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TAIGA ALIVE! Totem Project Campaign for 2009

Region: China, Mongolia, Siberia
Author: Dan Plumley, Totem People's Preservation Project
Consortium Member: Virtual Foundation Director (ECOLOGIA)
Status: Needs Funding Budget: $28340 Collected: $19225 Needs: $9115
Goal: To provide critical direct aid, capacity training and native rights support to people of the mountain, taiga forest and steppe grassland cultures; to maintain and enhance their traditional nomadic lifestyles of reindeer, yak and camel breeding, hunting and gathering in their native homelands.

Donors: James McFarland, Washington DC; [December 2007]; Dinah Bear, Washington DC [January 2008]; Ruth Nelson; Barakat Foundation, Massachusetts [January 2008]; Ashley Walker, New York State; Cultural Survival, Massachusetts [February 2008]; Barbara Felitti and Wayne Curley, Washington DC; Gerald Perry, Tennessee; Nils Larsen, Washington State [March 2008]; John Scheib, New York State [May 2008]; The Kelly Scheib Fund through Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, Ohio [May 2008]; The New York Community Trust Worth Fund [July 2008]; Oracle Corporation Matching Gifts Program [October 2008]; December 2008: Merrill Family Foundation, Inc.; Joseph/Cameron Walkuski, Montana; Joyce Hundley, Washington DC; Victor Himbaugh, Kentucky; Raymond Curran, New York State; Arthur Albrecht, California; Ruth Nelson, Massachusetts; New York State: William Burdsall; Michael Reynolds; Louis Curth; Marguerite Pitts; Timothy Scherbatskoy; Lincoln Stoller; St. Lawrence University Outdoor Center; Matthew Foley; Samuel Fisk; James McFarland, Washington DC; Dinah Bear, Washington DC; Louise Gregg, New York
2009 The Barakat Foundation, New York; The New York Community Trust Worth Fund; Anita Davis, Oregon; National Sports Academy, New York; Carl George, New York; Kevin Elwell, Virginia; The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region (Albany New York); Trust for Mutual Understanding, New York City; Brian McMahon, Western Australia.
Comment: An ABC World News team led by Clarissa Ward, ABC Asia Correspondent, traveled with Totem Project founder Dan Plumley to interview and film the Dukha reindeer herders, in Summer 2009. View the September 28, 2009 ABC World News broadcast, and earlier clips as well, at: http://www.abcnews.go.com/search?searchtext=Dukha%20Reindeer%20Herders.


Supporting Traditional and Nomadic Livestock Herding, Hunting and Gathering Cultures of Eastern Siberia, Russia, Mongolia and China

Project Needs and Objectives:

  1. Deliver critically needed veterinary medicines and veterinary expertise supporting care and treatment of nomadic livestock (reindeer, yak, camels, etc.)
  2. Provide antler craft, carving and sewing tools to support sustainable use of hard reindeer antlers, hides, and native wood carvings for essential supplemental income from traditional craft sales and development
  3. Strengthen native nomadic livestock sustainability of livestock through improved veterinary care, herd management, small business support and sustainable tourism - by organizing specialist training on site in the mountain taiga, forest and steppe grasslands
  4. Investigate reasons that Ewenki nomadic culture in Northern China is under threat of extinction; document their relationship to the Evenk Peoples of Russia to the North
  5. Advance native rights for the reindeer and yak herding nomads; promote historic transboundary agreements to protect and sustain nomadic and traditional cultures across the Russia, Mongolia and China boundaries

Dukha Family Group with their reindeer. Totem Project staff work with the Dukha of northern Mongolia to preserve traditional culture, native land rights, livestock (yak and reindeer) and to develop traditional craft sustainability. Photo - A. Makschenko, Totem Project

Project Implementation:

Tsagan Nuur settlement, northern Mongolia, August 2007 - Totem Project team of Ms. Nansalmaa, Mr. Borkhuu and Mr. Plumley inventory medicine and craft tools. These supplies were then distributed to East and West Taiga families comprising approximately 220 traditional reindeer herding nomads.

