History of the Ket People of Siberia

The Ket people are a North Asian culture living in Siberia. They were called Ostyak by the Russians, which means "stranger," until their own name for themselves was recognized in the 1930s. Today there are only a little over a thousand Ket, and their language is in danger of extinction.

Origins of the Ket People

The Ket are a traditionally nomadic group who currently live along the Yenisei River in Siberia. There is evidence, however, of their presence in southern Siberia. River names in southern Siberia come from the Ketic language, and the traditional clothing of the Ket people is better suited for warmer climates. According to Ket tradition, they were driven into the harsher climates of northern Siberia by the "mountain people." adparams.getadspec('c_billboard1');

Language of the Ket People

The language of the Ket people comes from the Paleo-Siberian language group and is one of the last surviving native languages of the Yenisei area. The use of gendered nouns and grammatical distinctions between animate and inanimate objects sets Ketic apart from other Siberian languages. There are two dialects, Sym and Imbat, of which the second is more widely spoken. Only half of the Ket population - about 500 people - are native speakers of the Ket language. As a result, the language is in danger of extinction.

Religion of the Ket People

Like many native cultures, the traditional religion of the Ket people was based in shamanism, the belief in communication with the spirit world with shamans (sening) as intermediaries. The two main spirits were Es, which represents the sky, male, and good, and Hosedam (Qosedam), who represents the earth, female, and evil. Different tribes had different totem animals for which they had reverence and would not kill, but the Ket religion as a whole saw the bear as an important spirit animal to be respected.

The Ket People and the Russians

The Ket people became incorporated into the Russian empire in the seventeenth century. At this time they were mostly hunters and fishers, and had become successful traders of pelts with neighboring cultures. The Russians demanded pelts as tribute, as many as twelve per person each year. Eventually the Ket people succumbed to introduced diseases and became unable to survive without government help. By the time of the rise of the Soviet Union, Ket culture had been all but suppressed.

Sources

• The Ket and Other Yeniseian Peoples, by Edward J. Vajda
• Ket (people) from the Encyclopedia Britannica
• The Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire