Environmental Knowledgeof the North

Koryak fishing around Lesnaya

For Koryaks (Nymylans) living on the northern west coast of Kamchatka around the village of Lesnaya, fishing plays a special role as one of their important means of livelihood. In the films that are shown here, indigenous people report on the schedules of their activities in connection with the seasonal emergence of the various fish species and on the fishing territories of individual families. Throughout the films, worldviews and values regarding the preservation of fish resources are addressed, and are reinforced through rituals and community events where they are passed on to younger generations. Along with practical knowledge, this apparently provides the essential foundation for sustainable resource management that indigenous populations have obviously well understood for many generations. In these films, the comprehensive indigenous knowledge of older Nymylans (see below) - most of whom are no longer alive - is documented, especially also for their descendants:

  • Belousova, Varvara Kondrat'evna
  • Nesterova, Evdokiia Lukinichna
  • Popov, Sergei Antonovich
  • Urkachan, Aleksandra Trifonovna
  • Urkachan, Semion Trifonovich
  • Yaganov, Vladimir Sergeevich
  • Yaganova, Ekaterina Grigor'evna

Seasonal fishing cycle

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Fishing territories

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Ritual and worldview

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Values and behavior

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Sustainable Resource management

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Fishing on the Lesnaya River

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