Taigana: The Last Reindeer People in Mongolia

A film by Dino de Toffol & David Bellatalla

This fascinating film depicts the Taigana, an unusual tribe of nomads living in the mountainous Hovsgol region of Mongolia, near the Siberian border. Nomadism has deep spiritual meaning for the Taigana; their annual migration represents the cyclical nature of life to them and has profound sacred meanings. All their activities are dictated by the world of the spirits. They believe the valleys and mountains are inhabited by their forefathers and by the Supreme Divinity.

The Taigana are entirely dependent on their reindeer. They use the sturdy animals to move along the same paths their ancestors did for hundreds of years. Each family owns ten to seventy reindeer which provide most of the diet of the Taigana. The meat is dried and preserved while the milk is used for drinking and making cheese. The skin is utilized to make clothing for the extremely cold winter.

Unfortunately, in the mid-nineties the Mongolian government restricted theTaigana's movements with disastrous consequences. The tribe had to remain too long in their camps. As a result, reindeer waste increased, many reindeer sickened and died and forty per cent of the tribe contracted gastroenterological illness and diseases of the joints. The tribe wrote a desperate letter to international aid organizations protesting their conditions and help was sent by International Crossroads and the Mongolian Red Cross. Their struggles continue to this day.

17 min. Sale $195. Video rental $55.