The Koryak

The Koryak are typically split into two groups. The coastal people are called Nemelan (or Nymylan) meaning 'village dwellers', due to their living in villages. Their lifestyle is based on local fishing and marine mammal hunting. The inland Koryak, reindeer herders, are called Chaucu (or Chauchuven), meaning 'rich in reindeer'. They are more nomadic, following the herds as they graze with the seasons. As one Koryak put it: "without deer, we are not people. Without deer, there is nothing."

The lives of the people in the interior revolve around reindeer, their main source of food. They also used all the parts of its body to make sewing materials and clothing, tools and weapons. The liver, heart, kidneys and tongue are considered delicacies. Salmon and other freshwater fish as well as berries and roots play a major part in the diet, especially for providing key vitamins and nutrients. In autumn, berries are also available and often accompany fish dishes.

The Koryak also use reindeer for transportation, attaching them to sleds to transport goods and people when moving camp.They also developed snowshoes to more easily walk through deep snow. From a young age, children learn to ride a reindeer, sleigh, and use snowshoes, and they are trained to be skilled seafarers. In their leisure time, the Koryak enjoy traditional dances that are connected to the movements of animals.

Families usually gathered into groups of six or seven (six or seven families, that is), forming bands. There is a chief in name, but he does not have total authority. Instead, groups rely on consensus to make decisions, resembling common small group egalitarianism.

They live in dome shaped tents called jajanga, or yaranga, similar to a tipi of the American Plains Indians, but less vertical. Some live in yurts (which is what the Mongols of Mongolia also traditionally live in). The framework is covered in many reindeer skins. Few families still use the yaranga as dwellings, but some use them for trips to the tundra. The centre of the yaranga had a hearth (an area for fires and cooking).

Men typically hunt while women maintain homesteads, cook, and sew. Women are particularly known for their sewing skills, and both men and women are considered equal in their contributions to the group.

Koryaks believe in a Supreme Being whom they call by various names: ŋajŋənen (Universe/World), ineɣitelʔən (Supervisor), ɣət͡ɕɣoletənvəlʔən (Master-of-the-Upper-World), ɣət͡ɕɣolʔən (One-on-High), etc. He is considered to reside in Heaven with his family and when he wishes to punish mankind for immoral acts, he falls asleep and thus leaves man vulnerable to unsuccessful hunting and other ills. Koryak mythology centers on the supernatural shaman Quikil (Big-Raven), who was created by the Supreme Being as the first man and protector of the Koryak. There is also a story about how Big-Raven turned himself into a woman by cutting off his penis in order to use it as a needle case (he then used his testicles as a thimble). The story highlights the importance of adaptability and balance between men and women.

Celebrations of the Coastal Koryak were usually connected with the harvest of sea mammals. For example, Memylangyt is a celebration of the bearded seal. Coastal people also made sacrificial offerings to deities who had powers over a person’s health, the family’s well-being, and the success of hunting.