The Nenets
Translate literally Human Beings (Samoyed language, spoken by 80% of the people). There are about 45,000 of them, spread over an immense territory of tundra, from the Yamal Peninsula to the Yenissei Delta (Arctic zone) to the north of the Urals (about 1 million km²). Part of it is attached to the Nenetsia Autonomous District (capital Narian-Mar). 10,000 Nenets have retained a nomadic lifestyle, associated with reindeer husbandry.
Imagine the great white, this Earth that never thaws, that of Nouga, master of the moon, darkness and depths. That of Noum, master of the sky, creator of the sun and summer. At the end of an invisible road are the tchum
, these 5 m diameter tipis, traditionally made of wooden stakes, felt cloth and reindeer skins (in 2019, its modern version was quite widespread, acquired in Salekhard, during a supply in town). Inside, a cozy nest is organized around the central post, the sacred axis. The floor is covered with skins, the wood stove sits in the centre, on which the tea pot stays warm. 10 to 15 people stay here, eat here, talk here, work here, rest here after the effort, but never before nightfall, according to precise rules. Don't be mistaken, some families live with their time, telephone, computer (powered by solar panels), snowmobile have their place in the camp.The clan stopped here because the lichen is abundant, enough to feed the herd of 5,000 reindeer a few days before setting out on the road again. Outside, men and women dressed in thick layers and furs go about their business (repairing, nursing, doing the daily chores: water, fire, etc.). The damn embroidered of some of them, in explosive colours, awaken the white eternity around them. The toddlers, wrapped in blankets just as shimmering, participate in their own way, well secured on a sled. The children, from 7 to 14 years old, study at the village boarding school; they only return to the tundra once a year, during the holidays (it is the sovkhoze
, a Soviet legacy still in place in this part of the Far North, which transports them to the camp). The shaman, link between men, deities and spirits, also occupies a special place.This morning, wolf tracks were found in the snow: the chief of the clan sends his youngest men to patrol in sleds, armed with guns, accompanied by their dogs, against all hostilities: at night, the temperature drops to -50°C. The best reindeer are then selected (two per team), because a worthy breeder recognizes his cattle at a glance, each character and other invisible signs... The lasso is launched with a sure gesture, hits its target with the first blow: the beast can only give up its race, braked by the strength of its arms and thighs! Here are some who have just come back from polar hare hunting or fishing: they had to break the ice to a depth of 1 m in order to shoe... catches that had barely been taken out and were already frozen. They will be eaten as is, sometimes boiled, like reindeer meat (fresh meat is reserved for feast days, according to precise processes).
The reindeer is a provider of wealth, which should be honoured and valued. The hide will be used to make clothes and blankets. From the bones, tools and amulets are made. Tendons are recycled into ropes. Hooves are turned into toys. The antlers of the young males that are slaughtered are also a delicacy that is very much appreciated by children. As for their meat, it is sold in town to finance the inevitable expenses (firewood, medicines, tools, etc.).
Reindeer farming is also the decision to raise the camp every four to five days to provide food and cold weather. In April, just before the thaw weakens the first layer of permafrost, the Nenets go on transhumance, travelling more than 500 km north. In two hours, the camp is dismantled, the reindeer harnessed, the sleds loaded, strapped together, forming the links of a long and magnificent caravan. The most daring scouts set off in a hurry, on fast sleds. How do they find their way through the uniformity of the frost? Without a map or a compass, because the memory of the route and the good spots, specific to each clan, is obvious.The Evenks
(Tungus language.) There are about 38,000 of them, settled in small groups between the Yenisei and the Sea of Okhotsk, from the northern Arctic seas to the banks of the Amur River. They depend on various districts; depending on the villages where they are registered, it is estimated that 40% to 80% of them are nomadic. In addition, 4,000 Evenks live in the National Evenks Unobles in Yakutia (accessible by plane via Yakutsk)
Taiga. Hunting. Sedentary (horses, bison) or nomadic (reindeer) breeding. People of the icy forests, the Evenks are genius scouts. They drew the first maps of Siberia (on birch bark), those that guided Russian and foreign scientists in the 18th century. Many works have shown that this ethnic minority has an extremely precise knowledge of the Siberian hydrographic network, all the more spectacular as the territory is immense. The rivers, landmarks for orientation and movement, but not only. They would also serve as symbolic means of communication between the world of men and the world of spirits, between life and death. The transmission of this knowledge to the new generations, like the opening of new hunting and transhumance routes, would be immovable. For the Evenks are explorers themselves and worship their own heroes of the road. Reindeer herders, therefore perpetually on the move (up to 2,000 km per year for an adult male), the Evenks drive relatively small herds to various pastures. They feed on fishing (salmonids, monkfish, grayling) and hunting (small and large game). The slaughter of a head of cattle only occurs on the occasion of exceptional events, such as lean hunting, weddings, funerals or festivities. They derive their annual income not from breeding, but from sable fur (hunted in October-December).
