Reindeer People
Ancient Roots of Mongolian Traditions
Every
society needs to have a connection with its past and understand the roots
of its traditions. The Mongolian cultural traditions guide and educate
members of society to live in harmony with nature and to appreciate its
blessing. Having stood the test of time for centuries, this traditional
wisdom is now drawing the attention of both Mongolians and the outside
world. For hundreds of years, the grasslands, mountains, meadows, forests,
wildlife, and humans have co-existed in harmony. The introduction of a
planned economy at the beginning of the last century and the transition
to a market economy two decades ago have resulted in unrealistic production
targets, overgrazing, over-felling of forests, over-hunting, and other
unsuitable and unsustainable pursuits. These economic policies deny the
important role of the Mongolian tradition in sustaining that Mongolian
way of life based on harmony between nature and man.
* By ZANDAN ENEBISH
Indeed, in times like these it is virtually
impossible to catch a glimpse of the unique Mongolian traditions and the
many different tribes and ethnic minorities by whom they are practised.
However, in a few cases, we can still see how Mongolian tribes live and
observe their nomadic customs. The nomads in Khuvsgul province, for example,
still keep their traditional customs today. Studies related to discovering
the roots of Mongolian culture are essential if a better understanding
of the Mongolian nomadic tradition is to be gained. In my opinion, one
place to begin in this endeavour is with the Tsaatan people of Khuvsgul
province, some of whom I visited in the summer of 2000.
The Tsaatan
people
Along with the Darkhad and Uriankhai, the Tsaatan, or 'reindeer
people', live in Khuvsgul province, located in the northwestern part of
Mongolia. Scholarly discussions about Tsaatan civilization usually confine
themselves to two areas: the ancient lifestyle of mankind and the ancient
practises of nomadism. Attempts to deny the unique Tsaatan nomadic traditions
are echoed in the sentiment that there is no nomadic tradition related
to Tsaatan, and that they are a people in decline.
The customs and traditions of the Tsaatan people distinguish
them not only from the Darkhad and Uriankhai, for example, but also from
other Mongolian nationalities. The main difference is that the lifestyle
of Tsaatan nomads is defined by migration governed by the need of their
reindeer. In contrast, traditional Mongolian animal husbandry is based
on and determined by five kinds of domestic animals: goats, sheep, horses,
camels, and cattle. The Tsataan make use of the reindeer in a number of
ways; in their permanent cycle of migration, for example, they use reindeer
as pack animals. Furthermore, they process reindeer milk into a variety
of forms for consumption, but they do not slaughter reindeer for food.
It is unknown if this is a customary restriction or whether it is the
result of the reduction of the number of reindeer.
In the past, horse's flesh was not used as a food source
because Mongolians believed that the horse brought luck and, hence, horses
were worshipped as valuable assets. Eating horse flesh was considered
tantamount to eating one's luck and inviting disaster; therefore, it would
be a logical assumption that, for the Tsaatan people, the tsaa,
or reindeer, have a comparable value to that of horses in for Mongolians.
If this is so, it would follow that there must be several interesting
customs and rules related to the tsaa,
not unlike the numerous customs and traditional rules regarding horses.
There 
are
probably also special customs regulating the slaughter of animals for
food, the processing of slaughtered animals' hides, and the use of these
hides, since Mongolians have particular ways to accomplish this, as well.
Some research on these practices has been done.1 Some scholars
are of the opinion that this technology resulted from the specific natural
and ecological conditions in Central Asia that, even today, determine
the quotidian life and seasonal migration customs of nomadic people. That
said, there has scholarly examination of the differences which make the
Tsaatan unique among Mongolian nomads and, specifically, of the technology
the Tsaatan employ for reindeer products.
are
probably also special customs regulating the slaughter of animals for
food, the processing of slaughtered animals' hides, and the use of these
hides, since Mongolians have particular ways to accomplish this, as well.
Some research on these practices has been done.1 Some scholars
are of the opinion that this technology resulted from the specific natural
and ecological conditions in Central Asia that, even today, determine
the quotidian life and seasonal migration customs of nomadic people. That
said, there has scholarly examination of the differences which make the
Tsaatan unique among Mongolian nomads and, specifically, of the technology
the Tsaatan employ for reindeer products. Tsaatan
and shamanism
The Tsaatan people practise Shamanism, religion that is
based on nature worship (Pieter Germeraad & Z. Enebish: 1999). Shamanistic
religion, as such, has been the subject of numerous studies, but 
the way Shaman worship is practised among the Tsaatan people differs from
other Shamanistic religions in the region; its special regimes It would
be easy to draw the conclusion that Shaman worship among the Tsaatan people
represents the oldest variant of Shamanism practised by Mongolian nomads.
