Ethnographies

The Khanty (formerly also known as the Ostyaks) live in the taiga zone north of the Ob River in Western Siberia. They keep small reindeer herds for their livelihood. They also hunt and fish and gather berries for food. In recent times, they have been heavily impacted by the local oil and gas industry. 

Stephan Dudeck has conducted field research in this area since the 1990s and summarized outcomes in his monograph. Indigenous knowledge and its preservation through special initiatives by local communities are shown in films. 

The Khanty are linguistically most closely related to Hungarian. A collection of texts is in preparation. A central element of the Khanty worldview is the bear ceremony, which is held after a bear hunt. It serves to reconcile the Khanty with the bear, to which they feel a special closeness. This ritual reflects their worldview, which sees the environment as a place shared by humans with many other beings — animals, spirits, and ancestors — with whom they must maintain respectful social relationships. Their rich storytelling tradition also plays an important role in Khanty culture. In the form of fairy tales and legends, but also in personal and sacred songs, it has been passed down orally to this day and shows the relationship between people and their environment. 

Ethnographic objects from museum collections are commented on in videos by indigenous knowledge holders.