Ethnic History of the Ainu of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands in the Context of Russian-Japanese Territorial Delimitation
The article presents the traumatic consequences of the Russian-Japanese territorial delimitations for the Russian Ainu in 1855, 1875 and 1945. The destiny of the Ainu of the Southern Kurils with Russian citizenship from 1777 was determined by the Treaty of Shimoda (1855) according to which Shikotan, Kunashir and Iturup were given to Japan. Previously, the Japanese had visited the islands only for trade purposes; afterwards, their economic development and forced Japanization began. The number of the Southern Kuril Ainu decreased by a factor of 30 in less than 100 years. By 1973, this group disappeared completely. A similar situation happened with the Ainu of the Northern Kurils after their ressetlement to Japan (1875) in exchange for renunciation of Sakhalin. Some Ainu moved to Kamchatka, others did not dare to leave their homeland and became Japanese citizens. In both cases, they eventually dissolved in native population. The delimitation of 1875 put the Sakhalin Ainu into a dilemma. Those people who had relatives among the Japanese and Ainu in Hokkaido opted for Japan. About half of them died there from the epidemic of cholera and smallpox in 1886-1887. The others began to return illegally to their homeland. Unfortunately, the Russian administration of Sakhalin failed to gain confidence among the Ainu. The destruction of their economy which had started during the Japanese period continued. In 1905, they were under the authority of Japan again. After its defeat in the Second World War, the Sakhalin Ainu could have become Soviet citizens but this did not happen. As the citizens of Japan, they were repatriated to Hokkaido. In Japan they were treated cautiously and they were called Tsuysikari-Ainu. In order to avoid discrimination, they concealed their origins and stopped considering themselves the Ainu.