Not only do they worship their Shaman, called 'Boo', but they have knowledge
of many mystical holy readings, as well, and use many different treatises
in their daily life, such as those for hunting, for calling or averting
the rain, and the like. They also use a special reading, or treatise,
specifically for hunting bears.
the way Shaman worship is practised among the Tsaatan people differs from
other Shamanistic religions in the region; its special regimes It would
be easy to draw the conclusion that Shaman worship among the Tsaatan people
represents the oldest variant of Shamanism practised by Mongolian nomads.
Not only do they worship their Shaman, called 'Boo', but they have knowledge
of many mystical holy readings, as well, and use many different treatises
in their daily life, such as those for hunting, for calling or averting
the rain, and the like. They also use a special reading, or treatise,
specifically for hunting bears. A man whom I visited in the summer of last year had hunted
so many bears in his life that he couldn't remember the exact number he
had killed. This man used a special reading for bear hunting. During the
winter time, he tracks bear imprints in the snow and finds the bear's
den. Then, when standing close to the den, he recites a special reading
aloud in order to call the bear out of its den, shooting it when it emerges.
In another example, I had an experience during my stay in a Tsaatan hut
that allowed me the chance to see how Tsaatan people avert the rain by
reading a special treatise. On this particular occasion, it was raining
very heavily and I had remarked that, were it to continue, it would spell
disaster for me since I only had a small tent, which was unlikely to protect
me from the rain for very long. One of the Tsaatan proceeded to read a
prayer treatise and the rain, which was coming from the west, stopped.
At times, the Shamans, or 'Boos', are invited to the capital
city, Ulaanbaatar. Since the Tsaatan are not the only Mongolian people
who still believe in Shamanism, others hope to be inspired by seeing Shaman
dance. A better understanding of the Shamanistic phenomena of the Tsaatan
requires extensive research that should focus on describing the Tsaatan
social and cultural development processes, including those of its past.
Such research will also contribute to the development of new concepts
for solving the social and economic problems of nomadic people in Mongolia.
Social
& economic problems
According to L. Bat-Ochir Bold (Academy of Science of Mongolia),
there are approximately 500 Tsaatan people living in Mongolia. For some
of them, the influence of modern urban culture has rendered them unrecognizable
as Tsaatan. They do not introduce themselves as Tsaatan, especially not
to Darkhad and Uriankhai, who, almost as a rule, consider the Tsataan
a very strange and uncultured people. About 150 Tsaatan are presently
living in the Taiga of the Khuvsgul region. The word 'Taiga' can be translated
as 'Mongolian cold jungle'. The main difference with a tropical jungle
is that the Taiga is covered by thick layers of snow for the greater part
of the year. The Tsaatan are somewhat familiar with the Mongolian language,
but they have managed to preserve their unique 'Tsaatan' language among
themselves. According to Bold, the Tsaatan language shares strong linguistic
ties with the ancient 'Uigur' language. Their lifestyle is also considered
a surviving example of the nomadic lifestyle of the ancient Tureg and
Manchus, as the Tsataan are the only people who maintain ancient Tureg
and Manchu traditions and customs. Again, there is virtually no ethnographic
or linguistic research being carried out in order to record this knowledge.
Today, the Tsataan, like many other nomadic peoples, are
on the verge of losing their traditional social structures and are suffering
from unrelenting poverty. During my stay, I encountered two Tsaatan families
camping in a small valley between the mountains, which made them relatively
accessible to visit. This was a rare opportunity, since Tsaatan people
generally live high up in the mountains. Living in such virtually remote
and unreachable locations makes it difficult for their children to attend
schools. Moreover, they lack the financial means to support a formal education
and have no opportunity to study their own language at school, since it
is not included in the curriculum. Obstacles are many, and it is clear
that the Tsataan are faced with crucial challenges to their current existence,
to their future survival, and, especially, to their cultural identity.
I have raised a series of issues which indicate that, for
a thorough overall understanding of Mongolian culture, a deeper insight
into the lifestyle of the Tsaatan, their religion, and their language
is indispensable. In this way, another stone can be laid on the path towards
comprehensive and broad research on the unique Mongolian cultures. Such
research, in my opinion, would be the foundation for a meaningful development
of the entire country and its people. *
a)
Typical Tsaatan hut and Tsaatan girl playing with a small reindeer. b)
A Young Woman milking a reindeer.
Notes
1. A. Tumurjav,
'National Technology of Mongolian Nomads for the Utilisation of Animal
Products', Nomadic, IISNC,issue 5,(1999).
References
Germeraad P.W. and Z. Enebish,
'The Mongolian Landscape Tradition: A Key to Progress', in Nomadic
Traditions and their
Contemporary Role in Landscape Planning and Management in MongoliaRhoon:
Germeraad, 2nd edition (1999), ISBN 90-9009231-5.
Dr
Zandan Enebish is a researcher of linguistics at the Language and
Literature Institute of the Mongolian Academy of Science. Her research
interest concerns traditional culture of Mongolian ethnic minorities and
language systems. E-mail:
pw.germeraad@mailad.nl