The Pedagogy of the Sakha Heroic Epic Olonkho Within the Educational Process

The Pedagogy of the Sakha Heroic Epic Olonkho within the Educational Process

EKATERINA CHEKHORDUNA, NINA FILIPPOVA, AND DIANA EFIMOVA

TRANSLATED BY JENANNE K. FERGUSON

Abstract: This article discusses the normative and legal foundations, laws, principles, approaches, means and methods of organizing the educational process and analyzing the content of the authors’ ethno pedagogical program—Olonkho pedagogy. The article relies on the aspiration of ethnic groups to preserve their own distinctiveness and maintain their ethnic and cultural identity despite the current cir cumstances of globalization. By basing its approach on the Sakha heroic epic tradition—the Olonkho—the article describes how this tradition can introduce children to ethnocultural traditions, customs, and ceremonial rituals. The article examines manifestations of civic and ethnic identity among students, as well as their values and at titudes toward their native language and the cultural and historical heritage of their ethnic group.

Keywords: ethnodidactics, Olonkho, Olonkho pedagogy, Olonkho values, Sakha, spiritual and moral development

n the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), one of the promising areas of ‌ethnocultural education over the past two decades has been the intro- Iduction of the Olonkho—the Sakha heroic epic—into the educational system. During this time, the pedagogy of the Olonkho has not lost its depth or relevance; on the contrary, every year the interest of children, youth, and adults in the inexhaustible riches of their native language and native culture grows. This is evidenced by a steady increase in quality in the ways the epic is used in various spheres of society. The Sakha heroic epic Olonkho is an ancient genre of oral folk art. As the founder of ethnopedagogy G. N. Volkov (2000: 326) wrote, “the

Sibirica Vol. 17, No. 3, Winter 2018: 44–59 © Berghahn Books doi: 10.3167/sib.2018.170305 ISSN 1361-7362 (Print) • ISSN 1476-6787 (Online) The Pedagogy of the Sakha Heroic Epic Olonkho within the Educational Process

Olonkho is the most concentrated expression of the spiritual life of the Sakha people. If, according to Plato, Homer brought up Hellas, then the Olonkho raised the Sakha people. It really can be compared with the ancient Greek epic—in strength, harmony, scope and beauty. What a vastness of thoughts and feelings!” As with other epics, the consciousness of ethnic group is reflected in the Olonkho. The entire process of the formation of personhood is the result of the integration of various values, and therefore “the Olonkho is a valuable legacy of spiritual culture, which is of great importance in the patriotic, combative and moral education of the people” (Mordinov 2010: 301). The use of pedagogical, axiological, and aesthetic potentials of the heroic epos of Olonkho in the teaching and upbringing process is today characterized as “Olonkho pedagogy.” We suggest taking advantage of the rich spiritual and moral potential of the epic to reinforce basic ethnic values in the educational process, and instill an understanding of the following values: natural (solar heat, celestial bodies, earth, water, etc.); ethical (goodness, hon- esty, morality, loyalty to duty); aesthetic (five categories of aesthetics); life (health, love for loved ones); economic (objects of labor, tools of production, material wealth); and social (material culture, freedom, equality, justice, ritual traditions). Mastering the native language, too, is considered a spiritual and moral value, and the language of Olonkho serves as a means of understanding the life-affirming power of language. It is through the language of Olonkho that children are introduced to ethnocultural traditions, customs, and ceremonial ritual. The pedagogy of Olonkho is a method for the transmission of the life-affirming ideals of the Sakha epic to the current and future generations through the modern forms and methods of raising children; it is based on the best traditions of popular pedagogy, the technologies used in modern education, moral and ethical ideals, and ways of understanding the world present in the Olonkho. The system of Olonkho pedagogy involves the transformation of worldview, a holistic picture of the world, the transference of moral and ethical values, and the translation of key words and concepts of the Olonkho epic into modern forms and educational methods. The goal of this article is to describe the regulatory and pedagogical conditions for the introduction of Olonkho pedagogy in the educational system of the region. In the following sections, we:

(1) Identify the basic ethnopedagogical values of Olonkho that are necessary for the spiritual and moral development of the individual.

