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TAIGA ALIVE! Campaign for 2008
Region: China, Mongolia, Siberia
Author: Dan Plumley, Totem People's Preservation Project
Consortium Member: Virtual Foundation Director (ECOLOGIA)
Status: Needs Funding
Budget: $28340
Collected: $8205
Needs: $20135
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; Ruth Nelson; Barakat Foundation, Massachusetts [January 2007]; 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]
Comment: A Match Challenge Grant from the Barakat Foundation will provide an additional $4000 to Taiga Alive! 2008, after the project has raised $7,500 from other sources. Already we have raised $3,805 toward that goal. Thanks to Barakat, and to the donors who will help us reach the goal.
Supporting Traditional and Nomadic Livestock Herding, Hunting and Gathering Cultures of Eastern Siberia, Russia, Mongolia and China
Project Needs and Objectives:
- Deliver critically needed veterinary medicines and veterinary expertise supporting care and treatment of nomadic livestock (reindeer, yak, camels, etc.)
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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:
- November 2007 through February 2008: project communicates with Dukha, Soyot, Tofa and Todja reindeer and yak herding community leaders; assess conditions based on August 2007 field work and updated analysis; prepare Spring – Summer 2008 implementation plans for field work
- Late March – April 2008: field work in Eastern Siberia, Russia (for Tofa, Soyot and Todja Peoples) and northern Mongolia (Dukha culture) for delivery of craft, antler and other tools, veterinary medicines and support; develop project team collaboration agreements with herder groups and government officials where appropriate (Ministry of Agriculture, Russia and Mongolia)
- Summer 2008: field work - veterinary care and herd health and management assessment and advancement; complete craft purchases (August 2008); negotiate agreement for livestock sharing of reindeer, yak genestock between border culture groups in Russia, Tyva and Mongolia
- Organize and travel with delegations of native leaders to Ulanbator, Mongolia, regional capitals in Buryatia, and Irkutsk as feasible to advance the project and make specific appeals to the governments on native rights, and nomadic sustainability needs
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:
- Demonstrate advances in overall livestock herd health (reindeer, yak) among the Dukha of Mongolia, Tofa, Soyot and/or Todja-Tyva of Russia;
- 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;
- Increase local capacity in veterinary treatment, herd management and sustainable small business in the taiga and grassland ecosystems
- Implement of transboundary agreements supporting related, native nomads across the transboundary Russia and Mongolian territory;
- 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:
- The Trust for Mutual Understanding, New York, New York
- The Barakat Foundation, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- The Merrill Family Foundation, New York
- The Cottonwood Foundation, Colorado
- The NORDLYS Foundation, Saratoga Springs, New York
- Momentum Earth Foundation, Norway
- Major Donors, and 400 historical individual donors (the Totem Project mailing support database)
- Cultural Survival, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
- ROLL Project, US Agency for International Development (USAID)
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