Social Transition in the North, Vol. 1, No. 4, May 1993
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\ / ' . I, , Social Transition.in thb North ' \ / 1 \i 1 I '\ \ I /? ,- - \ I 1 . Volume 1, Number 4 \ I 1 1 I Ethnographic l$ummary: The Chuko tka Region J I / 1 , , ~lexdderI. Pika, Lydia P. Terentyeva and Dmitry D. ~dgo~avlensly Ethnographic Summary: The Chukotka Region Alexander I. Pika, Lydia P. Terentyeva and Dmitry D. Bogoyavlensky May, 1993 National Economic Forecasting Institute Russian Academy of Sciences Demography & Human Ecology Center Ethnic Demography Laboratory This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DPP-9213l37. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recammendations expressed in this material are those of the author@) and do not ncccssarily reflect the vim of the National Science Foundation. THE CHUKOTKA REGION Table of Contents Page: I . Geography. History and Ethnography of Southeastern Chukotka ............... 1 I.A. Natural and Geographic Conditions ............................. 1 I.A.1.Climate ............................................ 1 I.A.2. Vegetation .........................................3 I.A.3.Fauna ............................................. 3 I1. Ethnohistorical Overview of the Region ................................ 4 IIA Chukchi-Russian Relations in the 17th Century .................... 9 1I.B. The Whaling Period and Increased American Influence in Chukotka ... 13 II.C. Soviets and Socialism in Chukotka ............................ 21 I11 . Traditional Culture and Social Organization of the Chukchis and Eskimos ..... 29 1II.A. Dwelling ............................................... 30 1II.B. Clothes ................................................ 31 1II.C.Food ................................................. 32 II1.D. Social Organization ....................................... 32 III.D.l. Marriage, Family, and Demographic Behavior ............. 36 IV . Traditional Subsistence and Economy of the Indigenous Populations of Southeastern Chukotka ................ 40 1V.A. Reindeer Breeding ....................................... 47 1V.B. Hunting Industry ......................................... 50 1V.C. Fur Breeding ............................................ 53 V. The Present Socio-Demographic Situation in the Providenski District ......... 57 V.A. Distribution, Demographic Processes and Health of the Population .... 57 V.A.1. Population ........................................ 57 V.A2 . The Present Distribution of Population and Villages ........ 58 V.A.3. The Structure of Population and Demographic Processes ..... 62 V.A4 . Health Care ...................................... 69 V.A.5. Morbidity ........................................ 72 V.A6 . Health and Diet ................................... 74 V.B. Socio-Demographic and Ethnic Problems of Indigenous Populations ... 76 V.B.1. Family Birth Control ................................ 76 V.B.2. The Problems of Alcoholism and Violent Death ............ 80 V.B.3. Ethnically Mixed Marriages and the Problem of Ethnic Assimilation .................. 84 References ....................................................... 91 Tables Page: 1. Chukchi Kinship Categories Distinguishing Age and Sex ................... 34 2. Populations of Coastal Villages Engaged in Hunting ...................... 43 3. Sea Mammals Harvest in Southeast Chukotka .......................... 43 4 . Sea Mammal Harvests by Villages in Southeastern Chukotka ............... 44 5. Average Annual Sea Mammal Harvests ............................... 47 6. Reindeer Herd Sizes ............................................. 48 7 . Purchases of Arctic Foz/Common Fox in Kolkhozes ...................... 52 8. The Number of Hunters and Their Implements in Kolkhozes ............... 54 9 . Dynamics of Ethnic Composition .................................... 58 10. Ethnic Composition of Population ................................... 59 11. Demographic Changes Among the Native Populations .................... 66 12. Dynamics of Demographic Indices ................................... 67 13. Dynamics of the Average Life Expectancy ............................. 68 14. Availability of Personnel and Hospital Beds ............................ 71 15. Cases of Violent Deaths .......................................... 83 16. The Share of Children Born into Families with One Parent Being Non-Indigenous (by region) .................................................. 87 17. The Share of Children Born into Families with One Parent Being Non-Indigenous (byvillage) .................................................. 88 Maps 1. RussianStudyAreas .............................................. 6 2 . Chukotka Study Sites .............................................. 