Winter 2018 45 Ekaterina Chekhorduna, Nina Filippova, and Diana Efimova

(2) Analyze the practical experience of introducing the Olonkho pedagogical system into educational organizations. (3) Promote the development of the native language, the self- development of children and the ethnocultural education of parents. (4) Formulate the didactic laws and principles of the Olonkho pedagogical system on the basis of lived experience.

Our research methods for this work included the analysis of normative and legal documents related to the education system of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), as well as the analysis of the didactic laws and principles of Olonkho pedagogy. This was com- plimented by pedagogical and sociological experiments, also discussed in Chekhorduna et al. (2013, 2016) and Chekhorduna (2012, 2014).

The Legal Basis for the Pedagogy of Olonkho

The Olonkho pedagogical system has a solid regulatory framework. The Constitution of the Russian Federation (Article 68) and the Constitution of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) (Article 49) stipulates that each ethnic group has the right to preserve and develop their native language and national culture. For instance, Chapter 2 (Article 12:1) of the Federal Law No. 273-F3 “On Education in the Russian Federation” states

The content of education shall promote mutual understanding and cooperation between peoples and ethnic groups regardless of race, nationality, ethnicity, religion or social affiliation, take into account the diversity of worldview approaches, promote the realization of the right of learners to freely choose opinions and beliefs, ensure the development of the capabilities of each person and the formation and development of their personality in accordance with spiritual, moral and sociocultural values accepted in the family and society. (2015: 18)

“The concept of spiritual and moral development and education of the personality of a citizen of Russia” (2009), which is the methodological basis of the Federal State Educational Standard, sets the main characteristics of the organization of the educational process in a modern school, and provides a system of basic national values. Sources of morality and humanity—areas of social relations, activities, consciousness, that a person relies on to resist the destructive influences of the modern world—were chosen as criteria for the systematization

46 Sibirica The Pedagogy of the Sakha Heroic Epic Olonkho within the Educational Process of those values. The federal state standard of general education estab- lishes that all education, training, and socialization should be aimed at the spiritual and moral development of children on the basis of their involvement in national Russian (Federal) values, the values of their ethnic, confessional and cultural groups, as well as common human values in the context of forming their identity as a citizen of Russia. According to the provision of the Federal State Educational Standard, the school, when developing the Programs of the institution, has the right to introduce additional values that do not contradict the prin ciples established in the concept and promote a fuller disclosure of the ethnic educational ideal within the educational process. Taking into account the age and individual characteristics of students, their needs and parents’ requests, regional conditions and other specifics of the educational process, the educational institution can then focus on the education of special groups of basic ethnic values. Basic values are for- malized in the target program of education and the socialization of schoolchildren, which is divided into subprograms according to the corresponding value system. Each of the basic values is then converted into a key educational task. Since the end of the twentieth century in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), a number of normative and legal acts have been adopted to preserve and revive ethnocultural traditions, including the basic republic-wide program “Erkeeji” (1994). “The concept of renovation and development of national schools” (1991) is recognized as one of the strategic lines in the development of the national education of the republic. The fundamental principle of the concept is the education and upbringing of children in their native language. The concept promoted “the introduction of the younger generation in the process of obtaining education to their ethnic culture, to the customs and traditions of their people, and to its spiritual and moral and ethical values” (Zhirkov 1992: 70). The Law 677-3 N 219-IV “On the Protection and Preservation of the Epic Heritage of the Indigenous Peoples of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)” (2009) defined measures for the preservation and protection of the epic heritage of the indigenous peoples of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), while the Law N 1401-3 N 359-V “On Education in the Repub- lic of Sakha (Yakutia)” (2014) laid the basic conceptual approaches to the educational system of the republic, taking into account regional and ethnocultural characteristics. Most relevant to our work, the Law N 874-3 N 641-IV “The State Target Program for the Preservation, Study and Dissemination of the Yakut Heroic Epic of Olonkho for 2007–2015” (2007) was passed with

