Навигация | |
Поиск | |
| |
Articles of the interns
POSSIBLE VARIANTS OF SOLUTION OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN NATIONAL VILLAGE OF FARKOVO, TURUKHANSK DISTRICT, KRASNOUYARSK REGION
|
Very few know that on the territory of our krai (region) the Selkups, one of the small-numbered northern people live. In the
Turukhansk raion (district) it is one of the northern nations which destiny raises much concern about. Mostly they inhabit
the village of Farkovo. They call themselves as "forest people". Especially those who permanently live in the forests. They
come to the village very rarely only to have new provisions. Therefore they more than others have problems with applying for
pension in required time, subsidy for children and etc. Officially majority of them are unemployed. But unemployment welfare
they get for different reasons. Production they have (fish, fur, meat of reindeer and elk) usually take place in autumn -
winter period of year. In autumn they earn for life gathering different wild berries and of course fishing. Spring and summer
are not lucky time for earning any money. This is a problem for all "forest people"!
What could be ways of possible solution of jobless in summer time?
To create national enterprises for drying and smoking prepared and kept in refrigerators meat and fish, sewing ateliers
and artists' handcrafts factories for making souvenirs, who carve wood, decorate with beads, make fur products, bark
souvenirs, construct houses with brigades All these are occupation and substantial help for the Selkup families. This is also
an incentive to realize talents of gifted representatives of indigenous people, e.g. of Kusamin Ivan, Bezrukikh Vitaly,
Arkadieva Olga Viktorovna and others.
Who should about solution of these problems first of all?
Of course, the state represented by our authorities of local self-governance - selsoviets (village councils). In village
only they are able to advance and finance these civil initiatives. Let it be just "point" supports for first time, but it is
needed to help people bring back their wish to work! We should return to a man a belief in himself! This could eliminate
indigenous communities' poverty.
It is also expected that people themselves should not sit and wait when their families are in need. One can create ideas and
not undertake any efforts to make it come true. Only with help of joint work of authorities and ordinary man we can develop
and make things come implemented in practice. Initiators of ideas have to refer to raion for receiving help for their social
and economic plans of development of the village and even to krai: to deputies, representatives of legislative power in the
village, raion, krai and officials of executive power. But one has to accumulate great patience for breaking through and
making ideas come to life.
"Forest people" have specific problems. Not ordinary as all people have in the village, for instance, payments for
communal services (e.g. electricity). We suppose they should not pay for electricity if they live all wintertime in taiga.
But payment bills for the whole period come to their families. The biggest problem of "forest people" is that when they
return to the village they have no houses to stay on. Some of them possess half destroyed houses where impossible to live
even in summer time. But they have children; usually these are many children families. In such conditions could they be
brought physically and morally healthy and become worthy citizens? It is first of all matter of care of local authorities.
The problems can be solved by jobless hunters and fishermen in spring and autumn times. Normal conditions have to be created
for them to construct houses (reasonable and in time paid salaries, construction materials, and attention of authorities).
In Farkovo there are few families which children are handicapped; it is a big problem not only for indigenous communities
but for all. Not everybody of the Turukansk raion knows that there is a specialized program for support of the handicapped
children. We can advise them to pay attention to family support programs, also for handicapped children. Whether seven years
old Raya Kusamina will have a wheeled chair or not depends on wish of both - parents and raion department for social
protection of population. Our interns have prepared an article about programs of social support for such children under the
title of the region level program. All our recommendations articles will be published through raion's Association of
indigenous small-numbered people of the North (President O.L. Sinnikova) in "Word of Peoples of the North" (Light Tower of
the North). Destiny of Polina Besrukikh also depends on her mother, parents and people responsible for social programs in our
raion.
One more problem - a pain of all national villages - alcohol! From our point of view vodka business is a real terrorism
against indigenous peoples of the North! If people were busy with jobs, paid attention of chairman of selsoviet, deputies of
all levels this problem would be decreased in 50%. Support of the Orthodox Church would be also relevant here. Very possibly.
Because there are a lot of outside origin religious sects over here (in villages of Bor and Kellog). Indigenous communities'
cultures severely hurt. Russia has always been of the Orthodox Christian belief, on which the spirit of Russian peoples is
based, no matter of what ethnic background they are!
