Kid of Yamal

Russian Federation: A kid in a tent in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District. Source: Lori / Legion Media

The Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District is the traditional territory of the indigenous Nenets, Khanty, and Selkup peoples, who make up around 7 percent of the region’s population. But there are more reindeer than people. Yamal-Nenets is home to the largest population of reindeer anywhere in Russia – the region boasts more than 700,000 of them. For three millennia, the indigenous peoples have followed ancestral laws and traditions, according to which reindeer are a source of food, clothing, transportation, and much more. “Reindeer” in Nenets means “giving life.” 

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