Winter 2018 47 Ekaterina Chekhorduna, Nina Filippova, and Diana Efimova the aim of supporting the Olonkho at all levels of the population. This law divides this program consists of five subprograms, one of which is called “Olonkho and Future Generations.” It is aimed at creating an educational system based on the Olonkho and discusses its potential as a means of education for children and youth; it focuses on the formation of a multicultural mentality and participation in the dialogue of cultures through the epic masterpiece. The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) has also adopted unique legislative acts aimed at the spiritual and moral development of the individual, such as the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) State target programs “Family and children of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) for 2007–2011,” and “The concept of family and demographic policy in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) for the period up to 2025.” In addition, it should be noted that numerous decrees of the president of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) also serve to support the incorporation of ethnic spiritual and moral values into the popular imagination. Holidays also contribute to the introduction of key ideas of the heroic epic Olonkho through the daily process of personality development, such as: On the national holiday Ysyakh (1990), On the establishment of the Day of Native Language and Writing (1998), Olonkho Day (2006), Hunter’s Day (2012), People’s Artist Day (2012), Mother’s Day, Father’s Day (2016). In 2015, the Decree of the Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) was adopted on holding the second Decade of Olonkho in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) for 2016–2025. On its basis, the Concept and Program for the Second Decade of Olonkho are being developed at present. Thus, the normative and legal support for the spiritual, moral and ethical development of children within the framework of federal state educational standards and regional acts on ethnocultural education creates favorable conditions for the introduction of the pedagogy of Olonkho, which contributes to the development of the spiritual and moral sphere of the child’s personality, the satisfaction of the ethnocultural needs of subjects in the educational process, and the sustainable development of society.

The Methodology of Olonkho Pedagogy

The methodological bases of this article are found in the works of V. F. Afanasyev, G. N. Volkov, K. S. Chiryaev, K. D. Utkin, I. S. Portnyagin, A. P. Okoneshnikova, A. A. Grigorieva, and M. I. Baisheva, where we find ideas and theories about the educational possibilities of eth-

48 Sibirica The Pedagogy of the Sakha Heroic Epic Olonkho within the Educational Process nopedagogy, which are still relevant today (see also Daniliuk et al 2009; Kozlova and Kondakova 2011; Novikov 2011; Utkin 1998). This article offers a novel perspective through an attempt to reveal the laws, principles, approaches, means, and methods of organizing the educational process with the help of the authors’ approach to Olonkho pedagogy: SEDIP. In our opinion, this abbreviation successfully reveals the essence of the approach: original, ethical, activity-related, and integrative to the spiritual and moral development and education of a citizen of Russia. “Sedip” is a Sakha word, the essence of which lies in its complex seman- tics; on the one hand, it can be translated as “proper, lawful, ethical”; on the other hand, it can convey being “able to think and anticipate, make assumptions and hypotheses, and draw conclusions based on analyses and observations.” The main result of this work has been the introduction of the SEDIP approach in the Sakha-speaking preschool general education organizations of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) with positive dynamics of the spiritual and moral development and formation of the child’s personality (see Chekhorduna et al. 2010). As our experiences have shown, the introduction of Olonkho pedagogy into the practice of preschool general education organizations is based on the following ethnodidactic patterns:

• the aims, contents, and methods of teaching of the pedagogy of Olonkho are initially socially conditioned, or are a social order or requirement of the society; • the children’s learning of ethnic knowledge, moral and ethical values as reflected in Olonkho leads to their more effective mastery of indigenous ways of working, using the acquired knowledge and skills in real life; • there is an interdependence between teaching and upbringing, a good balance between pedagogical leadership and the development of the students’ own activity, and between the ways of organizing the training and its results; • the use of the pedagogical potential of the heroic epic of Olonkho leads to a harmonious unity of the rational, emo- tional, content, operational, and motivational components in the educational process.

