The Nanai People

Who Are the Nanai?

The Nanai (also known as Goldi, Hezhen, or Nanay) are an indigenous Tungusic people inhabiting the banks of the Amur River and its tributaries along the Russia-China border in the Russian Far East and northeastern China. Numbering approximately 12,000 in Russia and 5,000 in China, they developed a unique riverine culture centered on fishing, particularly salmon harvesting. The Nanai are world-renowned for their extraordinary fish-skin clothing—waterproof garments crafted from salmon, carp, and pike skins that were softer than leather and featured intricate spiral-pattern decorations. Their traditional lifestyle combined fishing, hunting, and limited agriculture along the fertile Amur River valley. The Nanai possess rich shamanic traditions, distinctive throat singing (called dungushe), and elaborate folklore featuring heroic epics that preserve cultural memory spanning thousands of years.

River Culture and Fishing Traditions

The Amur River—one of the world's greatest salmon rivers—shaped every aspect of Nanai life. During annual salmon runs, entire communities gathered to catch, process, and preserve fish that would sustain them through harsh winters. The Nanai developed sophisticated fishing techniques including weirs, nets, hooks, and fish traps adapted to the river's seasonal cycles. They built villages along riverbanks in semi-subterranean winter houses and lighter summer dwellings. The Nanai crafted distinctive birchbark canoes for navigating the Amur and its tributaries, essential for fishing, hunting, and transportation. Fish provided not only food but also materials—skins for clothing, bones for tools, and oil for lamps and waterproofing.

Fish-Skin Craftsmanship

The Nanai developed fish-skin clothing to a level of artistry unmatched anywhere in the world. Women mastered the complex process of preparing fish skins, particularly from large species like salmon, taimen, carp, and pike. After removing scales and flesh, skins were dried, then pounded and kneaded until soft and supple. Multiple skins were sewn together using fish-skin thread or sinew to create robes, pants, boots, and bags decorated with intricate spiral and curvilinear patterns cut from contrasting fish skins or dyed materials. These garments were not only practical—waterproof yet breathable—but also beautiful, featuring artistic designs with spiritual significance. Fish-skin clothing represented significant investment of labor and skill, often serving as prestige items and valuable trade goods.

Shamanism and Spiritual Beliefs

Nanai spirituality centered on shamanism, with both male and female shamans (called saman) serving as intermediaries between human and spirit worlds. Shamans conducted healing ceremonies, divination, and rituals to ensure hunting and fishing success using elaborate costumes adorned with metal pendants, colored streamers, and symbolic imagery. The Nanai worldview recognized spirits inhabiting rivers, forests, and animals, particularly the water spirit (temu) who controlled fish populations and required respectful treatment. Shamans used distinctive frame drums covered with fish skin or deer hide during ceremonies, entering trance states to communicate with spirits. The Nanai also practiced ancestor veneration, maintaining spirit houses and conducting regular offerings.

Oral Traditions and Heroic Epics

The Nanai preserved rich oral traditions through ningman—lengthy narrative poems recounting heroic deeds, creation myths, and moral lessons. These epics, some requiring multiple nights to perform, featured heroes battling monsters, journeying to spirit realms, and defending their people. Skilled storytellers (ningmanchi) were highly respected community members who memorized thousands of verses and performed them in dramatic style. The Nanai also developed distinctive throat singing (dungushe) and musical traditions using the jaw harp (konggoroo) and various percussion instruments. Folk tales featured clever protagonists, animal spirits, and explanations for natural phenomena, transmitting cultural values and practical knowledge across generations.

Contemporary Challenges and Cultural Revival

Today's Nanai face significant challenges including language endangerment (only about 1,000 fluent speakers remain), economic disruption from industrial development, and environmental degradation of the Amur River from pollution and dams affecting fish populations. Traditional fishing faces restrictions and competition from commercial operations. Soviet-era policies disrupted traditional lifestyles through collectivization and boarding schools. However, cultural revival efforts are strengthening, including language documentation projects, fish-skin craft workshops, and festivals celebrating Nanai heritage. Museums in Russia and China display historical fish-skin garments and traditional crafts. Younger Nanai artists are adapting traditional motifs and techniques to contemporary contexts, ensuring cultural continuity while navigating modern challenges.