Imagine larches, pines, firs and cedars, a forest environment that seems uniform and random. This is not so. The diversity of the spaces here is boundless; the difficulty of the relief, the nature of the soil, the character of the watercourses, the very refined Evenk language echoes this. The Mari, for example, this marshy area accessible on foot, which moves like a snake when a caravan passes by. Syhi, where a hunted animal traps the assailant, this forest so thick that you have to carve your way through it with an axe. There are also untouchable areas, which man penetrates under conditions: the territories of Baγylah, the spirit provider of big game (elk, bear, red deer), with which the elders come to discuss, feeding him with fatty meat thrown into a fire
The Evenks prepare their journeys well in advance of departure, according to a multitude of almost mathematical parameters: periods and circuits of game migration, very cold weather (unsuitable for hunting, because of the phenomenon of noise reverberation), freezing of waterways (which literally serve as highways), snow cover (favourable for tracking), tree felling periods (to plan the construction or repair of equipment), and above all, seasonal vegetation, because the aim is to ensure a varied menu for the herd. They travel by sledge during the winter (about nine months in Yakutia) or on reindeer during the summer. You thought you saw, painted on a rock, the symbol of an animal? A hunter warns you that the species is proliferating in the area. A stick seems to have been placed against a tree? It's no coincidence that a family tells you they've settled nearby. Evenk camps are set up in pre-existing places, close to transhumance routes, maintained throughout the year. However, they stay away from wilderness areas, with the idea of preserving resources. There is no question of consuming the environment, so only what is needed is taken. Daily life is organised according to various rules, which have evolved with Soviet imperialism. The Evenks, for example, have an east-facing tchum. As are the feet of the deceased, when they are buried, also near a river (in the forest and in the village). Are you entering a camp? Please note that it is strictly forbidden to go around a dwelling; if you enter, the same applies around the hearth. This practice is reserved for collective or shamanic rituals. Only the shaman is allowed to turn counter-clockwise, a movement that allows him to join the spirits.
The Touvas
People of the steppes, the taiga and the city of southern Siberia, the Tuvas (Turkish language, spoken by the whole population but in decline among the young) are about 315,000, established in the republic of Tuva. More than half live in Kyzyl, the capital, whose location corresponds to the geographical centre of Asia (marked by an obelisk and its globe). Others are settled in rural villages, while a minority have retained the nomadic lifestyle of the yurt (reindeer breeding, cattle, horses depending on the region).
Whether they are subject to a rural or urban lifestyle, the Tuvas all maintain deep links with bojdus and oran tandy, the natural environment and the spirits that reside there. Note that a city dweller in Kyzyl (dotted with references to the Tuvan pastoral culture, such as the Arat statue, depicting a shepherd) is not cut off from his roots: his elders taught him hunting and fishing techniques; he rides horses; he regularly stays in the 'countryside', in the yurt or the isba; he visits the aržaan
(sacred springs). Yožu čančyl, this set of rules, values and traditions, which has certainly evolved over the course of history, constitutes a powerful cultural base, deeply rooted in everyday life.Honouring the fire: this is probably the most important ritual. Formerly practiced once a year, before the first snow, to protect the herd or the mounts, it consisted in placing offerings in the fire to feed them: sheep meat (the fattest or whitest pieces), araka (milk alcohol, also called vodka touva). Today, the fire is fed for a lot of reasons: financial worries, moving into a new house, a visit from the shaman. Okay, but what fire? The one from the wood or coal stove, or the one from the... stove (don't touch the tempting plate that is placed on it. These are the offerings, the first part of each dish) ! Every morning, we prepare the black tea with salted milk (the real one is the result of a long process) and the first "bowl" of the beverage, sprinkled with tos-karak
, the nine-eyed spoon (indispensable utensil. Explore the markets of Kyzyl in search of a specimen), is offered to the spirits. Where? Outside, near the yurt or isba; otherwise, in the direction of the stove or through the window! In the Republic of Tuva, it is necessary to take precautions when passing through certain places: when a spirit is disturbed, it is calmed by sprinkling milk and prayers. Very rarely you will have the opportunity to see a child at nightfall. If this is the case, look at his face, he may have a black mark on the tip of his nose or on his forehead (this is how evil spirits are fooled, by making him look like a calf). Pregnant women, keep in mind that a Touva conceals her pregnancy for as long as possible in order to protect her calf. Finally, be aware that natural or accidental manifestations (earthquakes, industrial accidents, etc.) are considered in the Republic of Tuva as a reaction of the environment to human activities ... inappropriate. Something to think about? Since the end of the Soviet regime, the Tuva culture has flourished; many events are organized every year, easily accessible in Kyzyl. Rendezvous at the Naadym festivities, this very important national holiday, known as the ploughmen's day, which takes place at the end of the summer. People come from the farthest corners of the republic to take part in these jousts: wrestling ( khourech, a national sport; many