Our practice has shown that the preservation of the specificity of ethnic culture is possible only when the family, public organizations, cultural institutions, and the entire population are involved in the process of ethnocultural education. Significant commemorative events are held

Winter 2018 49 Ekaterina Chekhorduna, Nina Filippova, and Diana Efimova on the scale of both the individual settlement and the whole republic, among them the holiday of Ysyakh, the Days of Olonkho, the Khomus, the Mother, the Father, the Family, Folk Masters, and the Hunter; in these celebrations, the distinct identity of the Sakha people—along with their moral, ethical, aesthetic ideals and spiritual and moral values—is clearly made manifest. Among the themes and values conveyed by the heroic epic of Olonkho are life, humanity, family, labor, will, prediction, overcoming obstacles, patriotism, nature, language, solidarity, compassion, and possessions. Of these, we focus on the values of nature, family, and labor. Nature involves understanding and appreciating the strength of natural phenomena; the protection of nature, one’s native land, nature reserves, the planet Earth, and ecological consciousness. Family reflects the happiness and meaning of life of the people of the tribe of Ajyy (the deities of the Upper World); a person of Ajyy displays unselfishness, humanism, patriotism, courage, and the ability to make moral choices. The concept of the girl or maiden, kuo, reveals dignity, loyalty, respect, wisdom, inner harmony. The value of family also lifts up the older generation as guardians of the hearth, who display wisdom, self-esteem, love for kin and a deep understanding of the meaning of life, along with devotion, love and loyalty to one’s parents, care for both the young and old, and respect for the elders. Family values also encompass concern for the continuation of the family, love for the artistic word, and the importance of communication and dialogue. Labor involves familiariz- ing students with work traditions—having respect for work, creativity and creation, and valuing hard work, satabyl (productivity), dedication, perseverance, prosperity and abundance. A clear manifestation of these values in the epic contributes to the spiritual and moral upbringing of a child and aids in the formation of a personality that is moral, ethical, spiritual, and value-oriented. For example, one of the important values of humanity is the concept of nature. The Olonkho clearly identifies in nature a system of dynamic equilibrium. According to the view of those living in the Middle World, the Upper World deities strictly follow the observance of order in all three worlds and do not allow anyone to “disrupt the fleeing expanse of boundless echoing heavens, shake the basis of the universe, the supporting axis of the three circling worlds, the abode of the three clans.” The people of the tribe of Ajyy (the Upper World deities), heroes of all nine heavens, and spirits (ichchi) of the Middle World were all perceived as the personification of the relationship between an individual and the cosmos or their environment, which provides the preconditions for

50 Sibirica The Pedagogy of the Sakha Heroic Epic Olonkho within the Educational Process the existence of humans in the Middle World. The Sakha philosopher A. E. Mordinov assumed that the Sakha Olonkho—created in ancient times and present in our times—expresses the spontaneous materialist basis of the Sakha people’s worldview: “It is in the epic creativity of an ethnic group that reflects its worldview, dreams and aspirations, and the aesthetic and moral representations of people of distant eras” (cited in Novikov 2011: 181). In Olonkho, there are three worlds—Lower, Middle, and Upper—which reveals the spatial structure of the universe and the interrelationships between realms.

The Introduction of Olonkho Pedagogy into Yakutia’s Educational Organizations

Numerous educational organizations in Yakutia base their activities and educational process on the worldview aspects of Olonkho. These include, among others, the educational organizations of the Taatta, Churapcha, Megino-Kangalas, Suntar, Verkhnevilyuisk, Amga, Ust- Aldan, Gornyi, Verkhoyansk, Nyurba, and Vilyuy uluses, as well as the city of Yakutsk. The initial ideas about Olonkho and a familiariza- tion with spiritual, moral, ethical, cultural values within it are most consistently formed during a child’s preschool years. The republic’s preschool educational institutions have become the basic platform for the introduction of the fundamentals of Olonkho pedagogy into the children’s lives. The number of preschool organizations that realize the educational impact of Olonkho as a source of ethnic wisdom for raising children is expanding. Observations have shown that pedagogical conditions for the creation of the Olonkho environment in educational organizations include the organization of a subject-developing environment with the ethnocultural content and the SEDIP approach to the pedagogy of Olonkho (e.g., Algystaakh Alaha, or “The Blessed Alas”; Orto Doidu, or ‘The Middle World’). The most effective educational forms were the use of plots and heroic images from Olonkho in the play, artistic, physical, and labor activities of children. With the help of the parents, a huge arsenal of ethnopedagogical means of raising and developing children is created: thematic toys, didactic boards, movement games, and theatrical games based on the Olonkho, as well as photo and video materials on ethno pedagogical themes. Games and toys are an inseparable, important medium for children, through which they may learn about themselves and the world around them and gain their first impressions about the

