Mongolia reindeer herders threatened by modern world

By Luke Distelhorst

KHOVSGOL LAKE, Mongolia (Reuters) - North of nowhere and high above the pristine, alpine Khovsgol Lake in the forests of northern Mongolia, the Gansukh family sits in their teepee home while their reindeer graze outside.

These members of the Tsaatan, or reindeer herder, tribes are nomads. But as development creeps in even here, leaders say they know they may be the last generation of Mongolia's nomadic reindeer herders.

"Of my four sons, two will learn to herd reindeer," said Gansukh. "But my other two sons must go to school, be educated and can live in the big city. This is a developing world," he said, his thin mustache stained with the residue of his tea.

A tiny ethnic minority, the Tsaatan live far from the rolling grassy steppes that characterize Mongolia.

Surrounded by 3,000-meter peaks, dense forests and pristine lakes, the scenery closely resembles Siberia, just over the border to the north.

The Tsaatan share little with other Mongolians. They herd reindeer instead of traditional livestock and adhere to shamanism instead of the more widely practiced Buddhism.

PRESSURE FOR DEVELOPMENT

High in the country's northern reaches, many tribe members are also cut off from Mongolia's rapid development.

But pressure for development is strong as Mongolia's 17-year-old democracy tries to diversify away from livestock and mining and bolster an economy that nearly collapsed with the fall of its old overlord, the Soviet Union.

Some Tsaatan say they are being forced to turn to more developed areas of the country for sources of income in the absence of any assistance projects that allow them to maintain their cultural heritage.

South of Khovsgol Lake in Khatgal, a provincial center of 5,000, some residents are welcoming technological advancements.

At the local hospital, a solar panel is a symbol of development in the remote area.

"Otherwise we wouldn't have power," one of the hospital's doctors said. A few years ago the hospital had little equipment and no electricity.

Rather than resent the intrusion of modernity into their lives, some tribe members are clamoring for more technology.

"We don't have any computers or anything to train the children for the necessary skills of the new century," said Bolormaa, a teacher at Khatgal's secondary school.