In order to structure the foundations of the institution for the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples in the Russian Federation the article analyzes the basic aspects of the legal status of indigenous (small-numbered) peoples in Russian Federation in terms of two fundamental concepts of relationship between government and indigenous peoples: paternalism and partnership. The advantages, disadvantages, features of both principles and possible ways to overcome the inherent negative characteristics are considered. A unified system of key characteristics of the partnership model is proposed. Based on the above, the primary directions for the practical implementation of the most effective combination of these models in the legal field of the Russian Federation are highlighted.