Winter 2018 51 Ekaterina Chekhorduna, Nina Filippova, and Diana Efimova ideas found within Olonkho as well as its main characters and the language used. Among the many toys and dolls found in today’s preschool institutions, we find few folk toys, or dolls in ethnic costumes. Children tend to play with more modern dolls that depict the heroines of fairy tales and animated films. In 2013, local monitoring was conducted in preschool institutions of Megino-Kangalas and Tompo ulus as well as in Yakutsk, regarding what kind of dolls girls prefer. It was suggested that the children could choose one of three different toy dolls (a “Winx” doll in modern clothes, a “Vera” doll in Russian costume, and a “Nyur- guyana” doll wearing Sakha clothing) for story role-play; observers would then watch how these children played with their selected dolls. Most of the children chose Winx (47%), followed by Nyurguyana (29%), and then Vera (23%). It was noted that during playtime, which lasted between thirty minutes and one hour, the children often switched dolls. Thus, while children initially chose the dolls wearing brightly colored, modern fashions (Winx), the doll wearing a Sakha outfit was then preferred; the girls would switch and then play with it for a long time. They unconsciously identified themselves with the ethnic doll and accepted it. Dolls reflecting ethnic characteristics of Sakha people tend to be mostly souvenir dolls made by skilled craftsmen. We feel that a doll for preschool children should reflect ethnic characteristics that awaken moral feelings and emphasize ethnic self-awareness and human dignity (such as heroes in Olonkho and folk tales) in order to promote self-identification. From 2012 to 2014, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and employees of the Institute of National Schools held contests for the development of models of toys based on Olonkho motifs: “Clothes for dolls and children’s costumes based on Olonkho characters,” “Handmade toys based on the epics of indigenous peoples in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia),” “Ethnocultural handmade children’s toys based on the contemporary heroic epic Olonkho among professional and folk artists.” These competitions have become a great impetus for teachers and folk artists to popularize homemade toys and didactic games, and to organize games with themes based on Olonkho. N. I. Nikiforova and M. A. Nyukkanova, teachers at the “Kerecheene” kindergarten in the village of Khatassy near the city of Yakutsk use “Fairy tales of Olonkho land,” finger theater, dolls of Olonkho characters, origami, table games, role-playing games in their work with children. They note that toys based on Olonkho help children who arrive shy and insecure adapt to the kindergarten environment. By

