Maltseva O.V.
Сattle on the Lower Amur taiga territory
ABSTRACT: This article is focused on the problem of keeping artiodactyls among the native peoples on the Low Amur territory. In the past the Tungus residents of the Amur river tributaries kept a deer as means of transport. This type of ungulates was also a symbolic animal for them. It indicated the Siberian roots of the groups migrated to the Amur river valley. The situation had totally changed on the eve of the 20 century when European migrants appeared on the Amur territory. Their agrarian activity has resulted in bringing meat and dairy-producing animals among the Amur natives. During the 1920s – 30s, the cooperation and collective farms development led to transforming the Amur indigenous live style. Hereditary hunters and fishermen had to get skills to take care, graze and milk cattle. It was complex activity for them. The experience of cattle breeding was not established in their environment due to lack of dairy consumption. Another problem was related to keeping hunting dogs which did not coexist with cattle. There were cases when dogs showed aggression to domestic hoofed animals. The modern Nanai population has still echoes of previous ethical ideas about ungulate animals expressed in making analogies between wild and domestic ones.
To reports list