The Reindeer People

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

There's no mention of Rudolph but the story in interesting nonetheless.

From MSNBC...

Bayanjargal is one of the remaining 500-odd Tsaatan, or "reindeer" people – half of whom still live in Mongolia’s Hovsgol Province. Originally from Siberia, the Tsaatan are a Turkic people who make up the nation’s smallest ethnic minority. Their native tongue is Tuvan, and they practice shamanism, not Buddhism.

For thousands of years, these nomadic herders have survived the damp climate of the forested mountains, moving their families, tepees, animals and a few worldly possessions anywhere from five to ten times a year. They have always lived in the forests of the taiga – the only environment in which their reindeer can survive.

On the edge of subsistence living, the Tsaatan rely on the reindeer for all their basic needs – the milk, which is also used to make cheese (it tastes, by the way, like a very sharp Parmesan); the antlers, which they use to make tools; and transport. Unlike similar reindeer herding communities in Siberia itself or Scandinavia, however, they usually do not eat reindeer meat, instead relying on wild game such as elk, moose, or boar.

"The reindeer is the most important thing in our lives," said Ganbat, a community leader. "If there were no reindeer, we would not exist."