Chukchee

The Chukchee culture originated in Russia and survives by herding reindeer. They live simple lives and do not have a permanent residence. The Soviet government helped improve the economy by introducing new herding techniques. They use dance for many purposes, such as healing and fortune with nature. They also have advanced in such areas as building medical centers and making use of the local printing press.  The tribes of the Chukchee live in northeastern Siberia near the Bering Sea. They are the largest group of Paleo-Asiatic people with a population of about 14,000. The Chukchee are divided into two economic groups; the reindeer herding division and the sea hunters division. 

The language of the Chukchee is found primarily in the northeast of Russia. The Chukchee writing system used in the past was the Latin alphabet, but in 1930 the Chukchee language was developed and the previous year was made final. Presently they use Cyrillic alphabet. Since the 17th century the Chukchee have used wild reindeer for hunting and domesticated reindeer for transportation. The reindeer give the people food, clothing and light. They used the skin and fur for clothing and the fat for oil in lamps. They eat the entire reindeer including the bone marrow, brains, the blood and even the contents of the stomach. By the 20th century the wild reindeer died out and only the domesticated reindeer were left.

The reindeer herders do not have permanent residence, but move from place to place with the reindeer. These nomadic tribes consist of two to four families. During the summer they move up to the coast where the cool winds keep the mosquito population down and the vegetation rich. In the fall they move back inland to take protection from the forests edge. The reindeer were very difficult to control during the Chukchees many moves, because they used no herding dogs. The deer have to be chased individually by the herders, which takes time and energy. One way to attract the deer is with the smell of human urine. There is also no protection against wild animals, so the tribe loses a portion of the herd each year.

During the winter the tribe moves every couple of days. While the men round up the herd, the rest of tribe packs up camp. The tipi houses are dismantled and put on sledges which are pulled by the reindeer. Only the children, the sick and the elderly can ride on the sledges. The rest of the tribe walks along side the reindeer to direct them.  Large camps consist of twenty to thirty people and each camp is self-sufficient. Fifteen to twenty herding camps make a union that has no social organization, no leader and no focus, but is useful for support in times of disaster. Kinship is very important to the Chukchee and each herding camp consists of families related to each other through men.

The rich Chukchee had one permanent wife and all the others had temporary marriages. Polygamy was used in the Chukchee culture for a long time, but has disappeared today. Weddings were simple, accompanied by a sacrificial reindeer.  These marriages allowed men to share their wives with relatives, which meant that divorce happened frequently and was an easy process.  By the 20th century there were distinguished social differences between the rich and the poor Chukchee. There were slaves as well as rich men that benefited from new technology and growing trade between Americans and Russians.  The Soviet government wanted to improve the economy, so they introduced new reindeer herding techniques. One of these new techniques was breeding dogs, which could round up the reindeer. The dogs helped the Chukchee save time and energy. Another thing the Soviet government introduced to improve the economy was to introduce large, strong, healthy bucks into the herds. This made all the reindeer larger in size. 

The early religion of the Chukchee was shamanism. The most important function of the shaman was healing. They did not wear costumes during any of the rituals, but with singing and use of tambourines the shaman made contact with the protective spirits of ancestors to help with the healing.  The shamanic ways of healing are now in the past. The Chukchee were introduced to schools and medical and cultural-education centers in the 1930’s. Along with public health care came traveling medical units which served the nomadic populations. The first stationary medical centers were in the cultural centers. Some Chukchee have now even become doctors and nurses by receiving education in the medical institutions.  Literature and professional forms of art came about with the invention of the local printing press. Yuri Rytkhue is a well-known social activist, who has written a series of novels and literature. His work has been translated into a number of foreign languages. 

The Chukchee did not just use dance for the purpose of healing, but used it to influence the vegetable and animal worlds. They performed these dances on specific holidays or events such as: the slaughter of the reindeer in the fall and spring, winter solstice, the bringing of the herd to the summer pasture, return of the deer at the end of summer, calving of the reindeer and more. There were some dances that were performed just for the sake of having fun too.  To conclude, the Chukchee are a culture that survives by herding reindeer. They are a nomadic tribe that moves with the seasons. Marriage is simple, but many partners are had throughout one's life. Religion is important to them and was used mainly for healing. Dancing is also an important part of the culture and is used for many purposes. . 

Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on the Chukchee.

If you are Chukchee, your feedback is much appreciated.

References:

"Chukchee." Encyclopedia of World Cultures: Russia and Europe, China Vol. 6. G.R. Hall and Co. Boston, Mass. 1994.
"Chukchee." The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mankind Vol. 4. Marshall Cavendish Ltd., NY,  London,Toronto, Sydney. 1990. 

Written by:  Heather Meiser