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Identity and Ecology in Arctic Siberia: The Number One Reindeer Brigade
This is a first-hand account of a reindeer-herding collective in the remote Taimyr peninsula of Siberia. The author gives an intimate description of the day-to-day lives of a little-known group of Evenkis as they face both economic and ecological challenges. His study addresses questions of
identity, nationalism, and ecological theory, as well as mapping the changes caused in the region by the formation of and the recent break-up of the Soviet Union.
identity, nationalism, and ecological theory, as well as mapping the changes caused in the region by the formation of and the recent break-up of the Soviet Union.
270 pages, Hardcover
First published June 8, 2000
10 people want to read
About the author
David G. Anderson
36 books1 followerDavid G. Anderson is an Archaeologist with the National Park Service in Tallahassee, Florida.
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December 2, 2007
This book was FASCINATING. Since my goal in reading it was to write due South fic that takes place in Siberia, I really wanted it to be more memoir-style and less cultural anthropology and identity theory, but that was my problem, not the book's. I have SO MUCH RESPECT for the author as a person and a scholar, you have no idea. He basically went to Siberia and joined an Evenki reindeer-herding brigade and learned to herd reindeer. A couple of excerpts:
Once, during a particularly long blizzard in February, I was asked to read out an account of the hunt of the wild deer from my field notes.
D.A.: Today the tasks of the camp were set aside in favor of a hunt of wild deer. In the morning Viktor said that we would catch special reindeer. I asked Vladimir what he meant by special reindeer. I was told you need 'special alpine reindeer' with short legs in order to go up high. [Laughter---this turns out not to be true.]
And one that was of particular interest to me as a due South fanfic writer:
My initial attempts to harvest spruce (as is done in Northern Canada) were regarded as the height of incompetence. In order to teach me about wood, I was sent out with an elderly connoisseur who had me press the frozen shavings of tamarack trees to my tongue to distinguish the sweet, frozen bit of sap to the powdery flavor of dry wood.
I really want to read his other books now. So much awesome!
Once, during a particularly long blizzard in February, I was asked to read out an account of the hunt of the wild deer from my field notes.
D.A.: Today the tasks of the camp were set aside in favor of a hunt of wild deer. In the morning Viktor said that we would catch special reindeer. I asked Vladimir what he meant by special reindeer. I was told you need 'special alpine reindeer' with short legs in order to go up high. [Laughter---this turns out not to be true.]
And one that was of particular interest to me as a due South fanfic writer:
My initial attempts to harvest spruce (as is done in Northern Canada) were regarded as the height of incompetence. In order to teach me about wood, I was sent out with an elderly connoisseur who had me press the frozen shavings of tamarack trees to my tongue to distinguish the sweet, frozen bit of sap to the powdery flavor of dry wood.
I really want to read his other books now. So much awesome!
Displaying 1 of 1 review