Ethnic groups in Mongolia

Ethnic groups in Mongolia

Tsaatan - Reindeer herders in Nothern Mongolia. The Dukhans (Tsaatan) are a small Tuvan Turkic community of reindeer herders living in northern Khuvsgul aimag of Mongolia. The Dukhan language is an endangered Turkic variety spoken by approximately five hundred people. Dukhans live differently from most other people in the world. The Dukha's sense of community is structured around the reindeer. The reindeer and the Dukha are dependent on one another. Dukha communities on the taiga are usually a group of tents of two to seven households that move camp to find optimum grazing for the reindeer. Dukhans raise their reindeer primarily for milk, meat and transportation. Dukhas today continue their nomadic life, moving from one place to another without establishing any permanent settlements during the year. Dukhans live in yurts made primarily of birch bark that resembled the tepees of Native-Americans in appearance. A large yurt may take the bark from up to 32 trees to make. A traditional Dukha yurt will not have a bed, but rather skins covering the ground, upon which the family sleeps. Dukha dress is characterized by hats like those of the Khalkh people, and wide deels (traditional Mongolian overcoats). They wear strong, warm boots fashioned from the hides and sinew of their reindeer. These boots are known for their quality. The Dukha believe that their ancestors’ ghosts live on in the forest as animals that give guidance to the living. Dukha people practise Shamanism, a religion based on nature worship. The Shamanistic practices among Dukha people differ from those of other Shamanistic religions in the region. Shaman worship among the Tsaatan people is thought to represent the oldest variant of Shamanism practiced by Mongolian nomads. Not only do they worship their Shaman, whom they call 'Boo', but they have many mystical holy books as well, and use many different treatises in their daily lives, including those for hunting and for calling or banishing the rain.

The Buryat people are very similar to Khalkh, descendant of the Mongols who historically lived in the area of the Lake Baikal and first became a part of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. The costumes are the most representative feature of Buryat minority with designs and colors closely linked with geographical environment and tradition. The Buryats have traditionally been known as hard workers. They have their own exquisite features fully displayed by its housing styles, cuisines, customs and traditional holidays. The settlements of the Buryat people are similar to others living Mongol nomadic existences. They also have the yurts, which are similarly constructed of the same materials as the Mongol yurts using wooden frames and felt coverings. However many modern Buryats also live in huts of the traditional types,adapted from the Russian frame huts. One of the essential figures of the Buryat people is its shamans. The shamans are wise people who are in touch with the link between them, the spirits and nature.

Islam: Islam is the religion of the Muslims, a monotheistic faith regarded as revealed through Muhammad as the Prophet of Allah. It is practised by the ethnic Kazakhs of Bayan-Ulgii and Khovd provinces in western Mongolia. In addition, a number of small Kazakh communities can be found in various cities and towns spread throughout the country. Kazakh ethnic group is only ethnic group whose religion, culture and language are completely different from other ethnic groups of Mongolia. It is second major ethnic group in Mongolia with the population of 102900. In the first time, nearly 20 Kazakh families moved to Mongolia in 1875. The head of Mongolia, Choibalsan had made peaceful agreement with Osman. Since that time, refugees of Kazakh people started fleeing to Mongolia. In 1940, according to the presidium, Bayan-Ulgii province was established for Kazakh people. Kazakh men are famous for hunting eagles. They have been using hunting eagle for long time. Kazakh people’s culture: The Kazakhs are Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia. The Kazakhs were introduced to Islam through contact with the Tatars. Tatars traditionally were not as conservative as other Muslim people. Because the Kazakhs were wanderers who depended on livestock for their survival, animals were at the core of the ancient Kazakh religion. Based on nomadic roots, horse meat and mutton are the basis of a majority of Kazakh dishes. Dishes include shuzhuk (a type of sausage made from smoked horse meat), and kuirdak is prepared from a freshly slaughtered horse, sheep, or cow, and consists of the animal's heart, liver, kidneys, and other organs. Music is part of everyday Kazakh life. The most popular folk instrument is the dombra, which has two strings and is played by plucking.

Christianity: Christianity is the religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, or its beliefs and practices. Christianity in Mongolia is a minority religion. Most Christians in Mongolia became Christian after the Mongolian Revolution of 1990. In modern times the Mongols are primarily Tibetan Buddhists, but in previous eras, especially during the time of the Mongol empire (13th–14th centuries), they were primarily shamanist, and had a substantial minority of Christians. Many Mongols had been proselytized by the Church of the East since about the seventh century, and some tribes' primary religion was Christian. In the time of Chinggis Khan, his sons took Christian wives and under the rule of Chinggis Khan's grandson, Munkh Khan, the primary religious influence was Christian. Nowadays, there are a few Christian Churches and many Christians in Mongolia

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Ethnic groups in Mongolia