Tsaatan people are reindeer herders and live in northern Khövsgöl Aimag of Mongolia. Originally from across the border in what is now the Tuva Republic of Russia, the Tsaatan are one of the last groups of nomadic reindeer herders in the world. They survived for thousands of years inhabiting the remotest subarctic Ulaan taïga, moving between 5 and 10 times a year.
The reindeer and the Tsaatan people are dependent on one another. Some Tsaatan say that if the reindeers disappear, so too will their culture. Reindeers provide them with milk, cheese, meat, and transportation. They also sew their clothes with reindeer hair, reindeer dung fuels their stoves and antlers are used to make tools. They do not use their animals for meat. This makes their group unique among reindeer-herding communities.
As the reindeer populations shrink, only about 40 families continue the tradition today. Their existence is threatened by the dwindling number of their domesticated reindeers. Many have swapped their nomadic life for urban areas. In June 2014, after days spent horse-riding across the Ulaan taïga from the village of Tsagaan-Nuur, near Khövsgöl lake, we had the chance to meet them.
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Tsaatan people 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 Tsaatan language). They usually refer to a specific group by the name of a representative member.
The sense of their community is structured around the reindeer, they are dependent on one another. Tsaatans say that if the reindeer disappear, so too will their culture
Reindeer pelts are used for making winter coats. Bags, mats for travelling, 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.
Tuvshinbayar & Ulziisaihan
Tsaatan communities are usually a group of tents of two to seven households that move camp to find optimum grazing for the reindeer that are treated like family members and shown respect
The reindeer are domesticated and belong to the household. The community’s chores and activities are centred around the care and feeding of their reindeer. Herding tasks are shared amongst the camp with children at a young age learning to care for the reindeer and keeping them safe.
They live in yurts made primarily of birch bark that look like the tepees of Native-Americans
Families of the same olal-lal set up tents close to one another and collaborate in livestock herding. We visited the Tsaatan people at the end of June, when they had settled at their summer spot. Its altitude is around 2300 m.
Inside the Tsaatan tent
Bolorma is boiling milk to make cheese that the family needs to feed themselves
Narahuu and Bolorma, husband and wife
Full family posing proudly with some of their reindeer
From left to right, Bolorma, Ulziitsetseg, Tuvshinbayar, Ulziichimig, Narahuu and the oldest daughter Ulziisaihan.
Ulziisaihan and Ulziitsetseg, daughters of Narahuu & Bolorma
Other members of the family living at the camp: Bayrsaïhan, Chagtan, Baagii and Nuuru
Every evening, more than 100 reindeer return to the camp after a long day walking through the Ulaan taïga to find some food
These were so unforgettable moments to see them coming back, every night, as a gracious army on the horizon, with their antlers dancing in the air.
Tsaatan selfie in the Ulaan taïga with Bayrsaïhan
Cutting wood for the daily needs
Tuvshinbayar is playing with the reindeer
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Running after the reindeer by sunset to bring them back to the camp for milking
The girls and younger women do the milking and make yoghurt, cheese, and milk tea
Narahuu’s aunt is offering us a bowl of Suutei tsai, the traditional salty milk tea
Ulziichimig, the youngest daughter of the family, is about to wake and tease her sister
Sunset over the Ulaan Taïga
Because of the cold climate throughout the year, open grasslands spread across the high steppe. Reindeer cannot handle the heat well, so they must be pastured in high plains in the summer.
Tsaatan people believe that their ancestors’ ghosts live on in the forest as animals that give guidance to the living, so they practice Shamanism, a religion based on nature worship
The Shamanistic practices among Tsaatans 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 Mongolian nomads. Not only do they worship their Shaman, 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.
Baagii wearing the Tsaatan traditional dress which 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. These boots are known for their quality of workmanship and are very expensive to purchase.
Sunset on the camp
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Share on FacebookIf Google Translator's translation is correct... I agree. :)
Load More Replies...They are beautiful! They look happy, healthy and at peace with the world.
