BY MY REINDEER
A winter with the Tsaatans
Last March I discovered the harshness of winter in Mongolia. My step in this trip was on the one hand to testify of the living conditions in this season in this country, but even more to go to meet the last reindeer breeders of Mongolia, the Dukha, more commonly called the Tsaatan, - they are only about 250 individuals.
Just like the Evenes that I met a few years ago in Yakutia (Siberia), the Tsaatans live in the deep taiga, in the mountains, but also on the high plateaus, where the vegetation composed of lichen allows the herds to feed. It will take two days of driving to reach the camp from the colourful town of Moron. The meeting with this nomadic people, reindeer herders, was one of the most beautiful. The harshness of the winter contrasts magically with the warmth of these people.
Mongolia, March 2015
