| Summary: | The Gilyak (otherwise known as Nivkh), are a group of people who live mostly on the island of Sakhalin, which is a part of Russia. The Gilyak religion is animistic, and characterized by the belief that animals and the ecological elements (mountains, rivers, the sea) possess spirits, with each having their "master" god. Clans unite over shared religious festivals and mythology. Shamans are believed to possess supernatural abilities, and are important figures in the treatment of illness, as well as communication with supernatural beings. This entry considers the Gilyak religious group to be coterminous with the society itself, and focuses on the time of 1890.
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