The Evenki, or Tungusy, are a Tungusic people of North Asia. In Russia, the Evenki are recognised as one of the Indigenous peoples of the Russian North, with a population of 38,396 (2010 census). In China, the Evenki form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognised by the government, with a population of 34,617 (2020 census). There are 537 Evenki in Mongolia (2015 census), called Khamnigan in the Mongolian language.
Origin The Evenki are sometimes conjectured to be connected to the Shiwei people who inhabited the Greater Khingan Range in the 5th to 9th centuries, although the native land of the majority of Evenki people is in the vast regions of Siberia between Lake Baikal and the Amur River. The Evenki language forms the northern branch of the Manchu-Tungusic language group and is closely related to Even and Negidal in Siberia. By 1600 the Evenki or Ewenki of the Lena and Yenisey river valleys were successful reindeer herders. By contrast the Solons (ancestors of the Evenkis in China) and the Khamnigans (Ewenkis of Transbaikalia) had picked up horse breeding and the Mongolian deel from the Mongols. The Solons nomadized along the Amur River. They were closely related to the Daur people. To the west the Khamnigan were another group of horse-breeding Evenki in the Transbaikalia area. Also in the Amur valley a body of Siberian Evenki-speaking people were called Orochen by the Manchus.
Historical distribution The ancestors of the south-eastern Evenki most likely lived in the Baikal region of Southern Siberia (near the modern-day Mongolian border) since the Neolithic era.
Considering the north-western Evenki, Vasilevich claims: "The origin of the Evenki is the result of complex processes, different in time, involving the mixing of different ancient aboriginal tribes from the north of Siberia with tribes related in language to the Turks and Mongols. The language of these tribes took precedence over the languages of the aboriginal population". Elements of more modern Evenki culture, including conical tent dwellings, bone fish-lures, and birch-bark boats, were all present in sites that are believed to be Neolithic. From Lake Baikal, "they spread to the Amur and Okhotsk Sea... the Lena Basin... and the Yenisey Basin".Vasilevich (623)
Contact with Russians In the 17th century, the Russian Empire made contact with the Evenki. Cossacks, who served as a kind of "border-guard" for the tsarist government, imposed a fur tax on the Siberian tribes. The Cossacks exploited the Evenki clan hierarchy, taking hostages from the highest members to ensure payment of the tax. Although there was some rebellion against local officials, the Evenki generally recognized the need for peaceful cultural relations with the Russians.(Vasilevich, 624) The Russians and their constant demands for fur taxes pushed the Evenki east all the way to Sakhalin island, where some still live today. In the 19th century, some groups migrated south and east into Mongolia and Manchuria.(Vasilevich, 625) Today, there are still Evenki populations in Sakhalin, Mongolia, and Manchuria, and to a lesser extent, their traditional Baikal region. Russian invasion of the Evenki caused them (and other Indigenous peoples) language erosion, a decline in traditions, and identity loss, among others. This was especially true during the Soviet regime. Soviet policies of collectivization, forced sedentarization (sometimes referred to as sedentism), "unpromising villages", and Russification of the education system compromised social, cultural, and mental well-being of the Evenki.Klokov, K.B., Khrushchev, S.A. (2010). Demographic dynamics of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the Russian North, 1897–2002. Sibirica, 9, 41–65Vakhtin, N. (1992). Native peoples of the Russian Far North. London
Evenki of Russia
The Evenki were formerly known as tungus. This designation was spread by the Russians, who acquired it from the Yakuts (in the Yakut language tongus) in the 17th century. The Evenki have several self-designations, of which the best known is evenk. This became the official designation for the people in 1931. Some groups call themselves orochen ('an inhabitant of the River Oro'), orochon ('a rearer of reindeer'), ile ('a human being'), etc. At one time or another tribal designations and place names have also been used as self-designations, for instance manjagir, birachen, solon, etc. Several of these have even been taken for separate ethnic entities.
There is also a similarly named Siberian group called the Evens (formerly known as Lamuts). Although related to the Evenki, the Evens are now considered to be a separate ethnic group.
The Evenki are spread over a huge territory of the Siberian taiga from the River Ob in the west to the Okhotsk Sea in the east, and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to Manchuria and Sakhalin in the south. The total area of their habitat is about 2,500,000 km2. In all of Russia only the Russians inhabit a larger territory. According to the administrative structure, the Evenki live, from west to east, in: Tyumen Oblast Tomsk Oblast Krasnoyarsk Krai Evenkiysky District (old Evenk Autonomous Okrug) Irkutsk Oblast Chita Oblast Amur Oblast Republic of Buryatia Sakha Republic Khabarovsk Krai Sakhalin Oblast
However, the territory where they are a titular nation is confined solely to the Evenk Autonomous Okrug, where 3,802 of the 35,527 Evenki live (according to the 2002 census). More than 18,200 Evenki live in the Sakha Republic.
Evenki is the largest of the northern group of the Manchu-Tungus languages, a group which also includes Even and Negidal.
Many Evenki in Russia still engage in a traditional lifestyle of raising reindeer, fishing, and hunting.
Census results According to the 2021 census 39,226 Evenki lived in Russia.
+Evenki in RussiaAdministrative unitEvenki population (2021 census)Sakha (Yakutia) Republic24,334Krasnoyarsk Krai (including Evenkia)3,612Evenk Autonomous Okrug (Evenkia)3,118Krasnoyarsk Krai (excluding Evenkia)494Khabarovsk Krai3,709Amur Oblast1,405Sakhalin Oblast171Republic of Buryatia2,995Irkutsk Oblast1,144Zabaykalsky Krai957
Evenki of China
At the 2000 census, there were 30,505 Evenki in China, mainly made up of the Solons and the Khamnigans. 88.8% of China's Evenki live in the Hulunbuir region in the north of the Inner Mongolia Province, near the city of Hailar. The Ewenki Autonomous Banner is also located near Hulunbuir. There are also around 3,000 Evenki in neighbouring Heilongjiang Province.
