Dukha people

For the Pali word, see Dukkha.

Dukhans
Духан / Цаатан
tuʰha ulǝs
Today's settlement areas of the Tyva (bright yellow) in Russia and the Dukha (pale yellow) in neighbouring Mongolia.
Total population
208 [1] (2020)
Regions with significant populations
 Mongolia
Languages
Dukhan, Mongolian
Religion
Tengrism
Related ethnic groups
Tuvans, Tofalar, Soyots, several other Turkic peoples, Mongols

The Dukha, Dukhans or Duhalar (Mongolian: Цаатан, Tsaatan, духа́, Dukha) are a small Turkic community of semi-nomadic reindeer herders living in a sum of Khövsgöl Province, Mongolia called Tsagaannuur. The Dukha are divided into two groups: those from northeast Tuva and those from southeast Tuva.[2] They are the only reindeer herding culture in Mongolia, and are considered one of the earliest domesticators of any animal.[3][4][5]

The Tsaatan, whose name means ‘those who have reindeer’ in the Mongolian language, were originally Tuvinian reindeer herders.[6]

  1. ^ "Хүн ам, орон сууцны 2020 оны улсын ээлжит тооллого — Нэгдсэн дүн". Үндэсний Статистикийн Хороо. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Régis Defurnaux, On the Move With Mongolia’s Nomadic Reindeer Herders, New York Times (August 23, 2021).
  4. ^ Wheeler, Alan (December 2000). LORDS OF THE MONGOLIAN TAIGA: An Ethnohistory of the Dukha Reindeer Herders. Indiana University.
  5. ^ Keay, Morgan (February 2006). The Tsaatan Reindeer Herders of Mongolia: Forgotten lessons of human-animal systems.
  6. ^ "The Transformation of the Community of Tsaatan Reindeer Herders in Mongolia and Their Relationships with the Outside World, SENRI ETHNOLOGICAL STUDIES 69: 123-152" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.