The region of Siberia is a vast area of land in North Asia and is bigger than the United States, Europe, and China combined. This enormous region, today a part of Russia, is still inhabited by many indigenous people of the land (“indigenous" means to be native to the place). Among the many distinct indigenous people in Siberia are the Nenets and Chukchi. Though these peoples of the Arctic share many things, they each have their own unique culture and way of life.
The Nenets, one of the many Siberian indigenous peoples, live in the northwestern part of Russia. They reside in areas known as tundra and forest-tundra, lands in which average temperatures are extremely cold. The Nenets’ existence often revolves around surviving these harsh temperatures. For example, they have two important traditions, the first being fishing. Many Nenets enjoy fish as a significant part their diet, and they have even come up with a unique snack called the Stroganina.
The stroganina is a popular snack, which consists of frozen fish cut into strips and eaten right as the fish is thawing out … almost like a fish popsicle! The second important Nenets tradition is hunting and herding a well-known animal of the tundra region called the reindeer. These beautiful creatures are very large, grow enormous antlers, and they actually survive and thrive in the cold of Siberia! They are an essential source of food in the tundra region, and the Nenets have an immense sense of respect for animals in nature.
While the extreme temperatures of Siberia affect the Nenets’ food sources, they also play a large role in how they dress and move. The people regularly don hefty coats, often made of brown furs, to protect themselves from the harsh Arctic tundra. To move around the land, Nenets have created sledges, or sleds. These come in all shapes and sizes and are made of
reindeer bone. Sometimes, even the smallest of children have their own sleds for fun and games!
Another indigenous group of Siberia is the Chukchi people. These form two distinct groups based on their lifestyles—the maritime Chukchi and reindeer Chukchi. Both live in the eastern
regions of Russia’s Arctic North, close to the Arctic Pacific Ocean. And although Siberia is a very large place, its indigenous peoples are often more similar than they are different.
For example, both the Chukchi and the Nenets must deal with Siberia’s freezing climate as part of their daily lives, where average temperatures are below freezing.
To combat the cold, the Chukchi dress in a very similar way to the Nenets. Outside they ofter wear fur coats with mittens and boots to protect themselves. Chukchi and Nenets also live in tent-like structures that the Nenets call ““chum” ” and the Chukchi call “Yaranga,” or “home” in the Chukchi language. These tents are often made of reindeer hide, triangularly shaped, and held in place by wood planks.
The Chukchi also hold a unique cultural belief about Siberia and their environment; they believe that everything in the world has a spirit— including both living and non-living things. This means that to the Chukchi people, everything in nature has a spirit, from the largest mountains to the smallest pebbles.
The Nenets and the Chukchi also share one
more very important attribute—their overall
respect for the all-important reindeer. For both peoples, the reindeer is such an essential part of
indigenous life in Siberia, providing one of the main sources of food, shelter, and even
clothes for both the Nenets and reindeer Chukchi. Because of this, herding and domesticating reindeer (domesticating is the process of adapting a wild plant or animal for human use) is one of the main activities that keep the indigenous people of the Arctic busy every day. Thus, for both Nenets and Chukchi, living together with nature, animals, and each other is all a part of braving the harsh Arctic temperatures and life in the regions of Siberia.
Today, some Nenets have become very well known, such as the first renowned Nenets painter Konstantin Pankov, who has helped to spread Nenets culture all over the world through his art.