International Traditional Reindeer Herding Championship in Yakutia

The first International Traditional Reindeer Herding Championship was held in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) city of Neryungri and the village of Iyengra  recently. According to a communnication from the organisors, the event was attended by representatives of 14 regions of the Arctic and the Far East, China, Mongolia, Iceland, and Greenland, as well as the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, the legislative authorities, and business, and members of the Association of World Reindeer Herders.

The championship was held as part of the plan of events of Russia’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021–2023, which are managed by the Roscongress Foundation.“Reindeer herding is a major factor in preserving the way of life and culture of Indigenous peoples, as well as a link for many generations of residents of the Arctic regions.

Great economic importance

In addition, this craft is of great economic importance for local producers and allows them to remain in demand as suppliers on local food markets. In Russia, almost all Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East herd reindeer. 

There are more than 52,000 families of Indigenous peoples, many of whom lead a nomadic lifestyle,” said Nikolay Korchunov, Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials and Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Cooperation of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event was organized by the Association of World Reindeer Herders, the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and the Arctic, the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), and the Administration of the Neryungri District.