User:Aishwaryanigalye/Dukha people

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The Dukha, Dukhans or Duhalar (Mongolian: Цаатан, Tsaatan) are a small Turkic community of semi-nomadic reindeer herders living in a sum of Khövsgöl, Mongolia called Tsagaannuur. They are the only reindeer herding culture in Mongolia, and are considered one of the earliest domesticators of any animal.

The name Tsaatan, which means ‘those who have reindeer’ in the Mongolian language, were originally Tuvinian reindeer herders.

Language[edit]
Main article: Dukha language

The Dukhan language (SIL International dkh is an endangered Turkic variety spoken by approximately five hundred people in the Tsagaan-Nuur county of the Khövsgöl region of northern Mongolia. Dukhan belongs to the Taiga subgroup of Sayan Turkic (Tuvan, Tofa).

History[edit]
The Tuvans are descended from a clan called the Kazylgans, who lived in modern day Tuva from the 7th to the 3rd century BCE. Pastoral Hun tribes then replaced them in the 2nd century BCE and continued to populate the region until the 1st century AD. These tribes are believed to have spoken Kettic and Samoyedic languages.

From 551 to 744 AD, Turkic tribes brought on by the Turkish reign began intermixing with the natives. Additionally, the Dubo people settled in the Eastern Sayan region in the 7th century. Following that, the Uigurs overtook the Turkish empire and became the ancestors of 4 modern day ethnic Tuvan groups, one of them being the Dukha people.

Originally from across the border in what is now Tuva Republic of Russia, the Dukha settled in northern Mongolia. Tuva became independent in 1921, when Mongolia gained its independence from China. The reindeer herders were able to cross the border freely between Tuva and Mongolia until 1944, when Tuva was annexed to the Soviet Union and the border was closed. Many Dukha, who had settled in Mongolia due to fear of Soviet collectivization of their reindeer, food shortages from World War II, and intertribal relations, were separated from their family in Tuva as a result. Under Soviet influenced Mongolian socialism, the Dukhan way of life suffered significantly, particularly reindeer herding after it became collectivized and state run. The Tuvan language also began to be replaced by Mongolian. The economic revolution of the 1990s, which marked a change from socialism to privatization, saw the transition of many Dukha back to reindeer herding after years of taking urban jobs. The lack of government subsidization for herding led to difficulty in maintaining herds, but the advent of tourism in the mid-1990s began to support herders financially.

At first, the Mongolian government repeatedly deported them back to Tuva. In 1956, the government finally gave them Mongolian citizenship and resettled them at Tsagaan Nuur Lake on the Shishigt River.

The Dukha people started becoming distinguished as reindeer herders around 1935, when the Mongolian word "tsaatan" first appeared in the newspaper Ünen and began to replace terms such as soyot uriankhai, taigyn irged (English: "citizens of the taiga), and oin irged (English: "citizens of the forest"). The Dukhas' chosen name for themselves, however, remains uncertain.

Daily life
The Dukha are one of the few remaining groups of nomadic (or semi-nomadic) reindeer herders in the world. As of 2000, 30-32 households (about 180 people) remain in Tsagaanuur with their reindeer. The nomadic and settled Dukha populations total to about 500 people.

Reindeer use and management
The Dukha's sense of community is structured around the reindeer and can be traced back thousands of years. This is reinforced by the mutually beneficial relationship between the reindeer and Dukha. The former receives the best land for grazing, protection from factors in the wilderness like predators and competitors, and salt treats. In many ways, they are treated like family members and shown respect. The community's chores and activities center on the care and feeding of their reindeer. Dukha communities on the taiga are usually a group of tents of two to seven households that move camp to find optimum grazing for the reindeer. Herding tasks are shared amongst the camp with children at a young age learning to care for the reindeer and keeping them safe. The girls and younger women do the milking and make yogurt, cheese, and milk tea. Young men and women and elders help with herding. A few of the men stay with the reindeer in the winter months, living in the open air with their herds to protect them from wolves and other predators. The men also make and repair their hunting tools and reindeer saddles and carts. Since they rarely kill a reindeer, they supplement their diet of reindeer milk products by hunting wild animals from the forest.

Dukha milk reindeer daily in order to produce staple foods, such as reindeer milk, reindeer yogurt and reindeer cheese. The reindeer also provide transportation. Because the taiga area is typically hilly and covered with forest, reindeer are not used for pulling sledges, but for riding and as pack animals. They take the Dukha for daily grazing, hunting, the collection of firewood, seasonal migrations, visiting relatives and friends, and traveling to the sum for shopping and trade. A 1.5 m long thin stick in the right hand is used as a whip. A rider gets on a tree stump and jumps onto the reindeer from the left side with the stick in the left hand, then transfers the stick to the right hand once the rider is mounted.

