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Int’l indigenous peoples day in Yamal will become the symbol of respect of cultures

The preservation of culture, the protection of rights and the observance of the interests of indigenous peoples in Yamal are an important task for the authorities

TYUMEN, August 9 (Itar-Tass) — The International Day of Indigenous Peoples in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District will become the symbol of mutual deep respect between various cultures and spiritual traditions. “The second international decade of indigenous peoples in the world was declared as a decade of actions and dignity. Today it is important to preserve and pass carefully those original issues, which are characteristic for our indigenous peoples: culture, customs and language,” Yamal Governor Dmitry Kobylkin noted. The preservation of culture, the protection of rights and the observance of the interests of indigenous peoples in Yamal are an important task for the authorities, he said.

The International Day of Indigenous Peoples is celebrated broadly in Yamal, where the overall population of indigenous peoples makes more than 41,000 people. About 17,000 people are leading the nomadic lifestyle. People’s gatherings, contesting programs and sport competitions have been going on in the Yamal district since Thursday morning. This year the celebrations will be also held at the camps of the deer breeders. On August 12-14, the celebrations will be held in the Panayevskya tundra in the brigade of the deer breeding farm Panayevskoye and in the 13th brigade of the municipal deer breeding farm Yarsalinskoye on August 20.

In the Tazovsky district the holiday program includes folklore performances of amateur artists, excursions to the district history museum, sport competitions, a master class for the making of Nenets puppets and the degustation of fish dishes.

On Sunday, a one-day tour to the deer breeders will be held. The camp of nomads, which the tourists will visit, is situated 50 kilometres away from that in the Tazovsky district and consists of eight raw-hide tents, in each of which a family lives. The herd of 3,000 reindeers is being kept at the camp of nomads. The guests will be offered the cultural program. All people can participate in a competition for throwing tynzyan (lasso) on khorey (the stick imitating the reindeer’s horns), as well as in the rite of cleansing and sacrifice to the Nenets gods.

The program “Northern Originality” will be held at the centre of national cultures in the village Aksarka in the Priuralsky district. During the entertainment program northern poets will recite their poems, fairytales of indigenous peoples will be staged and national dance contests will be held.