As part of the Reindeer Herding and Resilience (RHR) project the implementation of the training workshop on Traditional knowledge about reindeer milking took place in Mongolia from 18 to 29 of August 2024, organized by the International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry (ICR).
Sámi, Dukha and Evenki reindeer herding youth took part in the workshop to document traditional knowledge and skills about the practice of reindeer milking in Dukha community and investigate on linkages between milking practices and land use.
The workshop was coordinted by Alena Gerasimova (Evenki), ICR project manager. Two young Sámi reindeer herders Juhan Nikolaus Wollberg (Sweden/Norway) and Majja-Krihke Bransfjell (Norway) travelled to Mongolia to participate in the workshop. The trip within Mongolia was coordinated by ICR project coordinator Solongo Tsevegmid. The group had meetings in Ulaanbatar with RHR project coordinator Tsogtsaikhan Purev, he shared with students and coordinators his experience from earlier travel to Tsaagaannur and taiga, discussed further plans. While in Ulaanbatar the group also met with young Dukha reindeer herder Uranbayar Bat Erdene, who was also alumni of the Youth Leadership Course during the Arendal Week in Norway in 2023.
It has been a long journey to get to Dukha reindeer herding camps in Northern Mongolia, so the group spent many days only for travelling and by different means, including airplane, cars and horses. Participants stayed in Murun, the capital of the Khovsgol province, and in Tsaagaanuur – Dukha reindeer herding village in the same province. In Tsaagaanuur the group was joined by young Dukha reindeer herder Khongorzul Mungushagai,who also participated in many events organized by ICR and RHR project, such as the Youth Leadership Course during the Arendal Week in Norway in 2023, Arctic Circle conference in Reykjavik in 2023 and Arctic Innovation Lab hosted at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in January 2024.
After some hours by horse riding from Tsaagaanuur to East taiga camp participants finally reached the reindeer herding camp where they were greeted by Dalaijargal Gombo who is a young Dukha woman and reindeer herder, mother of two and wife to reindeer herder who by that time worked as a guide for a group of tourists. Almost 10 years ago Dalaijargal was among Dukha youth who travelled to Kautokeino, Norway for the Arctic Council EALLIN project and met with HSH Albert II Prince of Monaco. Dalaijargal greeted the group with reindeer milk tea and freshly made reindeer cheesewhich is one of the main food products for Dukha reindeer herding community.
In the camp there was approximately 10 reindeer herding families and 80 people altogether. RHR training workshop collided with the heavy tourist season in Dukha areas, which made reindeer herders very busy, but still for participants of the workshop it was a very special and educating experince to be there with the Dukha reindeer herders,who at that time were still milking their reindeer, and learn about their deep traditional knowledge.
Sámi youth shared their stories with reindeer herders, telling about Sámi reindeer husbandry and practices in different reindeer herding areas. After a meeting with herders it was a milking time. Participants of the workshop had practical experience in milking reindeer, and have been collecting and interviewing Dukha women about their knowledge on milking.
Workshop participants found that the reindeer milking tradition is very strong in the Dukha community in taiga. There is a lot of knowledge and skills nested within the whole practice of milking: from early morning women wake up at 6 o clock to tie the calves and release the adult reindeer who have been on a rope the whole day. This way herders’ separate mothers from calves in order for milk to collect but also keep the herd close to the camp. Milking itself starts in the afternoon, all women in the camp start milking from 3-4 p.m. after the end of the process they release the calves from ropes so that they could connect with their mothers and eat milk, which is always left for them.
There is also a constant process of making milk products such as cheese, boiled milk, sour milk, sour cottage cheese, and always tea with reindeer milk. Milk is stored in a cold water in the nearby small river. Dukha reindeer herders believe they will keep this tradition and knowledge around milking for a long time. Young women also know how to milk reindeer. Since they don’t have big herds, they milk every female.
Participants also found that herders struggle from predators – wolves, in the autumn pastures. After school year begins, herders will move away towards the north and where they hope to have less loss to predators.
Finally, it is important to note that having this type of community-based workshops helps to understand the life of Dukha Indigenous community. Having been living together in taiga students got unique opportunity to engage in traditional life routines of reindeer herders, learning from within and students understood the importance of traditional knowledge and its transmission between generations. It is crucial to bring youth together. Students get a chance to engage more in traditional livelihood activities, reflect on practices in their own communities, it motivates them to discuss practices and traditions within their families and communities. Youth from different regions can see similarities between their communities and feel more confident.
The field trip to to Ulaanbaatar, Tsaagaanuur and East taiga in Khovsgol province, Mongolia was successful in achieving its objectives and provided valuable insights into RHR Component.
This field trip was an introductory level workshop to Reindeer herding peoples’ traditional knowledge and practice of reindeer milking with focus on traditional knowledge about milking of reindeer. There will be more activities related to this project. The findings will contribute to knowledge building about Dukha reindeer husbandry and current situations in the community, documenting traditional knowledge on reindeer milking in such reindeer herding areas like Mongolia, Siberia, Scandinavia and others, with a focus on women’s knowledge about reindeer milking.
Additionally, we share two stories from Sámi youth who participated in the workshop. You can read them by using these links: