Social and cultural dynamics of the peoples of the Soviet north

• Published in: Polar Record
• Main Authors: Savoskul, S. S., Armstrong, Terence
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1978
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Ecology; Geography, Planning and Development; Evenki; Koryaki; Dolgany; Novaya Zhizn'; Chukchi; Chukotka; eskimo*; Gilyak; khanty; Nganasan*; Polar Record; reindeer husbandry; samoyed*; taiga; Tundra; Mansi; vogul
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s003224740000187x; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S003224740000187X

The vast expanses of tundra and taiga stretching from Kol'skiy Poluostrov to Chukotka have long been utilized by small ethnic groups with a chiefly northern economy—reindeer husbandry, hunting, fishing, sea mammal hunting. At present, judging by the data of the all-Union census of 1970, their total number is a little over 150 000. The peoples of the north include the Nentsy, formerly Samoyed (28 705), Evenki, formerly Tungus (25 149), Khanty, formerly Ostyak (21 138), Chukchi (13 597), Eveny, formerly Lamut (12 029), Nanaytsy, formerly Gol'd (10 005), Mansi, formerly Vogul (7 710), Koryaki (7 487), Dolgany (4 877), Nivkhi, formerly Gilyak (4 420), Sel'kupy, formerly Ostyak Samoyed (4 282), Ul'chi or Ol'chi (2 448), Saamy or Lapps (1 884), Udegeytsy (1 469), Eskimosy (1 308), Itel'meny (1 301), Kety, formerly Yeniseians (1 182), Orochi (1 089), Nganasany (953), Yukagiry (615), Negidal'tsy (537), Aleuty (Itogi ,1973, p 21–22) (441); and also some not accounted for in the census— Entsy (300), Oroki (400) and Chuvantsy (700) ( Novaya zhizn' , 1967, p 7–9)