Community Location Map
📍 Location: Sayan Mountains & Taiga Forest, Khövsgöl Province, Northern Mongolia
Overview & Cultural Background
The Dukha (known in Mongolia as Tsaatan, meaning ’those with reindeer’) are one of the world’s smallest and most isolated nomadic ethnic groups. Inhabiting the remote sub-arctic taiga forests of the Sayan Mountains near the Russian border, the Dukha live in canvas or bark conical teepees (ortz) and move camp up to ten times per year to protect their reindeer herds from heat and insects.
Unlike arctic tundra reindeer herders who raise reindeer primarily for meat, the Dukha use reindeer as riding animals, pack animals, and sources of rich milk used for cheese, butter, and tea. Dukha culture is rooted in ancient Tuvan shamanism and deep spiritual reverence for the taiga forest and its wildlife.
Key facts
- Estimated Population: Approximately 280 individuals (around 40-50 nomadic families)
- Primary Livestock Herded: Domesticated taiga reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)
- ️ Contemporary Challenges: Strict state environmental laws prohibiting traditional hunting and grazing within national park boundaries, warming sub-arctic temperatures impacting lichen availability, reindeer diseases, and intrusive commercial tourism.
Featured Films in the Festival Program
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Bayandalai: Lord of the Taiga ⏱ 11 min | 🌍 Mongolia | 🎬 Aner Etxebarria Moral & Pablo Vidal Santos