100 Places To Remember: Yamal Peninsula Siberia, Russia
Geschreven op 14-4-2010 - Erik van Erne. Geplaatst in Natuur
The Yamal Peninsula is in the far north of Siberia, where the subsoil is permanently frozen and temperatures on the tundra can drop to -50°C in the winter. Yamal means End of the World.
Large-scale reindeer husbandry continues in its traditional form in Yamal. The 300,000 wild reindeer on the peninsula have adapted to the Siberian seasons. In summer, when the topsoil defrosts, they graze in the north. In the fierce cold of winter, they migrate south of the Arctic Circle to the central Siberian Plain.
The herds are followed by the Nenets, a nomadic people indigenous to north-west Siberia whose life and culture revolve around the migration of the reindeer. They are the only herders in the world who live in total harmony with the reindeer, following migrating herds for thousands of kilometres all year round
During the migrations, enormous caravans stretch for up to eight kilometres, with some of the reindeer pulling sledges loaded with people and camping equipment. The average winter temperature is well below -25°C, and the Nenets wear coats made from several layers of reindeer skin.
Global warming is projected to raise the average temperature by up to 7°C over the next 70 to 90 years, which will have a detrimental effect on the permafrost. The added warmth will allow trees to spread to the tundra where the reindeer graze, thawing the permafrost and making the ground too soggy for the herds to cross. If this happens, the thousand-year-old nomadic culture of the Nenets will be at grave risk.
Throughout the 20th century, the Nenets population has grown steadily. The children attend boarding schools before choosing between life on the tundra or in the towns. Many choose the tundra, where they can earn more by selling reindeer meat, and because of the freedom offered by a nomadic existence.
The Nenets believe that, during a mythical past, the reindeer agreed to offer themselves as food and transport and in return the Nenets agreed to accompany them on their long journey and protect them from predators.
