Nénètses

The Nénètses (sometimes spelled Nenets ), Ненцы - Nentsy - in Russian, are indigenous people of Russia alive around the polar circle. They constitute most important of the 26 Ethnies of the Siberia. Their traditional activity is the breeding of reindeers as well as fishing. Very wandering, their campings remain seldom a week at the same place. Geographically, they live in the tundra of Toukharde which is in the Péninsule of Taïmyr.

A wandering ethnos group, with the immense territory

In the ethnographic literature Russian of the 19th century, Nénètses was also called, " Самоядь" , i.e. “samod”, “samoyad”, or “samodijskie”, which was translated into English by “Samodi”. This name quickly was abandoned with the XXe century to be replaced by the term Nénètse , which wants to say “Man” in language Nénètse. " Nénètse" " is sometimes written; Nénète" or " Nenet" , but it is an error because the " s" who follows the " t" do not mark plural.

They populate the western north of the Siberia between the peninsula of Kanin on the White Mer, the delta of the Ienisseï, in the center of the territories Samoyèdes and the lower course of the Oussa, in the north of the mounts the Ural and of Vorkouta. They also live the islands of the Arctic Ocean and the peninsula of Kola. Administratively, their territory is divided between the district of the area of Tioumen and that of Arkhangelsk. The surface of this territory is from approximately 1 million km ².

The country of Nénètses is that of the Toundra and the forest of Conifère S, a ground of Pergélisol, with many rivers and vast marshy zones. Along banks of the Ob, the colonies nénètses touch the dense zone of forest of the Siberian Taïga. The territory on which Nénètses are distributed is desert and coastal (Mer of Barents) in the north of the Russia. The chief town, Narian Mar, is located on the estuary of the Petchora at the center of the territory. The population is estimated at approximately 41 302 individuals with the last census of 2002.

People of wire of Noum: origins, beliefs and organization

Nénètses, called the Princes of the Tundra because they reign on the Steppe S and Siberian forests, would be originating in the Monts Saïan of the Western Siberia. These people would have mixed with the Aborigène S which, according to traditional accounts, lived in underground shelters. In the classification of the Siberian people autochtones, Nénètses belong to the Ouraliques. Back to our era, they would have gone towards north to the Arctic Ocean under the pressure of the people Turcophone S. The religion of Nénètses is based on a system of beliefs Chamanique S and Animiste S: the Earth and its resources, following the example Amerindian , are the subject of a worship. Thus, Noum, the god of the sky and the great storms, is venerated by Nénètses. The Shaman E, very respected, is called a Tadibya, it is the mediator between the world of the spirits and the terrestrial world.

The social structure of company nénètse is of the clannish type, each one having its own grazing areas, of Chasse and fishing. Nénètses are divided into three distinct groups based on their economy:

Nénètses of the Tundra;
Nénètses of the forest (the Khandeyar);
Nénètses Kominisés (or Yaran populates) resulting from marriages between Nénètses and the tribe of the Izhmas (people Komis).

History

Three thousand years before Jesus-Christ, they would have been detached from the linguistic group Finno-ugric to migrate to the east in contact with the Turkish-speaking people and altaïques towards 200 before Jesus-Christ. Another assumption considers that they would have probably left the south of Siberia to settle in the north of current Russia at the 12th century between the peninsulas of Kanin and Taymyr, around the rivers Ob and Ienisseï. Some settled and formed small agricultural communities. The others continued to drive out and raise reindeers, beam of long distances beyond the peninsula of Kanin.

During the Mongolian invasion, Nénètses, as well as other tribes of the North-West of the Siberia, paid taxes with the Khan Siberian At of Koutchoum khan. In 1585, the Russians annexed these tribes and imposed their own taxes in furs.

The Russian influence on Nénètses begins with and will be total at the 17th century. With the Russian Revolution of 1917, Nénètses undergo a policy of assimilation and Collectivisation forced. They are constrained to give up their life Nomade by sédentarisant in collective farms of State, the Kolkhozes. The children are sent to the school to learn Russian what had as a consequence the loss of their language and the disappearance of their traditional life mode. Industrialization on their ground because of serious environmental damage.

