world standards that limit the access of national minorities to their ancestral territories. The problems of difficult living conditions of the majority of indigenous minorities are raised.
Keywords: indigenous ethnic groups, state policy, traditional lifestyle, census, trades