Paper
Human/animal collectives on the move: reindeer individualities and caravan among Evenki of East Siberia
presenters
Donatas Brandišauskas
Nationality: Lithuania
Residence: Lithuania
Vilnius University
Presence:Face to Face/ On Site
Keywords:
Siberia, reindeer, caravan, human/animal relationships
Abstract:
In my presentation, I aim to introduce how nomadic Evenki perceive domestic reindeer as individual people with their distinguished characters, responses, and physicality rather than mere instinct-driven herd animals. This knowledge of the diversity of reindeer also helps to organize reindeer into caravans, successfully performing cargo activities in mountainous taiga landscapes. In contrast to the human/animal models stressing the role of autonomy and intermittency of relations with animals in Northern Asia, I aim to show how embodied interactions, intentions, and established mutual communication of Evenki and their individual reindeer can be deeply convolved in their joined activities and intentions this way bonding integrity of the human/reindeer social continuum.