Today, the stockbreeders nénètses have the choice between the sedentarisation in a collective farm and the return to the wandering life in the Toundra. In the first case, they are paid, the herd of Renne S not belonging to them. In the second case, they are free and have their own herd. They often live in Communauté made up of ten Brigade S (term inherited the Soviet time ). Each brigade includes/understands 5 to 6 tents sheltering 15 to 20 people, often of the same family, 80 sledges, a herd of: 2000 reindeers, about fifteen Sheepdogs used to gather the animals.

Lifestyle

These people saw fishing resources (fishing) and huntings (Chasse), but their principal means of subsistence remains the breeding of reindeers, which occupies a fundamental place in the culture of Nénètses. This is why they move on a territory of more than one million km ² of tundra. A hundred heads covers the whole of the traditional needs for a family.

Food

The Viande of reindeers (rising, frost, pulp or roasted) is the principal base of their food. The Abat S are mets of choice. Nowadays, in contact with civilization, Nénètses buy products of first need at the village (Sucre, salt, butter, pastes, Pain and… alcohol). According to the seasons, they also eat bay S, Champignon S, fish, Caviar, goose eggs. Some Kitchen utensils S, the Rifle S and even the Four S make from now on left the daily newspaper of Nénètses.

Dwelling

The traditional dwelling of Nénètses is the Tchoum: a conical tent in skin of reindeer to the image of the Amerindian Tipi. But they use today many tents with prefabricated reinforcements surmounted by a fabric. The ground is covered with a floor and skins with reindeers. One clarifies the interior with a Oil lamp.

Tool S and Clothing S

The skins of Renne S make it possible to make Vêtement S and Chaussure S heats, as of the Tente S (Mya). With the Leather, they make Lasso S or Harnais, but also with the Chaussures for the summer while the horn S are used for the manufacture of Outil S and Ustensile S. In winter, they are equipped with a long tunic in skin of reindeer with Mitaine S and integrated Capuchon: the Malitsa. Each stockbreeder has two or three pairs of long Cuissarde S in skin of reindeer (Toboguis).

Education

The children until the 7 years age nomadisent with their parents. Then they are provided education for in boarding school at the village. At the end of May, they turn over to the camping for their summer holidays. Separation between parents and children is thus long and the latter feel a rupture compared to the life of the camping.

“… I was taken along to the school-boarding school. I do not include/understand Russian. It is the first time that I am in a wood house, I choke there. Children run, their noise resounds in the walls; I have the feeling which these walls soon will crumble under this din. The small ones of my age are beside me. All the young girls wear the same dress, the boys are vêtus like twins. We make the tail to be mowed. So that we do not have lice, our small heads must be virgin of any hair. The queue is reduced always more. I do not recognize those which were shaven before me, which is a boy, which is a girl. I can guess it only with the behavior. All became bald people. They palpate their cranium, some in a smile, others struck of stupor. I am very afraid to remain without hair. What will I say to mom? She will not recognize me among all these heads bald people. She liked to make my long braids, my song on her lips: My daughter with the long braids, The elder one of two small. My daughter with the long braids, With the thick hair Color sinks of copper. While I reminded the song which rocked me, my turn arrived. A teacher sat me on a chair. This one is so high that my legs hang in the vacuum, with middle height of the feet of the chair. The boots of felt that one gave me, too large for me, slip of my feet, although with my knees I tighten of all my forces the large boots one against the other. My boots escape. My legs are too short. I covered myself the head of my hands. The teacher brutally turned over my palms, posed them on my knees. The blunted scissors cannot come to end from my well braided plaits, they run up in a squeaking against my hair. Then, all my life, this noise would haunt me. On the ground lie my two braids, piers négligemment. I slipped since the high chair. I want to collect these inanimate braids. But of a kick, the teacher sent them in a corner. The cold of the blade of the scissors penetrates my heart, transpierces me to the heels. I started to be cold. I am only one tremor. I still have many hair. The head turns me, I am ready to disappear, of cold sweats on my face; now, I do not think any more of my poor hair, I only wait to be shaven as fast as possible. Lastly, the teacher reduces me from my chair. This is the fault of the too large boots or my weakening, but I stumbled, and of the tears my eyes spouted out, like a Ru. There is not the right to cry in a boarding school, but what can I make if my heart cries, if I do not have the force to repress my sobs. It is necessary to cry without noise. Nobody will take to me in his arms. There is only laughter, and then my naked cranium which one cherishes. - Why do you cry, small stupid? It you will push others, hair of them. Look at us! You will not have lice. Girls or boys circle the shaven head. I cannot recognize anybody. I do not see faces, only heads bald people. I approached an ice, a woman with the gray hair looked at me there. From which did it come? Who was it? I try to scan, to discover the traces of hair coppered at this old woman. But nothing. Where and which are you, young girl with the copper hair? I seized the scissors of tailor, I cut the frank hideous one, left in the middle of the face, which returned to me ridiculous. - What did you make? ask me mine. - I want to be with the mode. Those which were never shaven of force would not include/understand me. '”