Sincerely,
Nikolai Kusamin, Selkup
Anna Kukushkina, Selkup
|
The indigenous peoples of Siberia were keen eaters
|
Many older than me people from different Keto tribes remember their childhood with pleasure and gratitude to their parents,
grandmothers and grandfathers. There was no written language, and the youth was taught to survive in the taiga to everything,
what people had learned for centuries. Now indigenous people have found out food of other peoples: apples, bananas and etc.
Those times they ate what they extracted in the taiga. Different dishes were prepared from meat, fish, berries and herbs.
They lived in the forest all the year round. It was both their house, and work for my ancestors.
Contemporaries of mine hardly know that the best delicacy for the Keto children was squirrel stomach, filled with pine nut
kernels. Fried stomachs and barbecues from squirrel were the tastiest delicacy for children. Parents left for hunting very
early and in a way that nobody from neighbours saw the hunter leaving for "work". The main thing was not to meet a woman
coming across his way. If a woman accidentally looked out from a chum and saw a hunter, he had to return back home at once:
failure in hunting was guaranteed. Frequently before hunting or fishing even shamans made rituals.
Basically they hunted squirrels and sables: their fur was valued by merchants. Sometimes they pursued a sable round the
clock. Endurance and strength were needed here. Accuracy was also necessary: animal must be only shot in eye or nose,
otherwise skin will be depreciated. Furs were exchanged for products, fabrics - for clothes … Needles for sewing were very
valuable. They knew nothing about alcoholic drinks at that time.
Later when scientists became interested in life of such indigenous peoples with no written language as the Ketos, it became
known much interesting about their way of life. Their food experience was interesting. Efim Prahin, a professor of
Krasnoyarsk State Medical Academy, has written in his newspaper article "Ketos were an expert in food": "Native Siberians:
the Evenkis, Evens, Ketos, Nenets, Yakuts and others did not know vegetables and fruit in the past. Absence of this food was
compensated with berries and roots in some extent. They gathered sorrel, geese grass, wild leek, ramson, "sarans" (bulb roots
of a specific plant), cowberry, blueberry, cloudberries, raspberry, blackberry, red and black currant and bird cherry. They
prepared this supply in dried, frozen and pounded forms and used as seasonings for dishes from meat and fish.
The Evenkis, for instance, had a dish from a berry, pulverized in the fish caviar, called "kul'ki" (bags). Berries were
jammed without water. After transformation into homogeneous mass pulverized fish caviar or powder was added and this mass was
boiled up to consistence of porridge condition. Then the formed cutlets, dried in the sun or smoked, were formed into
briquettes convenient for storage and transportation. Before the use of these briquettes it was enough to soak them in water.
In the early spring all adult population was occupied with searches of "saran" (a bulb root of a specific plant) while
its bulbs have not used their sap to grow into a new plant. Saran root was squeezed out, divided into separate parts and
cooked in boilers without water. Then dried, poured in a bag it was hang in the chum. As required it was added to a meat
bouillon, getting a thick brew, from sodden potatoes or flour. Besides flour was made from sarans for flat cakes, and the
steamed ones were consumed with reindeer milk with bilberry.
Ketos ate fresh berries little and more used as stuffing. They prepared food for winter. For example, having mixed pounded
cloudberries and dried bird cherry with cod-liver oil, they stored these products in birch bark utensils. But they drank
fresh birch-tree juice, boiled and added to tea. They collected much saran bulbs: dried them for winter, cooked, fried, added
to meat and fish soup, and ate them in raw.
They prepared ramson: it was served more as seasoning to meat and fish dishes. They much dried leaves of cowberry, bilberry,
currant, dry flowers of willow-herb, roots of dogrose; in the winter and made tea from it. Instead of tea they also made and
stamped mushroom "chaga", which grows on birch.
Traditional dishes of the Nenets included cloudberries, blueberry, cowberry, Alpine bearberry from which they cooked
porridge. The Selkups used as food cranberries, cowberries, cloudberries while preparing fish for the future - they made sour
a fish, putting them with layers of berry.