7 I. GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY OF SOUTHEASTERN CHUKOTKA 1.G Natural and Geographic Conditions The Providenski district (covering 26.8 thousand square km) occupies the southeastern portion of the Chukotski Peninsula. The southeastern coast of the district is surrounded by the Bering Sea, while the northeast boundary borders the Chukotka district and the western edge neighbors the Yiultinsky district. Prior to 1957, the Providenski district was incorporated into the Chukotka district. The Providenski district lies on the Chukotka Plateau. This plateau covers a vast area, extending from Chaunskaya Bay to the Bering Straits and continues to the Bay of Provideniya. The Chukotka Plateau is a watershed that lies between the right tributaries of the Anadyr River. The heights of the Plateau vary between 1,200 to 1,500 m (averaging around 800 to 1,200 m). The Plateau relief is smooth with flat mountain tops made of effusive chalk rocks (NFE 1970: 58). The lowlands, prevailing in coastal areas, are the remnants of alluvial plains that were once submerged. As the lowlands approach the foothills, towards the spits near the sea, they shift from a distinguishable tundra polygonal relief to a hilly moraine landscape. The Mechigmentskaya Depression is the largest of all the coastal lowlands. The river network in the lowlands is poorly developed with very few lakes. I.A.1. Climate The climate in the Providenski district is moderately continental and coastal. Due to the influence of the Pacific air mass, the climate is somewhat milder than the central Social Transition in the North Chokotka Ethnography, Page 1 and northwestern areas of the Chukotka Peninsula. Winter is long and cold and may last up to eight months. On the coastline of the Bering Strait, the temperatures, in January, range from minus 21" C to minus 45" C. The snow cover reaches between 80 to 90 cm. Break up occurs around early June; and the snow has usually melted in the mountains by July (NFE 1970:lll-113). Between the months of September and May, the numbers of frequent snowstorms (ranging 60 to 80 stormy days) leave snowdrifts that do not completely melt until the summer months. During the winter, the air currents from the ocean bring about strong winds and precipitation in the form of rain and wet snow that often ices up and thaws frequently. Summers are cold and cloudy (usually lasting about 75 days). The average temperature in July does not exceed 10" C. Light frosts and snowfalls are not uncommon during the summer months. The mean precipitation reaches around 650 to 700 mm annually. There are two currents which surround Chukotka in the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea. The "warm" current crosses the Bering Sea from south to north and approaches the Chukotka shore only near the village of Chaplino and in the Bering Strait. As this current flows north, its direction shifts northwest while gradually moving away from the shores. The other current is cold and runs from the northwest to the southeast along the northern coast of Chukotka. The "cold current often penetrates and joins the oncoming "warm" current in the Bering Strait. In spring, when the Bering and the Chukchi Seas begin to thaw, walrus herds join the northern ocean current by traveling on drifting ice-floes. Because of their close - -- - -- - - -- - - -- - pp - - Social Transition in the North Chukotka Ethnography, Page 2 proximity to the ocean currents, Chaplino, Naukan and a few other settlements maintain good catches of walrus. I.A.2. Vegetation The majority of the vegetation consists of a variety of tundra types. The plains are covered by a maze of swamps; while higher ridges are made up by tundra composed of sedges, sheathing cotton grass, dwarf shrubs, spotty mosses and lichens. The plain tundra shifts to highland tundra by forming gentle slopes that rise to altitudes ranging from 100 to 150 m. Along the stream beds the tundra consists of sedges, short grasses and hillocks interspersed with dwarf alder thickets. Mountain slopes are covered with spotty arctic tundra and detritus; while flat lower watersheds are blanketed by dwarf shrubs and detritus. In the higher elevations the land is barren and snow pockets prevail (NFE 1970:266-270). I.A.3. Fauna The faunal resources of the Chukotski Peninsula are rather diverse. Among the large mammals which are dependent upon the fauna are reindeer (Rmgifer tarandus). Reindeer have continued to persist in this region (from ancient times to the turn of the nineteenth century). Historically, during the reindeer's spring and summer migration, herds would span the entire Chukotski Peninsula and extend out to the coastline of the Arctic Ocean. However, by the beginning of the twentieth century their numbers were reduced sharply; and presently, according to certain estimations, there are less than several hundred reindeer remaining