The Manchu Emperor Hong Taiji conquered the Evenki in 1640, and executed their leader Bombogor. After the Manchu conquest, the Evenki were incorporated into the Eight Banners.
In 1763, the Qing government moved 500 Solon Evenki and 500 Daur families to the Tacheng and Ghulja areas of Xinjiang, in order to strengthen the empire's western border. Another 1020 Xibe families (some 4000 persons) also came the following year. Since then, however, the Solons of Xinjiang have assimilated into other ethnic groups, and are not identified as such anymore.Herold J. Wiens "Change in the Ethnography and Land Use of the Ili Valley and Region, Chinese Turkestan", Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 59, No. 4 (Dec., 1969), pp. 753–775 (JSTOR access required)Tianshannet / Окно в Синьцзян / Народности, не относящиеся к тюркской группе Tianshannet (Window to Xinjiang / Non-Turkic peoples)
The Japanese occupation led to many murders of Evenkis, and Evenki men were conscripted as scouts and rangers by the Japanese secret service in 1942. Some Evenkis fled to Soviet Siberia across the Amur river after murdering a Japanese officer to avoid punishment from the Japanese.
The Evenki of China today tend to be settled pastoralists and farmers.
By county
County-level distribution of the Evenk
(Only includes counties or county-equivalents containing >0.1% of China's Evenki population.) Provincial-level administrative division Prefecture-level division County-level division Evenki Population% of China's Evenki Population Inner Mongolia AR Hulunbuir Ewenki Autonomous Banner 9,733 31.91% Inner Mongolia AR Hulunbuir Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner 5,126 16.8% Inner Mongolia AR Hulunbuir Oroqen Autonomous Banner 3.155 10.34% Inner Mongolia AR Hulunbuir Arun Banner 2,144 7.03% Inner Mongolia AR Hulunbuir Old Barag Banner 1,906 6.25% Inner Mongolia AR Hulunbuir Zhalantun 1,201 3.94% Inner Mongolia AR Hulunbuir Hailar District 971 3.18% Heilongjiang Qiqihar Nehe 778 2.55% Heilongjiang Heihe Nenjiang 678 2.22% Inner Mongolia AR Hulunbuir Yakeshi 405 1.33% Inner Mongolia AR Hulunbuir Genhe 369 1.21% Inner Mongolia AR Hohhot Saihan District 158 0.52% Inner Mongolia AR Hulunbuir Manzhouli 141 0.46% Heilongjiang Qiqihar Meilisi Daur District 135 0.44% Heilongjiang Daxing'anling Jagdaqi 129 0.42% Inner Mongolia AR Hohhot Xincheng District 128 0.42% Heilongjiang Qiqihar Fuyu 111 0.36% Inner Mongolia AR Hulunbuir Ergun 110 0.36% Inner Mongolia AR Hulunbuir New Barag Left Banner 103 0.34% Beijing Municipality Haidian District 68 0.22% Heilongjiang Qiqihar Jianhua District 65 0.21% Heilongjiang Qiqihar Tiefeng 65 0.21% Inner Mongolia AR Hinggan League Ulanhot 60 0.20% Heilongjiang Qiqihar Gangnan District 59 0.19% Heilongjiang Daxing'anling Mohe 55 0.18% Heilongjiang Qiqihar Hulan Ergi 54 0.18% Inner Mongolia AR Hulunbuir New Barag Right Banner 54 0.18% Heilongjiang Daxing'anling Huma 52 0.17% Inner Mongolia AR Hohhot Huimin District 48 0.16% Heilongjiang Qiqihar Longjiang 44 0.14% Heilongjiang Qiqihar Longsha 36 0.12% Inner Mongolia AR Baotou Qingshan 35 0.11% Inner Mongolia AR Tongliao Horqin District 35 0.11% Inner Mongolia AR Hinggan League Jalaid Banner 34 0.11% Inner Mongolia AR Heihe Wudalianchi 32 0.10% Other 2,228 7.33%
Evenki of Ukraine According to the 2001 census, there were 48 Evenki living in Ukraine. The majority (35) stated that their native language was Russian; four indicated Evenki as their native language, and three said that it was Ukrainian.State statistics committee of Ukraine – National composition of population, 2001 census (Ukrainian)
Traditional life Traditionally they were a mixture of pastoralists and hunter-gatherers—they relied on their domesticated reindeer for milk and transport and hunted other large game for meat.(Vasilevich, 620-1) Today "[t]he Evenki are divided into two large groups... engaging in different types of economy. These are the hunting and reindeer-breeding Evenki... and the horse and cattle pastoral Evenki as well as some farming Evenki".(620) The Evenki lived mostly in taiga, or boreal forest. They lived in conical tents made from birch bark or reindeer skin tied to birch poles. When they moved camp, the Evenki would leave these frameworks and carry only the more portable coverings. During winter, the hunting season, most camps consisted of one or two tents while spring encampments had up to 10 households (Vasilevich, 637).
Their skill at riding their domesticated reindeer allowed the Evenki to "colonize vast areas of the eastern taiga which had previously been impenetrable" (Vitebsky, 31). The Evenki used a saddle unique to their culture, placed on the shoulders of the reindeer to lessen the strain on the animal, and used a stick rather than stirrups to balance.(31–32) Evenki did not develop reindeer sledges until comparatively recent times (32). They instead used their reindeer as pack animals and often traversed great distances on foot, using snowshoes or skis.(Vasilevich, 627) The Evenki people did hunt and eat wild reindeer, but not their domesticated reindeer, which they kept for milk.(Forsyth, 49–50).