Translated from Russian and introduced by Dominique Samson Norman of Chambourg. Extract of the " News of Survival, n°64, March 2007. © Sigila, 2006 © Anastasia Lapsui, Dominique Samson Norman of Chambourg -->

Language

Nénètses have their own language: the Nénètse which is regarded as belonging to the Langues samoyèdes (subfamily of the Langues ouraliennes) as well as those of the people Enets, Selkups and Nganasans. During the Soviet era, all Nénètses were Russianized and a generation forgot its native language. Although the Russian language remains dominating, the nénètse reappeared: one teaches it in the schools and the stockbreeders use it again.

Nomadism

Each brigade moves its herd along a corridor of migration according to a route of 500 km between the forest of the south and the tundra of north. Displacements are rates/rhythms by the seasons. In summer, the reindeers are protected from the mosquitos and heat in the vast ones extended from the tundra of north. The winter is hard. It is not rare that the thermometer reaches -40°C. This is why with the arrival of the autumn, the stockbreeders leave the tundra and go down towards the south where they will be able to find wood, but also to approach localities for the schooling of the children and to make new reserves of provisions. Arriving close to the village, part of the animals is cut down and sold to buy the products necessary: vivres, Clothing S, fabric for the tents, Gasoline, some Drug S, etc But soon walk towards the south continue. Some brigades only prefer to remain in extreme cases of the forest, the others install their campings in taïga of at the end of December, until the beginning of April approximately. Spring is the most difficult period. Nénètses take again their walk towards north with sledges in charge of 6 months of vivres and sometimes of the firewood. It is necessary to advance quickly so that the reindeers females arrive in time on their places of their low usual setting. Displacements, be like winter, for the material as for the men, are carried out in sledge harnessed from 2 to 4 reindeers. During displacements of the camping or great migrations, the sledges are attached the ones to the others in Indian file, of the trains made up of more than ten sledges.

Future of Nénètses

The principal danger threatening Nénètses is not that of the Extinction, since their population is growing, but that of the Assimilation and the loss of their cultural identity. Much Nénètses does not want thus any more to live in the tundra and to take again a life of nomad, too hard.

The Soviet regulation and post-Soviet do not enable them to live according to their customs and habits: in 1957, a decree has constrained Nénètses to remain in boarding schools of state of the birth at the end of their schooling. These children then grew out of their roots. The regulations are also too restrictive as regards establishment.

Nénètses face also with daily problems such as the insufficiency of provisioning and financial resources and those related on the Alcoolisme and the education. They are touched of full whip by the economic crisis and social Russian. Nénètses wish an approach different from the ecological problems and needs for the population. The industrial activity is often made with the detriment breeding of the reindeer, hunting and fishing without any compensation. That is due to the lack of laws which defend the rights of the people Autochtone S. industrial pollution (in particular Nucléaire) is transmitted to Nénètses via the Lichen S that the reindeers eat.

Remain the problem involved in the exploitation not controlled of the Gaz and Pétrole on the ancestral territory of Nénètses. These people from now on are threatened because alive on largest oil-bearing Champs world, stakes of multiple covetousnesses.

All these economic factors, sociocultural (mixed marriages, sedentarisation, Russian schooling,…) support this loss of cultural identity nénètse. An association of the indigenous people nénètse was thus created. It defends their rights within the Federation of the Small People of Russia.

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