Environment and the Survival of Small Ethnic Groups: The Transformation of Ewenki Culture

Author: He Qun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: In the late 19th century and after the early 20th century, small ethnic groups distributed in some regions of the world faced the impact of modernization. Their traditional culture and way of life were left with very little, or even entire groups faced extinction. Why did they end up in such a situation today? What will their future hold? These have been long-standing research questions in the field of anthropology. Drawing on past research literature and combining his own field investigations, the author believes that the traditional culture of small ethnic groups living around the world, including the Ewenki people, is a product of adapting to the historical natural and sociocultural environments around them. Due to the unique single environment, they formed a distinct culture. In the face of the advancement of modernization and rapid environmental changes, the simplicity of traditional culture has constrained the ability of small ethnic groups to adapt to new environments. Therefore, the survival issue of small ethnic groups is, in essence, the relationship between simple culture and drastically changing environments. Based on these reflections, this study has two objectives: First, based on ethnographic data, it explores the relationship between environmental changes in the Ewenki people's habitat and their survival and development. Second, through this case study, it summarizes the theoretical relationship between the survival, development, and environment of small ethnic groups.