Negidals

Negidals

Regions with significant populations
Russia	513[1]
Ukraine	52[2]
Languages
Negidal language
Religion
shamanism
Related ethnic groups
Nivkhs, Nanais, and Ulchs

Negidals (негидальцы in Russian; self designation: элькан бэйэнин, or elkan bayenin meaning "local people." The ethnonym Negidal is a Russification of the Ewenki term ngegida, which means "coastal people.") are a people in the Khabarovsk Krai in Russia, who live along the Amgun River and Amur River. Their language belongs to the Tungusic language family and is very close to the Evenk language. The Negidals are Evenks by origin, who settled along the Amgun and interbred with the Nivkhs, Nanais, and Ulchs. They are officially considered Orthodox Christians, but preserved their own animistic beliefs and shamanism. According to the 2002 census, there were 567 Negidals in Russia, 147 of which still spoke Negidal language. According to the 2010 census there were 513 Negidals in Russia, 75 of which still spoke Negidal language.

52 Negidals live in Ukraine. Of these, 31 declared Negidal as their native language, 11 are Russian speaking and for 9 the mother tongue is some other language.^[2]

History of the Priamurye region (also including Heilongjiang, Amur Oblast and southern part of Khabarovsk Krai)
Sushen
Mohe • Shiwei
Balhae
Khitan
Liao dynasty • Daurs
Jin dynasty (1115–1234) • Nivkh
Eastern Jin (1215–1234)
Yuan dynasty • Evenks
Yeren Jurchens • Solon Khanate
Qing dynasty • Nanais • Ulchs
Russian Exploration • Negidals
Manchus–Cossacks wars (1652–1689)
Nerchinsk
Government-General of Eastern Siberia
Aigun
Li–Lobanov Treaty
Siberian Regional Government
Far Eastern Republic
Far Eastern Oblast
Soviet invasion of Manchuria (1945)
Sino-Soviet border conflict
Far Eastern Federal District

References

1. Russian Census 2010: Population by ethnicity (Russian)
2. State statistics committee of Ukraine - National composition of population, 2001 census (Ukrainian)