The Dukha begin training reindeer for riding when the reindeer (called dongor at this age) are two years old. Adults are too heavy for dongor, so it is usually the children's job to train them. Adults ride on hoodai (three-year-old reindeer) or older ones. They regularly ride on zari (castrated males). Special training is not necessary to train the reindeer as pack animals. The male reindeer usually carry loads weighing about 40 kg (88 lbs.), while females carry up to 30 kg (66.1387 lbs.). The reindeer typically make trips every 2-10 weeks for nomadic tribes, and they make traversing the mountainous taiga regions much easier. Reindeer pelts are used for making winter coats. Bags, mats for traveling, and shoes are also made from the skin. Material for shoes is taken from the skin on the reindeer's shin. Reindeer antlers are ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine and have been supplied to China since 1975. They are also used to carve tools and as material for trinkets for tourists. For these purposes, the antlers are cut off and harvested annually in early summer. The reindeer's two front legs are tied to one hind leg to make the animal fall. The Dukha cut the antlers with a small saw. Because reindeer cannot properly regulate their body temperature when they lose their antlers and easily become exhausted, pregnant female reindeer never have their antlers removed. In recent years, the practice of cutting reindeer antlers has started to decline due to ethical concerns.

Only a few reindeer are slaughtered during the year for meat and pelts.

Climate change has adversely effected the taiga inhabited by the Dukha and led to a decline in reindeer herds; lichen, an important food source for reindeer, is vulnerable to climactic changes.

Shelter[edit]
The Dukha live in ortz, yurts that resemble Native-Americans tepees. A large yurt may take birch bark from up to 32 trees to make; a medium-sized yurt is made from the bark of 23-25 trees.

Clothing[edit]
Dukha dress is characterized by hats like those of the Khalkh people, and wide deels (traditional Mongolian overcoats). They wear strong, warm boots fashioned from the hides and sinew of their reindeer. /ref>

Only a few reindeer are slaughtered during the year for meat and pelts.

Seasonal migration and residential groups
The Dukha are semi-nomadic. They move from one place to another without establishing any permanent settlements during the year. A residential group consisting of several families is called olal-lal (meaning ’them’ in the Tuva language). They usually refer to a specific group by the name of a representative member. Families of the same olal-lal set up tents close to one another (within a few kilometers) and collaborate in livestock herding.


 * Summer: Dukha move to their summer camp in the middle of June. Its altitude is around 2300 m, and there are fresh breezes. Because of the cold climate throughout the year, open grasslands spread across the high steppe. Reindeer cannot handle heat well, so they must be pastured in high plains in the summer.
 * Fall: The beginning of August is the time for Dukha families to move down to different camp sites to spend the fall season. When it begins to snow in mid-September, since there are no insects, the reindeer regain their vigor; and the young males are castrated. From the end of September to early October is mating season for reindeer. The gestation period for a reindeer is about seven months.
 * Winter: Dukha usually settle down in the deep forest at an altitude of about 1800 m where they can avoid the frigid winds. During winter camp, people remain in one area for a month at the longest, and then move on to another place, especially when there are wolves nearby. Snow is not an obstacle for reindeer to find and eat moss because they can dig in the snow with their hooves and find moss easily. Several residential groups band together and set out for "otor" (the herding of livestock by young men in distant areas). During otor, the reindeer are free to move about and can find moss and grass easily. It is common in winter for men to remain with reindeer herds and for women to remain in villages to oversee the education of children.
 * Spring: Groups cannot move as quickly to spring camps because they must accompany the pregnant female reindeer. This is the time when weather tends to be harsh, with strong winds, so they settle in a place that shelters them from severe winds. Reindeer give birth between late April and mid-May.

Belief and religion
The Dukha practice Shamanism, tengrism, and animism. All aspects of nature, such as the earth and sky, as well as ancestors, are revered as powerful forces that reign over the lives of humans. The Shamanistic practices among Dukha people differ from those of other Shamanistic religions in the region. Shaman worship among the Tsaatan people is thought to represent the oldest variant of Shamanism practiced by Turkic and Mongolian nomads. Not only do they worship their Shaman, whom they call 'Boo', but they have many mystical holy books as well, and use many different treatises in their daily lives, including those for hunting and for calling or banishing the rain. Other traditions include shaman ceremonies for welcoming the new moon and specific practices for retrieving river water.

The Shamanistic beliefs of the Dhuka revolve around the sacredness of the reindeer. These beliefs prevent them from slaughtering and eating reindeer for the most part, as they are considered sacred animals. Instead, they hunt and eat elk, moose, bear, sable, and boar for protein.

According to a 2004 National Geographic report, the Dukha believe that their ancestors’ ghosts live on in the forest as animals that give guidance to the living.