|
A Koryak reindeer herder teaches his son to use the lasso. The
Koryaks, one of several indigenous groups in Kamchatka, live on the
tundra in the northern part of the peninsula. They follow their
reindeer herds, which move periodically to seek fresh supplies of
the reindeer moss that is their principal fodder. The lasso is the
Koryak's single most important tool, used from on foot to capture
individual deer. This requires skill and teamwork, as one person can
only slow down the animal after lassoing its horns; others must then
lasso its feet by laying a loop where the animal will step. Horns
like the rack seen in this photo are sawn off of rutting bulls to
protect the reindeer from hurting one another during the rutting
season. The horns are eventually sold, ground up, and sold again as
aphrodisiacs.
|
|