🐅 Nanai

Who Are the Nanai?

The Nanai (also known as Hezhen in China, or historically as Goldi) are a Tungusic people of the Amur River basin, living in Russia's Khabarovsk Krai and China's Heilongjiang Province. The Russian Nanai population numbers approximately 12,000, with perhaps 5,000-10,000 Hezhen in China. They speak Nanai, a Tungusic language with several dialects, though language shift to Russian has dramatically reduced speakers. The Nanai developed a sophisticated fishing culture along one of Asia's greatest rivers, creating distinctive art styles, fish-skin clothing, and shamanic traditions. Their territory included the habitat of the Siberian tiger, which held profound spiritual significance in Nanai cosmology.

Fish-Skin Culture

The Nanai were masters of fish-skin processing, creating clothing, footwear, bags, and other items from the skins of salmon, carp, and other fish. This unique material—waterproof, durable, and readily available—distinguished Amur River cultures from their neighbors. Fish-skin processing required elaborate techniques: cleaning, softening, and sewing with fish-skin thread. Decorated fish-skin robes featured distinctive Nanai artistic motifs combining spirals, curves, and stylized animal forms. This art style, shared with neighboring Amur peoples (Ulchi, Nivkh, Orok), represents one of the world's distinctive artistic traditions. Fish-skin craft declined during the Soviet period but has experienced revival as cultural heritage.

Shamanism and Tigers

Nanai shamanism was highly developed, with shamans serving as healers, diviners, and intermediaries with the spirit world. Elaborate shamanic costumes featured metal ornaments, animal representations, and symbolic imagery. Shamans conducted ceremonies for healing, hunting success, and honoring the dead. The Siberian tiger (Amba in Nanai) held special significance; encountering a tiger could be either blessing or danger depending on spiritual circumstances. Some Nanai clans claimed tiger ancestry or maintained special relationships with tiger spirits. This reverence contributed to tiger conservation in the region. Soviet authorities suppressed shamanism, but practitioners continued secretly; post-Soviet revival has brought renewed interest in traditional spirituality.

Contemporary Nanai

Modern Nanai live in villages along the Amur River, with the village of Sikachi-Alyan known for its ancient petroglyphs. Fishing remains important culturally and economically, though commercial fishing has depleted salmon runs. The Nanai language is endangered; perhaps 1,000-2,000 speakers remain, mostly elderly. Young people increasingly speak only Russian or Chinese. Cultural revival efforts include fish-skin craft workshops, language programs, and shamanic knowledge preservation. Some Nanai work in environmental conservation, particularly tiger protection—the Siberian Tiger Project involves Nanai communities. Cross-border connections with Chinese Hezhen have increased since the Soviet collapse. The Nanai demonstrate the cultural wealth of Amur River peoples while facing the challenges of language loss and environmental degradation affecting their traditional territories.

References

• Smolyak, A. V. (1966). The Ulchi: Economic and Social History of the 19th and 20th Centuries
• Sem, T. Y. (2015). Shamanism of the Indigenous Peoples of the Amur Region
• Gaer, E. A. (1991). Traditional Household Rituals of the Nanai