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Applying Original Nation Approaches to the Struggles of Original Nations in Euro-Asia: Historical Impacts of the Mongol-Tatar Invasion, Russian Empire, and Post-Soviet States on the Original Nations of Belarus and Latvia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 January 2025

Maria Kazak Open the ORCID record for Maria Kazak [Opens in a new window]  and
Elīna Rancāne Open the ORCID record for Elīna Rancāne [Opens in a new window]
Maria Kazak*
Affiliation:
University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
Elīna Rancāne
Affiliation:
University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
*
Corresponding author: Maria Kazak; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This paper engages in a comprehensive analysis of the historical processes leading to the destruction of the Original Nations of Belarus and Latvia. The research is structured in three sections, with the first outlining the tribal roots common to both Latvian and Belarusian nations, serving as a foundation for subsequent analyses. The second section constitutes the core of the research, employing an Original Nation approach to dissect the impact of historic occupations in the five key waves—religious conversion, invasions of the Mongol-Tatar Yoke that led to administrative integration into states, a language push under the Russian Empire, identity erasure during Sovietization, and lastly, the restoration of independence in both countries. The last section surveys the modern states of Belarus and Latvia, emphasising their endeavours to revive their Original Nations, as both nations share the burden of recovering lost national elements, resisting cultural repression, and building a robust national identity.

Keywords

Original NationscolonialismSoviet UnionONAILBelarusLatvia
Type
Research Article
Information
Asian Journal of Law and Society , First View , pp. 1 - 19
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Asian Journal of Law and Society

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