Annotation

The article examines the role of a lawyer (advocate) in protecting the rights of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East of Russia (ISPN) amid active urban development and industrial exploration of territories of traditional nature use (TTNU). The author analyzes the dual legal nature of ISPN rights, which combine individual and collective elements, and the resulting procedural and tactical challenges for advocates. The study reviews the regulatory framework for protecting ISPN rights, with special emphasis on the need for advocate specialization, consideration of ethnological factors, and the application of preventive mechanisms (public hearings, environmental assessments) at the planning stage. It is substantiated that effective legal advocacy goes beyond court representation and requires a comprehensive approach, including ethnocultural competence and engagement with public authorities to ensure a balance between industrial development and the preservation of the indigenous habitat.