Leonid Vasilyevich Kuskov
Here is a little information about myself: I study at school 97 in class"9 В". I was born in city of Krasnoyarsk in May 20,
1989. My mother, Dibikova Nina Gavrilovna, was born in 12.01.1951. She is a Keto, from Dibikov tribe, which live today on the
Enisei River and in Baklanikha village of the Turukhansky district. She speaks fluently the Keto language and knows language
well though for many years she has lived in the city. Our tribe - one of the ancient Keto tribes, which settled in the taiga
many centuries ago of the Turukhansky North of the Krasnoyarsk region. My sister Anna learns our tribe's family tree. One has
to know his roots. My dream is to implement a project "School of the young programmer". It will help young people,
northerners of my age to overcome a gap between them and modern life and to find a worthy work in the future. For this reason
I have come to be an intern of the Indigenous Information Center "Argish".
|
Century of tolerance: we unite efforts
|
1995 - 2004 are declared by the United Nations not only as a Decade of Indigenous People of the world, but also as a Decade
of Education in the field of Human Rights. Into the mission ("overall objective", "philosophy", "policy", "aim"…) of our
centre we included such notion as "tolerance". Today this word is not a foreign one; it has obtained its meaning in the
Russian society. One thing is to use this word in our speech and another - to feel this tolerance in everyday life.
Especially concerning a person of another culture, belief and ethnic background. Englishmen define "tolerance" as "commitment
and ability to accept a person or a thing without protest or intervention", the French understand this word as "respect of
freedom of another man, hisher way of thinking, behavior, political and religious preferences", the Chinese - "to allow,
suppose, show favor concerning others", the Arabs - "pardon, indulgence, softness, condescension, compassion, benevolence,
patience … sympathies to others", the Persians - "patience, indulgence, endurance, readiness for reconciliation". The Soviet
encyclopedic dictionary gives one of definitions of this word: "patience to another's opinions, beliefs, behavior". This
means that a Person of the Earth gives agreement to himher who behaves in a way that it is considered not acceptable: "your
behavior shocks me, but it does not violate my rights so I recognize your right to be such as you feel though it is not
pleasant to me".
But if any big person (physically or by position) is obviously stronger than you and he does indecent things, but you do
nothing about it and do not speak because you understand that you can not (because he can hit you directly and figuratively),
it is not tolerance at all. It is cowardice and a wrong concept: it is bad for me, I am humiliated but I will stand it. If we
express patience to those who are NOT stronger, but NOT similar to us it is an element of tolerance. In the European cities a
person who lives in a pasteboard box on any crowded squares does not cause a desire in policemen, other citizens to put him
into the jail: his wish to live such life is accepted by his counterparts and nobody encroaches on his Rights and Freedoms.
Tolerant purposes are expressed through active vital position which supposes protection of rights of any person and the
attitude to display of intolerance as inadmissible.
Tolerance and respect - that what our society does not have: to another person's opinion, appearance, and his her outlook to
the future as of a citizen, especially if it does not coincide with our understanding of "correctness". Greatly it is due to
a consequence of a long life in an "ideological" state which had created an "ideal" model of a citizen and violently brought
up all of us according to this sample. Look at yourself and you will see it. A vivid example of it: we at the beginning of
July 2004 appealed to officials of the government of a region with a request for assistance in implementation of the right on
formation of a Council of indigenous small numbered people representatives according to the item 24 of the Law of the
Krasnoyarsk region "Basis of legal guarantees of indigenous small numbered peoples of the North of the Krasnoyarsk region"
dated 01.07.2003 № 7-1215. Based on our previous experience we supposed and received a predicted answer: they gently advised
"to think it over".
On the eve of such important event as unification of several territories on which many native peoples have lived long to
think is already late. It is high time to show all tolerant purposes. According to preliminary forecasts of mass media in a
case of uniting of the Krasnoyarsk region, Taimyr and Evenki autonomous okrugs (districts) in the united subject of the
Russian Federation 26,5 thousand representatives of indigenous small numbered peoples will live. The deputy of the
Legislative Assembly of the Krasnoyarsk region, Vasiliy Nechaev informed "Press-Line" about it in June, 17, 2004. The deputy
recognizes that in the region where about 1,6 thousand representatives lives now, there is still no precise legislative base
on the northern peoples. This fact can guard the population of autonomous regions. It would be logical, if they did not
support an idea of uniting of the Krasnoyarsk region, Taimyr and Evenkya. "People should know about conditions on prepared, - the deputy Vasily Nechaev said - if they do not know what they will from uniting, 100 % inhabitants of Taimyr
will vote against. Such concerns are expressed by colleagues of the deputy. Anyway standards of living of indigenous people
in these autonomous okrugs are much higher than in territory of the region. In some settlements even there are no bakeries,
drugstores, houses of culture … District, regional mass media have already published articles against of unification. We hope
that this question will be submitted to a referendum which is presumably to be held in April - May, 2005.
