The self-designation of the people living on the River Amur is Nivkh and on the Sakhalin Island, it is N’ivhgn-N’igvn, which means “man”. In older literature, they are known as Gilyak, the name given them by their neighbors, the Manchus. Various Nivkh tribes also named themselves according to the area in which they settled. In 1930 Soviet national policy was drafted to call ethnic groups by their self- designations, and the name Nivkh was officially adopted in Russia. They practice Orthodox Christianity along with a strong traditional Shamanist religion.
The earliest historical data concerning the Nivkh (Gilyak) date back to a 12th century Chinese chronicle. The people called Tszi-lya-mi on the Lower Amur mentioned in the chronicle were likely the Nivkh.
Nivkhs lived in the Far East on the Lower Amur, on the coast of the Ohkotsk Sea on the river’s estuary and on Sakhalin Island. In the administrative sense, they belonged to the Khobrovsk district of the Russian Federation and Sakhalin region. In the past, their habitats were more widespread. The Nivkh population, however, is no longer compact. They now live side by side with Russians or the Negidal people. A monsoon climate exists on these low lands of the Lower Amur. There is abundant snow in the winter, but the summers are warm and humid.
The population of the Nivkh appears to have stayed relatively steady. In 1897 4,549 Nivkhs were reported, and the number stayed consistent until 1989 when 4,673 were counted. Although the number of Nivkh has remained stable, the number of native speakers has diminished drastically from 99.6% in 1926 to 23.3% in 1989.
The Nivhks belong to the Sakhalin-Amur subgroup of the Mongoloid racial type. They are of short status, have flat broad faces, a snub nose and thick lips. Unlike Mongoloid people, they have relatively dark skin, dark eyes and dark hair.
The Nivkh language belongs to the Paleo-Asian language as a separate unit, and is still regarded as unconnected to another group or sub-group. The Nivkh language shares some similarities to the Chukchi-Kamchatkan and Altai languages, and some scholars believe it is also similar to the languages of the North American Indians. There are three different dialects that can be distinguished in the Nivkh language; Amur, East Sakhalin and North Sakhalin.
The Amur and the East Sakhalin dialects contain some important differences in phonetics, grammar and vocabulary. Therefore, these dialects are considered to be two different languages. The North Sakhalin dialect is classified somewhere in between the other two. In that part of life central to the Nivkhs existence such as nature, the sea, weather, fishing and hunting, their language is rich in native stock. However in the area connected to newer occupations, their vocabulary is full of obvious loans from the Russian language.
The Nivkh are considered to be the oldest Neolithic descendants of the Lower Amur and Sakhalin Island. They retained their independence from the state of China and Manchu, but retained trade and cultural relations. Though living within the sphere of influence of China, the 17th and 18th century Russian expeditions did not end in annexation of the Amur region of Russia. The authority of the Russian Emperor was made evident in the Nivkh after 1858 Aikhun and 1860 Peking treaties when the entire Amur and Ussur region fell to the Russians. The Nivkh have always interacted and traded with neighboring people. Important Chinese and Manchu influences are manifested in the Nivkh culture. On the Sakhalin Island, some Ainu and Japanese influence also can be seen. In the 20th century, the Russian influence increased considerably.
Nivkh were skilled woodworkers, using imported Chinese and Japanese carving tools. They were also metalworkers, shaping very elaborate inlaid weapons and making armor from scraps of iron obtained through trade. Their ceremonial clothing included elaborately embroidered robes made of Chinese silk. Their usual garments had wide wrap-over flaps. From the beginning of the 20th century, men’s winter garments were made of velvet and dog’s fur. Original hunting garments were made from seal fur. Footwear was made of seal fur and the fur of sea lions because of their durability and water-resistance.
The Soviet regime brought about substantial change to the Nivkh way of life. The first major change came in the forced mass collectivism in 1930. The system of summer and winter settlements, developed to take full advantage of the benefits of local resources was abandoned. By deliberate manipulation of the system of wages and salaries, the Nivkh were forced to leave the sea and become lumbermen or agricultural laborers. Because of their native beliefs that hurting the earth was a sin, Nivkh fishermen resisted to collectivization and resettlement.
Next, the Russians began the forcible merging of smaller settlements into larger ones. This took place during the 1950s and 1960s. In the year 2000, Nivkh live in villages and towns of mixed population, in Russian type dwellings. They wear ready-made clothes, eat food brought in shops, and communicate in Russian. Only a handful of anthropological factors have avoided being totally assimilated.
Author: Elizabeth Bassett
“Culture: Nivkh (Gilyak)” https://www.amnh.org/Exhibition/Jesup/G12.html 7 June, 2000.
“NUPI Center for Russian Studies” 7 June, 2000. https://www.nupi.no/cgi-win/Russland/etnisk_b.exe/Nivkhi 7 June, 2000.
“The Nivkh” 20 August, 1993. https://www.eki.ee/books/redbook/nivkhs.shtml 7 June, 2000.