Tuvan athletes are also sumo champions), horse racing, archery. Don't wander off: devigi will soon begin, a dance in honour of the strength and agility of the eagle, the master of the sky. Practiced by all wrestlers, it gives them confidence while impressing the jury and the public! Don't miss the beauty contest danguyna, for women, and jaly, for men: you will get lost in the contemplation of these princely adornments; these silks, these furs that one imagines to have been brought back from a legendary land... Every summer, the International Throat Singing Festival takes place (the khöömii song, which is found in Mongolia and China, classified as a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2009). Maybe you will have the chance to hear a Tuva star, like the experimental singer Sainkho Namtchylak? In winter, Šagaa celebrates the Lunar New Year (in February, according to the calendar).The Sakha
Or Yakuts (Turkish language). They would be about 480 000, established on both sides of the republic of Sakha/Iakutia (3 million km², almost 1/5th of Russia). They claim, since their migration from the Cis-Baikalian regions to the north, sedentary traditions related to horse and cattle breeding
While the great process of collectivisation has not yet begun, the Sakha live as a family on vast territories, the alaas , composed of pastures and water bodies. Despite a summer and a winter residence, their way of life is sedentary. Cultural heritage of their Cis-Baikalian ancestors? The Sakha have a special relationship with water. Lakes, home to the master spirit of water, embody their permanent residence, to which they are very attached, while rivers are associated with travel. Water systems, like the sun, are landmarks that help people find their way and return home (they flow north). Above all, water is considered a dangerous environment, less for its temperature and currents than for the soulless and hostile spirits it contains. For example, the süllüüükun, summoned for divinatory purposes on the night of January 6-7 just before midnight, gather in a circle around a hole dug in the ice
Today's Sakha have retained many old habits. Fishing for sobo (the carassin), among other things, a "sedentary" lake fish, which they feed on all year round, especially if the meat runs out. The nets made in China, reputed to be of good quality, have long since replaced horsehair: they are placed in several places on the lake, attached to props of larch (rot-proof) - in winter they are immersed under the ice. A central character in many stories and traditions (once a man seduced a woman by offering her a horse's rib or a packet of sobo tongues, a very refined dish. Gentlemen, as a last resort, you know what you have to do...), the sobo still has its place in everyday life. Although less noble than farmed meat, it is cooked all year round: fried, skewered, boiled, stuffed, oven-dried and stored in the "home" freezer (the cellar dug into the permafrost), but never mixed with other species. Like meat, the fatter it is, the more it is appreciated (there are various magical techniques for fattening it in the wild). Don't bother with cutlery, sobo is eaten whole when it is cooked whole. A real sakha eater will only leave a pile of bones (the carcasses were once used to make figurines and toys)
Sitim. It is this invisible link that unites man and the universe; an alliance that must be renewed every year. Imagine Iakutsk around the summer solstice. You wait for nightfall, but it won't come for several weeks. The streets of the capital are crowded, the atmosphere is electric. The Us-Kahatyn festival is in full swing: serge (wooden pillars with a spiritual vocation, also very common in Buryatia), iarangas (huts) have been set up; a colourful crowd applauds the horse-riding jousts, the mas matches (struggle to get hold of a stick), the parades in traditional dress, where embroidery of undulating pearls and silver jewellery compete, silversmiths' work; braid length competitions. Numerous shows make you discover the sakha myths. Nearly 150,000 of them have gathered here, coming from the four corners of the republic for two to several days, to celebrate Ihyakh, the festival of the awakening of the aiyy, the spirits, and nature (annual festival organized since 1989). Don't drown in kumuys (fermented mare's milk), which should also be sprayed on the ground. Observe an Ohuokhay, a flash-mob representing the cycle of life, moving towards the sun. You will be particularly impressed by the highlight of the ceremony, an ancient rite that has survived until you: thousands of people reach for the horizon, waiting to capture the star's primal energy. The summer sun, ephemeral and beneficent in this icy land, which we thank for its warmth and light, for soon the polar night will come ..
Winter can last up to nine months in Sakha Republic, where even the stars seem to freeze. Everybody has always learned how to get through it, how to keep the warmth of the shelter, how to live confined for most of the year; even the smallest children know how to turn on the oven and prepare something warm. While the children play indoors (there are countless iakoutes board games), we do needlework. We prepare these wonderful ornaments with which we will parade in the upcoming beauty contests, an institution in Yakutia. Each profession has its own (police, health, teachers, students). Formerly the prerogative of women, they have recently opened up to other categories: children, men, the elderly. At least one member of the household has won his trophy, proudly displayed. The origins of this national sport can be traced back to Olonkho (an oral founding myth, which has been listed as a UNESCO Intangible Heritage Site since 2008), evoking the graceful beauty of a shy young woman. For in Yakutia, the perfect woman is of unparalleled beauty, pure, fragile, but eternal like nature