52 Sibirica The Pedagogy of the Sakha Heroic Epic Olonkho within the Educational Process the end of the year, these children began to choose their own hero of Olonkho doll, and displayed a higher sense of self-confidence, respon- sibility, and generosity. They also began to better understand and perceive the language of Olonkho. The approach to introducing Olonkho pedagogy provides step- by-step meaningful activities for children, and includes several stages: thinking (pondering, reasoning, guessing, positing, and predicting), searching for and finding solutions, engaging in activities (planning, analysis, adjustment, evaluation), arriving at conclusions (analyzing the next steps), and reflecting (introspection). The pedagogical technology of SEDIP has been successfully tested in the network of preschool and general educational organizations “Aryly Kustuk” (Rainbow) in Taatta, Churapcha, Megino-Kangalas, and Tompo uluses as well as the village of Khatassy near Yakutsk. Based on the accumulated experience of work on the Olonkho pedagogy system, the analysis of human, material, and sociocultural resources, each preschool institution has chosen topical themes for educational activities. For example, the Child Development Center or kindergarten of “Suluschaan” in the village of Ytyk-Küöl has chosen the “SEDIP approach to the development of children’s speech,” “Alenushka” in the village of Chörköökh has selected “Olonkho and basic values,” “Sardaana” in the village of Kyjy has picked “Games about Olonkho in the upbringing of children,” and “Michil” in Pobeda has gone with “The Organization of the Developing Environment of Olonkho.” Each collective that is part of the “Aryly Kustuk” network is looking for its own ways to develop the ethnocultural education of preschool-aged children, and constantly exchange pedagogical findings with colleagues at the ulus and republic levels. In 2015, at the Thirteenth Congress of Teachers and the Educational Society of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), “Education and Society: Integration for the Child,” “Aryly Kustuk” presented the experience of “The SEDIP Approach to the Pedagogy of Olonkho: Interaction of Educational Institutions,” which aroused great interest among researchers, teachers, and parents, especially the section titled “Development of modern mechanisms, content and technologies of general education.” At this event, Jakob Kruze, the director of kindergarten in Copen- hagen, Denmark, became acquainted with Olonkho and Sakha culture, familiarized himself with the Olonkho-themed dolls and homemade musical instruments, and played the folk game “Khabylyk.” Anatoly Markovich Tsirulnikov—a well-known scientist and writer, RAO correspesondent, and professor—examined the model of a Sakha

Winter 2018 53 Ekaterina Chekhorduna, Nina Filippova, and Diana Efimova homestead of the Sakha people, which had captured the interest of the exhibition participants, and suggested publishing a catalog or album for children and their parents. In 2015, at the Twelfth Republican Pedagogi- cal Fair “Rural School. Educational Brand,” this pedagogical project was selected as the winner among projects in the ethnocultural education category, and at the pedagogical fair in 2016 in the “Culture and Edu- cational Environment of Olonkho” section we presented an exhibition on the activities of each kindergarten at a high methodological level and became nominees for “Best Cultural-Educational Wnvironment.” In November 2016, a republic-wide scientific and practical conference on the “Pedagogy of Olonkho: Technology, Methods, Skills” was held in the village of Khatassy, where teachers from twenty-five educational organizations from seven uluses and the city of Yakutsk took part. In 2017, within the framework of the republic’s February meeting for education and science workers during the days of “Native Language and Literature Day,” we actively participated in a round table called “Education in the native language: family and educational institutions”; we discussed issues regarding the upbringing of children and families in the mother tongue and shared our work experience with sixty-three teachers from preschool institutions and general schools in the Churap- cha, Megino-Kangalas, Khangalas, Nam, and Ust-Aldan districts, and the city of Yakutsk. Practical experience of using the artistic language of Olonkho in the daily life of the child is published in a methodological collection of preschool institutions called “Uran Tyl” (Native word). In the future, we hope to issue an educational and methodological set of materials for preschool institutions, titled “Basic values of Olonkho,” for preschool institutions. The first manuals “The formation of value orientations in preschool children” (a methodological manual) and “Aar Ajylgha” (Native nature) (a manual presenting joint activities with four- to-six-year-old children and adults) have been published. The activity of preschool institutions in introduction and testing of Olonkho pedagogy is of great interest not only among educators but also parents. Parents have noted the improvement of children’s speech, relationships in the family, and the emergence of greater self- confidence in their children. Thus, as a result of the introduction of the SEDIP approach, both educators and parents of preschool children have come to understand the pedagogy of Olonkho as a well-considered, traditional system for educating children in their native language. At the M. N. Turnin Secondary School in Tyaras, Taatta ulus, work on the testing of research and development on the interpretation and transformation of Olonkho has been carried out since 1994 and continues to