Expected Results:

  1. Demonstrate advances in overall livestock herd health (reindeer, yak) among the Dukha of Mongolia, Tofa, Soyot and/or Todja-Tyva of Russia;
  2. Deliver $ 7,000 of needed antler craft, carving and sewing tools supporting nomads in Eastern Siberia, Russia and Mongolia advancing supplemental income enabling traditional lifestyle in the mountain taiga and steppe grasslands;
  3. Increase local capacity in veterinary treatment, herd management and sustainable small business in the taiga and grassland ecosystems
  4. Implement of transboundary agreements supporting related, native nomads across the transboundary Russia and Mongolian territory;
  5. Advance agreements and government decisions supporting nomadic livestock herders; improve public relations and media promotion of native issues in capital urban media, press and radio.

Project Partners:

Totem Project works with herder cooperatives, the Ministries of Agriculture for both Mongolia and Russia, the Taiga Nature NGO (Mongolia) and local government leaders in rural Khovsgol Region, Buryat and Tyva Republics and Irkutsk Regions, Russia, Mongolia. If possible at full funding, we will expand to work with local government leaders in Harbin territory, China.

Project Timeframe: November 2007 to November 2008

Project Budget:
Stipends and salaries (US and Foreign)
Project director: $ 4,500
Contract vet specialists: $ 1,100
Translators, drivers and guides $ 1,900
Total Salaries and Stipends total: $ 7,500
Direct Material Aid Purchased:
-Craft Tools, Antler and Wood Tools: $ $ 3,000
-Veterinary Medicines $ 2,250
-Sewing materials, tools $ 1,980
Total Direct Aid: $ 7,230
International & Ground Travel $ 7,340
[2 international flights, ground travel, trains]
Meals & Lodging: $ 2,300
Visa Fees: $ 930
Telephone and Printing: $ 470
VF Administration$2570
Project Total: $ 28,340

Past Sources of Funding:

Since 1999, the Totem Project has annually received funding and support from a variety of sources, including:

Project Photo Gallery

The restoration of full antlers on the Dukha reindeer is a result of transforming from unsustainable soft antler products (requiring the painful, damaging cutting of smaller, blood antler) to the use of hard antlers, using traditional craft tools produced by the Totem Project. Consequently, the reindeer herd is far healthier; these antler projects have also restored herders' pride in their beautiful animals. West Taiga, Mongolia, 2007. Photo D. Plumley, Totem Project.

The first official delegation of the native Dukha reindeer herders to Ulaan Bataar, the capital of Mongolia, 2003. The Totem Project has supported these delegations each year since then. Delegations include elected reindeer herders from both the East and West Taiga groups, local Mongolian officials and Totem Project staff. The delegations developed and promote a seven point formal Appeal to the Government of Mongolia. Over the past four years, they have gained some important concessions in support of their cultural recognition and protection. The Dukha still have a long way to go to gain sufficient protection - and enforcement - for their native rights, lands, economy and culture. Photo: D. Plumley, Totem Project 2003.

East Dukha leader of the 2003 delegation, Ms. Oyumbaadam, testifies before Mongolian Parliament members in the first official Dukha delegation to the capital of Mongolia, 2003. Women have played a leading role in the success of the Totem Project and have been equal partners in the past four years of formal delegations to secure concessions for the protection of the Dukha culture. Ms. Oyumbaadam is playing a critical role in teaching and sustaining native Tyvan language among Dukha children. Ms. Oyumbaadam and the Totem Project have been able to gain state funding for some Tyvan language training, but much more is needed to be done to sustain Tyvan traditional language for future generations. Photo: D. Plumley, Totem Project 2003.

Project Contact Information

Dan Plumley
Director
Totem Peoples Preservation Project
P.O. Box 746
Keene Valley, New York 12943 USA
(518) 576-4430
drpadk@aol.com
www.totempeoples.org