Tsaatan People Festival

Tsaatan People Festival

Tsaatans, who are the smallest indigenous ethnic group of Mongolia with shamanic beliefs, are desperately trying to preserve their 3,000-year-old culture, traditions and ancient beliefs. Tsaatan people have their own language known as Tuvan. Tsaatan people live amidst remote stretches and inhabit some 100, 000 sq kilometers of mountain taigas on the Darkhad plateau west of Hovsgol Lake. Tsaatan people follow an extremely nomadic lifestyle where they care for herds of reindeer upon which they rely for their daily staples. To feed their animals, the Tsaatan people move camp every so many weeks.

The festival program consisted of roughly the same events you might expect from any typical Naadam. The three Mongolian games are played (archery, wrestling, and horse riding), but the festival also featured reindeer polo, reindeer rides, Shaman fire ceremony, and boat rides around the lake.