“If there were no Reindeer there’d be no Eveny. If there were no Eveny there’d be no reindeer!”
So said reindeer herder Alexander Zamyatin, in a video article on Russia Today last week. Alexander spoke of the the challenges facing reindeer herders in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) that included a low salary ($250 / month) that was not always paid and he and his wifes fear for the future as younger people are not choosing reindeer herding as a viable choice for the future, a worrying phenomena for the future of Eveny reindeer herding. Said Rimma Zamyatin,
“Young people go off to university and are tempted by the big city. They don’t want to return to a nomadic way of life. So we must try our best to keep children inspired and teach them how to both love this environment and live in it,”
I am in the United States doing a research paper on the impact of the internet and preservation of culture and language. I would be most grateful for any additional information on this article and also if you would be willing to answer a few questions.
Does the internet have a positive or negative impact on Eveny culture? Why? Does the influence (and intrusion) of other cultures help or hurt understanding and appreciation of the Eveny way of life?
Best Regards,
Nancy O’Connell
nancygator@gmail.com