Russia is |
Peoples of Russia
Nenets
Their self-designation is Nened, Neneynenets – meaning “human”, “real human”. Previously they were called Samoyeds or Yuraks. This is the largest and most widespread people of the Russian Arctic. Their total population is 41 thousand people. In 2000, by a decree of the Government of the Russian Federation they were given the status of native small-numbered people.
Ethnic groups
There are two separate ethnic groups: the Tundra Nenets and the Forest Nenets, who differ by their family and kinship composition, by dialects and some specifics of culture. Currently the Nenets are considered to be the most moveable nomadic people in the world.
Language
The Nenets language belongs to the Northern subgroup of the Samoyedic branch of the Ural languages. The language of the Tundra Nenets consists of the dialects: Kanin, Bolshaya Zemlya, Near-Ural, etc. The Nenets writing system was created in 1932 on the basis of the Latin script. Since 1937, it is based on the Russian alphabet.
Dispersion
It is divided into two ethnoterritorial groups. The Tundra ones since the end of the 19th century are settling in the tundra area from the Kola peninsula (Murmansk region, Nenets Administrative District, Yamal-Nenents Administrative District, Krasnoyarsk territory) to the right bank of the lower Yenisey. The Forest ones are settling in the forest tundra between the rivers Ob and Yenisey. The majority of the Forest Nenets lives in the basin of the river Pur as well as in the upper reaches of the river Nadym and along the northern tributaries of the rivers Lyamin, Tromegan and Agan.
Traditional occupations
The main occupation of the Nenets in the ancient times was hunting wild reindeer. Their ancestors also knew how to raise reindeer. In the new environmental conditions, little by little large-herd reindeer raising started to prevail, so all the needs of the Tundra Nenets were provided for by the products of reindeer breeding. In the Forest Nenets culture, the economically significant businesses were fishing and fur trade, as well as hunting waterfowl.
Food
The most widespread are the dishes made from frozen, cured, dried or cooked meat (reindeer or fowl meat) and fish. One of the favorite dishes is the raw meat of a freshly killed reindeer.
