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The Dukha, Dukhans or Duhalar (Mongolian: Цаатан, Tsaatan, духа́, Dukha) are a small Turkic peoples 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. They are the only reindeer herding in Mongolia, and are considered one of the earliest domesticators of any animal.Régis Defurnaux, On the Move With Mongolia’s Nomadic Reindeer Herders, New York Times (August 23, 2021).
The Tsaatan, whose name means ‘those who have reindeer’ in the Mongolian language, were originally Tuvinian reindeer herders.
Today, many Dukha are fluent in both the Dukhan language and Mongolian. Many youth are educated in Mongolia and are well-versed in Mongolian as a result.
From 551 to 744 AD, Turkic tribes brought on by the Turkish reign began intermixing with the natives. Additionally, the Dubo people settled in the Eastern Sayan region in the 7th century. Following that, the Uigurs overtook the Turkish empire and became the ancestors of four modern day ethnic Tuvan groups, one of them being the Dukha people.
Originally from across the border in what is now Tuva, the Dukha settled in northern Mongolia. Tuva became independent in 1921, when Mongolia gained its independence from China. The reindeer herders were able to cross the border freely between Tuva and Mongolia until 1944, when Tuva was annexed to the Soviet Union and the border was closed. Many Dukha, who had settled in Mongolia due to fear of Soviet collectivization of their reindeer, food shortages from World War II, and intertribal relations, were separated from their family in Tuva as a result. Under Soviet influenced Mongolian socialism, the Dukhan way of life suffered significantly, particularly reindeer herding after it became collectivized and state run. The Tuvan language also began to be replaced by Mongolian. In 1956 the government finally gave the Dukha Mongolian citizenship and resettled them at Tsagaan Nuur Lake on the Shishged Gol. The economic revolution of the 1990s, which marked a change from socialism to privatization, saw the transition of many Dukha back to reindeer herding after years of taking urban jobs. The lack of government subsidization for herding led to difficulty in maintaining herds, but the advent of tourism in the mid-1990s began to support herders financially.
The Dukha started becoming distinguished as reindeer herders around 1935, when the Mongolian word "tsaatan" first appeared in the newspaper Ünen and began to replace terms such as soyot uriankhai, taigyn irged (English: "citizens of the taiga), and oin irged (English: "citizens of the forest"). The Dukhas' chosen name for themselves, however, remains uncertain.
The Dukha clan itself consists of residential groups in which families live near each other in tents. This can include parents, children, extended family, and friendships. A residential group that is composed of many families is called olal-lal in the Tuva language. Each has a representative member by which the group is referred to.
Dukha raise their reindeer primarily for milk. Reindeer milk, reindeer yoghurt and reindeer cheese are the staples of the Dukha diet. The reindeer also provide transportation. Because the taiga area is typically hilly and covered with forest, reindeer are not used for pulling sledges, but for riding and as pack animals. They take the Dukha for daily grazing, hunting, the collection of firewood, seasonal migrations, visiting relatives and friends, and traveling to the sum for shopping and trade. A 1.5 m long thin stick in the right hand is used as a whip. A rider gets on a tree stump and jumps onto the reindeer from the left side with the stick in the left hand, then transfers the stick to the right hand once the rider is mounted.
The Dukha begin training reindeer for riding when the reindeer (called at this age) are two years old. Adults are too heavy for , so it is usually the children's job to train them. Children frequently learn to ride reindeer without saddles. Adults ride on (three-year-old reindeer) or older ones. They regularly ride on (castrated males). Special training is not necessary to train the reindeer as pack animals. The male reindeer usually carry loads weighing about 40 kg (88 lbs.), while females carry up to 30 kg (66.1387 lbs.). The reindeer typically make trips every 2-10 weeks for nomadic tribes, and they make traversing the mountainous taiga regions much easier. Various parts of the reindeer are used to make essential items; for example, winter coats are made of reindeer pelts, while bags, traveling mats, and shoes are composed of skin. The antlers have been sold for decades for the creation of traditional Chinese medicine. They are also used to carve tools and as material for souvenirs. For these purposes, the antlers are cut off and harvested annually in early summer. After the reindeer is incapacitated by tying the two front legs to one hind leg, the antlers are sawed off. Pregnant female reindeer are excluded because antlers are essential to body temperature regulation. Additionally, the practice of cutting reindeer antlers has started to decline in recent years due to ethical concerns.
Climate change has negatively altered the taiga inhabited by the Dukha, and the effects, such as a lack of lichen as a source of food, has led to a decline in reindeer herds. Additionally, an outbreak of brucellosis in 1990 reduced the robust population of reindeer, and health issues in the reindeer population continue to this day. As of 2010, there were approximately 600 reindeer left in the region. Efforts of support are being made by organizations such as the Totem Peoples Preservation Project and the Mongolian Reindeer Fund to train herders within the Dukha population and aid them in preserving the health of their reindeer.
Only a few reindeer are slaughtered during the year for meat and pelts.
Other traditions include shaman ceremonies for welcoming the new moon and specific practices for retrieving river water.
The Shamanistic beliefs of the Dhuka revolve around the sacredness of the reindeer. These beliefs prevent them from slaughtering and eating reindeer for the most part, as they are considered sacred animals. Instead, they hunt and eat elk, moose, bear, sable, and boar for protein.
During the period of Communist rule in Mongolia (1924-1992) the Shamanistic religious traditions of the Dukha people were suppressed by the government. Shamans were arrested and the tombs of their ancestors were smashed. Following the end of Communist rule, the Dukha people were once again allowed to freely practice their traditional faith.
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