The Ewenki People

The Ewenki Autonomous Banner is home to half of China's Ewenki population with Mongolians, Chinese and Daur also living in the area. The banner's central town is Nantun, south of Hailar. According to government sources, the advent of communist rule was also the advent of the Ewenkis' right to exist. Because Party policy favored minority peoples in compact communities, the government established the Ewenki Autonomous Banner on August 1, 1958. This act demonstrated the respect shown by the government towards minorities, since at the time of the banner's establishment, the minority was quite small.

As of 1979 the head of the banner was an Ewenki who was rigorously pro-party and who took great pride, for the sake of the Ewenki, in his appointment. Today, the Ewenki have a say in the management of their own affairs. Under the new government, literacy and production has improved. Liberation brought medical services and schools (Prior to this, the Ewenkis had depended on the sorcery of shamans and the chants of lamas for treatment of illnesses.) While the Ewenki have no written language, they speak three dialects.

Ewenki life is one of isolation. Their homes are tents and the sky is their roof. They are a nomadic people who build storerooms in trees where they keep grain, clothes, and household items not being used. Indeed, "Ewenki" means "people who live in big forests."

The region they inhabit is rich in coal, iron, and petroleum and is also home to the reindeer that the Ewenki both hunt and herd. At the age of six or seven, Ewenki children learn to pasture the animals. A special kind of unusually large deer, the David's deer, is used for transport when they are out on a hunt. If hunters are unable to bring back from a hunt items such as food, clothing and tools, they leave them. Other hunters may then help themselves to these items without asking permission.

Ewenki eat wild animal meat and drink deer milk. Most of their clothes are made of rawhide and are heavy with embroidery that is highly religious in symbolism. They also make items out of tree bark and branches, fabricate their household utensils and build boats. For their children, they fashion fancy beasts and animals out of birch bark as toys.

Marriage is with members of another clan and early marriage is common. Dancing takes place at Ewenki weddings with the women dancing in groups to simple rhythms. As of 1985, some couples still eloped.

Ewenki celebrate the Mikol festival during which they go from yurt to yurt, drinking wine and eating fine foods. At this time they also count their newborn lambs and take stock of their wealth. Since Ewenki are known as famous horsemen, during this festival, young lads practice their skills at lassoing horses.

Ewenki are an honest and hospitable people who treat guests to tobacco, milk tea and stewed meat. They are courteous to those in senior positions. They have an oral literature complete with myths, fables, ballads, and riddles.

The people who raise livestock worship the god of animal husbandry while the hunters worship the gods of mountains and fire. They also worship their ancestors as well as totems that have special taboos. Those who live in the Chenbaerhu area are adherents of the Eastern Orthodox Church. A few Ewenki follow Lamaism.