Siberian Peoples

Siberian peoples, any of a large number of small ethnic groups living in Siberia. Most engage either in reindeer herding or fishing, while some also hunt furbearing animals or farm and raise horses or cattle. In the past, many had both summer and winter dwellings, their winter homes sometimes being partially or entirely underground and their summer homes being various styles of tent. Shamanism was common, and the family was the basic societal unit. During the Soviet era the government attempted to settle these groups on collective farms and to introduce new occupations, but some groups, such as the Koryak and the Nenets, still engage in their traditional pursuits. Other Siberian peoples include the Chukchi, Evenk, Ket, Khanty and Mansi, Sakha, and Yukaghir. See also Paleo-Siberian languages.