Indigenous peoples of Siberia

Indigenous peoples of Siberia
Коренные народы Сибири
Total population
1.6–1.8 million[1]
5% of the total Siberian population
Regions with significant populations
Siberia
Languages
Russian (lingua franca)
Ainu, Chukotko-Kamchatkan, Mongolic, Nivkh, Tungusic, Turkic, Uralic, Yeniseian (Ket), and Yukaghir languages
Religion
Siberian Shamanism, Tengrism, Tibetan Buddhism, Russian Orthodox Christianity, Sunni Islam

Siberia is a vast region spanning the northern part of the Asian continent and forming the Asiatic portion of Russia. As a result of the Russian conquest of Siberia (16th to 19th centuries) and of the subsequent population movements during the Soviet era (1917–1991), the modern-day demographics of Siberia is dominated by ethnic Russians (Siberiaks) and other Slavs. However, there remains a slowly increasing number of Indigenous groups, accounting for about 5% of the total Siberian population (about 1.6–1.8 million),[1] some of which are closely genetically related to Indigenous peoples of the Americas.[2]

  1. ^ a b "Национальный состав населения". Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  2. ^ Zimmer, Carl (5 June 2019). "Who Were the Ancestors of Native Americans? A Lost People in Siberia, Scientists Say". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 April 2020. Dr. Willerslev's team found DNA in the Kolyma skull as well. A small fraction of that individual's ancestry came from Ancient North Siberians. But most of it came from a new population. Dr. Willerslev and his colleagues call them the Ancient Paleo-Siberians.

    The DNA of the Ancient Paleo-Siberians is remarkably similar to that of Native Americans. Dr. Willerslev estimates that Native Americans can trace about two-thirds of their ancestry to these previously unknown people.

    One reason that the Ancient Paleo-Siberians were unknown until now is that they were mostly replaced by a third population of people with a different East Asian ancestry. This group moved into Siberia only in the past 10,000 years — and they are the progenitors of most living Siberians.