The picture "Tsaatan selfie" it's soooo out of place!!! I wonder where they charge their phones, and, do they actually need them??? Life would be more interesting for us too, if these people instagramed their lives!!!! A true lesson!
I wondered if it was the phone of the photographer.
Load More Replies..."Reindeers provide them with milk, cheese, meat, and transportation." "They do not use their animals for meat. This makes their group unique among reindeer-herding communities." There seems to be a contradiction or am I missing something.
What the... ? Taiga (/ˈtaɪɡə/; Russian: тайга́; IPA: [tɐjˈɡa]; from Turkic[1]) also known as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces and larches. Where is the forest? Did u mean Ulaan Taiga ?
Reindeers provide them with milk, cheese, meat, and transportation..... They do not use their animals for meat. Well do they use them for meat or don't they?
Unnecessary to publish this article. Last week I met this tribe, there were around 15 tourists staying there, I found it so disturbing. Together with their big cameras photographing children like if their were in a museum, no respect at all. Tsaatans know dollars now so they make a little market and charge tourist to sleep in their tepees, they just see money in foreigners. A local woman told me that they are losing their tradition. And with the help of articles like this one that is happening. Being useful only the author with lack of creativity and stupid tourists who are not sensible enough to realise what they are really doing
"They wear strong, warm boots fashioned from the hides and sinew of their reindeer" "Reindeers provide them with milk, cheese, meat, and transportation" "They do not use their animals for meat." "Reindeer pelts are used for making winter coats. Bags, mats for travelling, and shoes are also made from the skin. Material for shoes is taken from the skin on the reindeer’s shin." So, I'm feeling like this article is trying to present these people as if they don't slaughter their reindeer (like that somehow makes them "better" more "natural" people. These people actually do kill their reindeer as they need them. Wikipedia "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." "Only a few reindeer are slaughtered during the year for meat and pelts"
beautiful pictures, but many people in Mongolia live like that!
VERY cool. I never knew about them. Very amused that i know now! Thanks
If Google Translator's translation is correct... I agree. :)
Load More Replies...They are beautiful! They look happy, healthy and at peace with the world.
The picture "Tsaatan selfie" it's soooo out of place!!! I wonder where they charge their phones, and, do they actually need them??? Life would be more interesting for us too, if these people instagramed their lives!!!! A true lesson!
I wondered if it was the phone of the photographer.
Load More Replies..."Reindeers provide them with milk, cheese, meat, and transportation." "They do not use their animals for meat. This makes their group unique among reindeer-herding communities." There seems to be a contradiction or am I missing something.
What the... ? Taiga (/ˈtaɪɡə/; Russian: тайга́; IPA: [tɐjˈɡa]; from Turkic[1]) also known as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces and larches. Where is the forest? Did u mean Ulaan Taiga ?
Reindeers provide them with milk, cheese, meat, and transportation..... They do not use their animals for meat. Well do they use them for meat or don't they?
Unnecessary to publish this article. Last week I met this tribe, there were around 15 tourists staying there, I found it so disturbing. Together with their big cameras photographing children like if their were in a museum, no respect at all. Tsaatans know dollars now so they make a little market and charge tourist to sleep in their tepees, they just see money in foreigners. A local woman told me that they are losing their tradition. And with the help of articles like this one that is happening. Being useful only the author with lack of creativity and stupid tourists who are not sensible enough to realise what they are really doing
"They wear strong, warm boots fashioned from the hides and sinew of their reindeer" "Reindeers provide them with milk, cheese, meat, and transportation" "They do not use their animals for meat." "Reindeer pelts are used for making winter coats. Bags, mats for travelling, and shoes are also made from the skin. Material for shoes is taken from the skin on the reindeer’s shin." So, I'm feeling like this article is trying to present these people as if they don't slaughter their reindeer (like that somehow makes them "better" more "natural" people. These people actually do kill their reindeer as they need them. Wikipedia "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." "Only a few reindeer are slaughtered during the year for meat and pelts"
beautiful pictures, but many people in Mongolia live like that!
VERY cool. I never knew about them. Very amused that i know now! Thanks
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