Will the mechanism be created which will allow members of a civil society - to indigenous people of the Krasnoyarsk region
through their representatives to increase authorities' and their responsibilities in the partnership for implementation of
the international, constitutional obligations? While the only one law of regional level about indigenous peoples "is
shelved". As well as the Constitution of the Russian Federation with its articles of direct action and legislation on
indigenous people.
It is difficult to overcome a stereotype of former thinking. Including attitude to "backward peoples". It is done already by
some representatives of the government and local self-governance in territories where indigenous people live. We begin to
understand that some cultures of the native peoples of the region have not a lot of time for life. Probably measures for
their preservation are undertaken too late. If such chance was given even at the beginning of the Decade of Indigenous People
of the World! But to learn to be tolerant today is not late; Russia is one of the most multinational states. XXI century has
already received a name "Century of tolerance", and we, representatives of indigenous people of the Krasnoyarsk region, we
hope that it will leave a trace in a history under this name, really becoming a century for mutual understanding of
different peoples, respectful perception of other positions, points of view and a way of life.
We hope that not only a conflict, a struggle for existence and an instinct of self-preservation are an exclusive force of
dying off old and appearance of new kinds of creatures on a planet the Earth, but also mutual help of all human beings on it
is a universal driving force of evolution. If there were no tolerance as universal norm of coexistence of different ethnoses,
believes, parties and persons the waves of aggression, conflicts, intolerance, fanaticism, genocide, xenophobia, ethno
phobia, hatred of mankind would have erased any displays of diversity on the Earth long time ago. General uniformity,
totalitarianism and dullness would be reigned on it. It is fine that diversity of peoples, languages, cultures, skin colors,
religions have still been conserved. It is a hymn to tolerance.
On behalf of all interns of the centre "Argish" and indigenous peoples of the region we wish you everyone who goes on a way
of the constructive, civilized solution of problems to create a world and to keep its culture diversity.
Yours faithfully with wishes of well-being to you and your families
Interns of the centre "Argish"
|
We put Kus'
|
About 35 years kus' (chum) has not been standing on the Keto land. Some times ago it was main lodging of our ancestors. It
was very quickly transferred from one place to another by nomadic Ketos. In old times they migrated (argish) much as they
changed places of hunting. Our consultants: old woman Klava, old man Viktor and his son used to live in chum. They are from
the tribe of Bal'na den (Bird cherry tree people). Therefore they agreed to fix it for the beginning right in the yard of
grandma Klava. So it would be easier for her to arrange interior with all needed household sets for life: lyam (table), syul
(sledge), tues (salt-cellar)…
Lessons started for us from that we had to prepare material for "construction" of chum base - poles from pine-tree and
very thin but flexible willow perches to tie. Base of chum reminds a pyramid but round. It consists of seven principal
poles two of which has upper end twisted into two. These two poles are fixed with twisted ends and giving sustainability to
the construction. Other pole ends are dig into the ground, in winter into the snow. In the middle poles are tied with hoops
of willow or of bird cherry tree. Simultaneously with chum base our consultants constructed fireplace in the center of future
chum: as the Keto should. Fireplace we sanded for safety and put short thick poles in form of square. On poles an iron stove
will be put. Other poles - about 20 not fixed with perch hoops but simply are put on the principal poles. Usually chum is
covered with yew made of bark.
But grandma Klava has preserved only a door from chum. It has been kept since 1947. Door was hanged to a pole with hook end.
Ornament pattern on the yew door meant an eye: our elders are convinced that everything should have eyes; it can not be blind
as all living creatures. Pictures, carving on wood, bark mean giving those very eyes. For chum grandma Klava made covering
from tarpaulin. We erected the chum for two weeks but our grandfathers put them for some hours. Children had no time to be
frozen but hot tea was ready to have in the chum and feed Bokam (Mother of Fire).
Nikolai Yurievich Koganov, hunter and
descendant of hunters
|
Copyright © Льыоравэтльан Все права защищены. Опубликовано на: 2006-10-30 (811 Прочтено) [ Вернуться назад ] |
|
|