March 17, 2021 AIVAN group enjoyed a wonderful presentation of Valentina Semyonovna Akimova on an ancient tradition of forest Yukagir people of pictograph writing on birch bark. Those are called шанган шорилэ (shangan shorile) and are translated as “writing on the skin of the tree.” The Yukaghir people are in two distinct groups:  the Tundra Yukaghir and the Forest Yukaghir. The Forest Yukaghir etched two types of birch bark pictographs: the “male” type depicted maps and navigation routes, while the “female” type depicted love letters and showed relationship dynamics. 

When in the late 19th century ethnographer Vladimir Il’ich Jochelson traveled to the Upper Kolyma River, he collected and brought back several Forest Yukaghir birch bark pictograph pieces with him to the American Museum of Natural History. Since then, the Yukaghir people have hardly any remaining historic pieces remaining locally. In the 1990’s a delegation of Yukaghir people traveled to the museum to see these pieces, motivating the revitalization of this pictograph practice.

Dr. Akimova explained the complex details within these pictographs, showing several examples of both the map and love-relation pictograph styles. The (male-type) maps demonstrate a wealth of detail about traditional subsistence activities. They depict the Upper Kolyma and nearby rivers, as well as navigational paths. Within the maps, numbers indicate how many days they spent traveling, while the moon phases may signify when the hunters will return. Some markings show the locations in the river that the Yukaghir fishermen went to fish. 

Then Dr. Akimova unraveled the multi-layered stories held within a few examples of the (female-type) love letter. Each person is depicted in a figure resembling a pointed tree; those with dotted braids are women. The styles of lines that connect one person to another show what type of relationship they have, while other markings detail the household a family lives in. Some pictographs tell intimate and dramatic stories of romance and love, and others reveal intricate community and familial relations. Although interpretations of some of the markings’ meanings cannot be thoroughly confirmed, there is no question that each pictograph tells a rich story.

Following Dr. Akimova’s talk, Tatiana Kozhevina (Saami, living in Lovozero) shared her own Saami renditions of birch bark and other organic fibers in traditional Saami art, such as woven plates, pouches, and tools. Tatiana Degai also shared some Itelmen examples of similar pieces crafted from birch. 

Finally, the group discussed how to pass on these traditional cultural practices to the youth. The group shared some concerns about the difficulty of revitalization, as the number of Elders dwindle, some youth have other interests, and often historic pieces like the traditional Yukaghir pictographs can only be found in the American museum. They all underscored the importance of continuing to revitalize these traditional artistic practices.

To see the full recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KE9XuZPRD0

As an informal example, here is a source which overviews some interpretations of one Love Letter (female-type) http://historyview.blogspot.com/2011/10/yukaghir-girl-writes-love-letter...

Valentina Semyonovna Akimova is from Yakutsk. She herself is a forest Yukagir knowledge holder and a professor at the North-Eastern Federal University named after M.K. Amossov, department of Global and National history, ethnology and archeology.