LANGUAGE AS A FACTOR OF ARCTIC RESILIENCE: SOCIO-CULTURAL DYNAMICS AMONG INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE NORTH

Supporting traditional knowledge, particularly indigenous languages, is essential for preserving the unique cultural heritage of the Arctic and ensuring its sustainable future. This study examines the process of language shift over the past decade and the decline in the number of schools in the Russian Arctic where indigenous languages are taught. It also explores the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies as tools for mitigating these trends. The study employs desk research and statistical analysis of data from the Russian Arctic. Its novelty lies in the collection of new empirical data on two indicators over the past ten years: the number of schools offering instruction in indigenous languages and the number of students enrolled in these programs, including courses in minority languages. The results provide statistical evidence of a generational language shift: the older generation is bilingual in indigenous languages and Russian; the middle generation understands but rarely speaks their ancestral language; and the youngest generation often no longer comprehends it. This shift is reflected in the reduction in the number of Russian Arctic schools teaching indigenous languages over the last decade. The study also demonstrates a close link between language revitalization and the demographic trends of Arctic indigenous populations. It reports a demographic “echo of war” effect, in which population declines associated with World War II recur across successive generations approximately every 25–30 years. Future research will focus on employing AI to reconstruct languages that have already been lost. Another promising avenue involves initiating projects to collect and systematize extensive corpora of texts, audio recordings, and video materials in endangered languages. Beyond cultural preservation, AI can advance speech recognition and synthesis technologies in the Russian Arctic, contributing to regional resilience.