The Chelkans (native name—''Chalkandu, Shalkandu'') are a small group of
Turkic indigenous people of Siberia. They speak the
Northern Altai Chelkan language.
Those residing in
Altai Republic
The Altai Republic (; russian: Респу́блика Алта́й, Respublika Altay, ; Altai: , ''Altay Respublika''), also known as Gorno-Altai Republic, and colloquially, and primarily referred to in Russian to distinguish from the neighbour ...
are sometimes grouped together with the
Altai ethnic group and those in
Kemerovo Oblast
Kemerovo Oblast — Kuzbass (russian: Ке́меровская о́бласть — Кузба́сс, translit=Kemerovskaya oblast — Kuzbass, ), also known simply as Kemerovo Oblast (russian: Ке́меровская о́бласть, label=non ...
are grouped with the
Shors; however, they are recognized as a separate ethnic group within the list of
by ethnographers and the Resolution of the Government of the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
No. 255 dated March 24, 2000, and
Russian Census (2002)
The Russian Census of 2002 (russian: Всеросси́йская пе́репись населе́ния 2002 го́да) was the first census of the Russian Federation since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, carried out on October 9 through ...
. But, during the
2010 census, they were again "united" with the Altaians. According to the 2010 census, there were 1,181 Chelkans in Russia.
History
The Chelkans emerged from the mixing of Turkic clans with
Ket
Kentucky Educational Television (KET) is a state network of PBS member television stations serving the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. It is operated by the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television, an agency of the Kentucky state governme ...
,
Samoyed, and other native Siberian groups. This was a process that began as early as the period when the
Yenisei Kygryz dominated the region. The Mongols then ruled over the region and people from the 13th to 18th centuries. The
Dzungars
The Dzungar people (also written as Zunghar; from the Mongolian words , meaning 'left hand') were the many Mongol Oirat tribes who formed and maintained the Dzungar Khanate in the 17th and 18th centuries. Historically they were one of major tr ...
then briefly controlled the area until the Chelkans (along with other
Altaians
The Altai people ( alt, Алтай-кижи, Altai-kizhi), also the Altaians ( alt, Алтайлар, Altailar), are a Turkic ethnic group of indigenous peoples of Siberia mainly living in the Altai Republic, Russia. Several thousand of the Alta ...
) submitted to the Russians.
Culture
The Chelkans were originally hunters and animals living in the taiga were their main prey and were vital to the local subsistence economy.
Around the 19th century, the Chelkans took up picking
cedar nuts as a additional economic activity.
The Chelkans traditional dwellings included polygonal yurts made out of bark or log and topped with a conic bark roof. Other types of dwellings also included conic yurts made out of bark or perches.
Traditional Chelkan dress included short breeches, linen shirts, and single-breasted robes.
Religion
Most modern Chelkans are Orthodox Christian. However,
Burkhanism and shamanism is also found among the Chelkans.
References
External links
International Arctic Social Sciences Association, 2001page o
Endangered Languages of Indigenous Peoples of Siberia
Altai people
Ethnic groups in Russia
Indigenous peoples of North Asia
Indigenous peoples of the Altai Republic
Indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East
Turkic peoples of Asia
Indigenous peoples in the Arctic
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