54 Sibirica The Pedagogy of the Sakha Heroic Epic Olonkho within the Educational Process this day; this includes the use of the educational potential of Olonkho in the teaching and educational process the formation of spiritual and moral values, and the involvement of children in the origins of Sakha ethnophilosophy. Using Olonkho pedagogy, an integrated system of ethnocultural education has been formed in the school, as the educational process is based on the activity approach: ije kut (the mother soul, connected to basic vital activities), salgyn kut (the air soul, connected to information-communicative activity), and buor kut (the earth south, connected to physical culture and health). These approaches have become the basis of the tested SEDIP approach to the pedagogy of Olonkho. Special attention should be paid to the experience of introducing Olonkho pedagogy in the Eginskaia secondary school in Verkhoyansk ulus; between 2006 and 2012 the school worked on the program “The formation of the school structure in the Arctic on the basis of Olonkho pedagogy.” The teaching collective used Olonkho pedagogy in the education of a viable personality of an Arctic inhabitant. The main objectives of the project were closely related to local conditions: the study of Olonkho by all students through its cultural, philosophical, and pedagogical; the organization of research and development work with children to collect the surviving legacy of the olonkhosuts (Olonkho performers) of Eginskii nasleg (settlement); the intensification of work on the historical study of local lore with the aim of students studying the cultural and historical traditions of the Egin people; the creation of the school and kindergarten’s environment in accordance with the Olonkho pedagogical system; the introduction of Olonkho elements in the educational process; and the revival of the living traditions of the performance of the Eginskii (Verkhoyansk) olonkhosuts. The uniqueness of the Eginskii secondary school was due to the presence of a living performer of the authentic Verkhoyansk Olonkho tradition: Daria Andreevna Tomskaia (Chaika). The Eginsky nasleg, located where the mountain taiga and tundra zones of the Arctic meet, has long been renowned for its famous olonkhosuts. During the years of research work, a system was created for the revival of the living traditions of the performance of the Eginskii olonkhosuts. Young performers of Olonkho began to continue the traditions of olonkhosuts D. A. Tomskaia and A. N. Tomskii, and some of the Eginskaia graduates now study at the Arctic State Institute of Culture and Art of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in Yakutsk. As a result of the annual research work by children and partici pants of research expeditions, unique materials on the preserved legacy of the Eginskii olonkhosuts have been collected; on their basis,

Winter 2018 55 Ekaterina Chekhorduna, Nina Filippova, and Diana Efimova the ethnocultural center “Olonkho Country” was created, and materials about the olonkhosuts are now displayed in the school museum. A developing environment has been created in kindergarten and school using the Olonkho pedagogy. Key words, concepts, and the plots of Olonkho have been introduced into the curricula of biology, geography, literature, history, music, and visual arts. Scientific research has also yielded productive results; at the ulus, regional, republic, and state levels of the scientific conference “Step into the Future,” the students made research reports on numerous topics, including “The Spring Arrival of Birds to Namy Lake, Olonkho Country,” “The Mountain Hare,” “Medicinal Plants of Eginskii nasleg.” Work on preserving and studying the Verkhoyansk narrative tradition has continued since 2013. A large amount of work was done on the topic “Verkhoyansk: the center of northern Olonkho” to per- petuate the memory of olonkhosut Tomskaia, including expedition on the “Promotion and distribution of Olonkho,” collection of video and audio materials, memoirs and photographs from long-time residents and relatives of olonkhosuts, and educational expeditions to collect folk- loric material and study the cultural and historical traditions of the people of Eginsky nasleg. Currently, the Eginskii secondary school has projects and programs titled “The Pedagogy of Olonkho,” “Museum Pedagogy,” “Dual Education,” and “Master of the Native Lands.” Since 1994, 411 students have graduated from Eginskii secondary school; 184 (45.0%) have graduated from universities, 134 (31.6%) from professional educational institutes (medical, pedagogical, law, etc.), and 36 (8.7%) from vocational schools. Of these graduates, 39 have received a spe- cialty in agricultural direction and have returned to their native village. Such examples, which have become prevalent across the Republic, con- vincingly display how the ethnopedagogical approach influences the creation of a favorable climate in educational organizations, contributes to the spiritual and moral development of children, the pedagogical education of parents, and as well as the ethical and moral state of the population as a whole. Interviews conducted with parents and teachers have shown that the Olonkho pedagogy produced a significant increase in the motivation of children to study the Olonkho epic, met the students’ need for self-realization, increased the level of general culture of students, and revealed a sense of love for their homelands and respect for other cultural positions and values.

56 Sibirica The Pedagogy of the Sakha Heroic Epic Olonkho within the Educational Process

Conclusion

Based on the study of pedagogical theory and long-standing ethnopedagogical practice, we have formulated didactic principles that help to successfully organize educational process aimed at the spiritual and moral development of the individual using the Olonkho pedagogy. The principle of scientific content and the methods of teaching and educational process on the Olonkho pedagogy reflects the relationship between modern scientific knowledge and the life practices of students. The principle requires that the content of Olonkho, its philosophical views, the most significant ideological attitudes of theAjyy deities, their moral and ethical norms, traditions and rituals, are transformed into modern concepts, and that students are familiarized with objective scientific facts, theories, and laws regarding the issues. This principle is embodied in educational programs and textbooks, in the selection of materials studied, as well as in the teaching of elements of scientific research and scientific methods to the schoolchildren. The second principle is that of ethnocultural connotation, that is education is constructed as an activity that is ethnoculturally deter- mined in the purpose, content, and methods of its implementation so that the preservation and development of ethnic constants is ensured. Educational systems that implement this principle are oriented toward providing a full-fledged basic education according to federal standards while engaging children with their native language, culture, history, traditions, and spiritual values. The third principle of completeness presupposes the usage of the educational potential of Olonkho, aimed at the formation of a child’s self-developing, harmonious, competitive, communicative personality with a sense of ethnocultural and civic identity. Connected to this, the principle of systematicity, consistency, and stability implies the transfer and assimilation of knowledge about the inner constituents of Olonkho and its spiritual-humanistic, philosophical-aesthetic, and value-oriented content in a certain system. The principle of visibility means that the effectiveness of training depends on the appropriate involvement of sensory organs in the perception and processing of educational material in the form of educational and visual materials in Olonkho pedagogy. Finally, the principle of accessibility requires consideration of the characteristics of the development of students, the analysis of the material in terms of their capabilities and interests, and the organization of training and education to prevent intellectual, moral and physical overload.

Winter 2018 57 Ekaterina Chekhorduna, Nina Filippova, and Diana Efimova

The final principle describes the connection of education and upbringing with children’s daily life practices, which requires that the educational process of Olonkho pedagogy stimulates children to use the knowledge gained in solving practical problems to analyze and transform the surrounding reality and develop their own views. Following these principles, we believe that the main results of the development of a child’s personality through the Olonkho epic are the manifestation of self-awareness of the civic and ethnic identity in the child’s personality,; the development of positive attitudes and values associated with the native language, the worldview of the Olonkho epic, folk traditions, and the cultural and historical heritage of the ethnic group; moral and ethical preparedness to confront negative events in the child’s society and society as a whole, and the ability to analyze both one’s own actions and deeds of other people; the formation of skills for social and intercultural communication among schoolchildren; and the development of tolerance toward different social groups and bearers of different beliefs to better orient the individual in a multicultural environment and multiethnic society.

Ekaterina Chekhorduna is a doctoral candidate in Pedagogy and the leading specialist of the Educational Laboratory of the Peda gogical Institute, at the M. K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal Uni versity. She is also member and correspondent of the Academy of Pedagogical and Social Sciences of the Russian Federation. Email: [email protected]

Nina Filippova is a doctoral candidate in Philosophy and a Leading Researcher of the FGBNU Institute of National Schools of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). Email: [email protected]

Diana Efimova is a senior researcher of the Institute of National Schools of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). Email: [email protected]

Glossary

Olonkho—the Sakha heroic epos, a major ancient genre of oral folk art. Ije kut (mother soul), Buor kut (earth soul), Salgyn kut (air soul)—according to Sakha cosmology, each person has three souls. The ije kut is a spiritual principle and considered to be the main core of human life. The buor kut and salgyn kut are perceived to be material substances.

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References

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