Selkup

The Selkup people are a small ethnic group who live in the North of Siberia. They have their own language which is called Selkup. The Selkup language is a member of the Uralic language family. It is closely related to the languages of the Sami people, such as Finnish and Norwegian. The Selkup language is endangered, with only around 500 speakers remaining. Most Selkups now use Russian as their first language. However, there are efforts to revive the Selkup language and culture. In 2009, a Selkup alphabet was created, and there are now Selkup language classes taught in some schools in Siberia. The Selkup language has a rich oral tradition. Selkup myths and stories are often about the natural world, such as the story of the Sun and the Moon. Selkups also have their own form of shamanism, and shamans play an important role in Selkup culture. If you are interested in learning more about the Selkup language and culture, there are some great resources available online. The Selkup Heritage Foundation website has a lot of information about Selkup history and culture, and you can also find Selkup language lessons on YouTube.