«True people» (Nenei nenecha) – self-name of Nenets, the indigenous people of the Yamal peninsula, and the name of the complex 2015–2016 ethnographic expedition. Project participants and the visitors of the resource will be the part of the reindeer herders's family during the whole year just to «dive» in the casual life of the modern XXI century nomads.
As we already mentioned before, the second part of May was full of some important changes in our nomadic life. Kostja decided to join together with two other reindeer herdsmen's familie - already in May, thougth usually they go for this kind of aliances later in the year.
Now more anout the families we joined together with. It's actually one family of private reindeer herdsmen Hudi, which is living in two chums. They usually call the family after the name of the eldest man and head of the household - Hudi Savoli Podovitch (also called Kostja'nisja - Nenets: father of Kostja). In one of the chums live Savoli himself, his wife and the family of his son's Kostja. In other chum there are Yaroslav Hudi (husband of Savoli's daughter) and his family living. Kostja and Yaroslav are almost the same age as our Kostja and Albina. They also have small children, who joined our nomadic kindergarten group.
We joined together the herds as well. She-reindeers started to give birthes to fawns. This is the most busy time of the year: men one after another have to watch the herd round of the day.
Spring is unusually early this year. Same time last year Kostja and Albina still were standing south of Yuribei river, there was a lot of snow and temperature still kept below zero. But this year we crossed the river on April 20th, and changed our fur shoes - kisi - to gumboots, which for this time is also extremely early. Snow started to melt, and everywhere appeared big thaw holes. Then we realized, that we won't be able to cross Mordi-Yaha river on ice as planned before. Mordi-Yaha river is the biggest river on our route, which flows close to Bovanenkov gas-field. Now we are moving slowly without rushing she-deers and newly borns.
On May 11th we celebrated our 10th kaslanie after starting our nomadic route. Here is graticule values: N 69º34'32,4'' E 069º35'37,7''. We moved about 5 kilometers further, and joined above mendited two families on their standing place. After that we stay alltogether.
Here on the picture Albina is checking staff from winter nartas:
