Tofalar


The Tofalar or Tofa people, are a Turkic people in the Irkutsk Oblast in Russia. Their ethnonym contains the Turkic plural suffix -lar, thus it means "Tofas". Their origins, Tofa language and culture are close to those of the eastern Tuvans-Todzhins. Before the 1917 October Revolution, the Tofalar used to be engaged in nomadic, living in the taiga; they engaged in reindeer husbandry and hunting. The Tofalar were resettled by the Soviet government by 1932. Young Tofas learned Russian at new Soviet-built schools, while cultural traditions such as hunting and shamanism were discouraged or prohibited. According to the 2010 census, there were 762 Tofas in Russia.

History

Tofa people originated from the intermingling of various clans of Turkic, Mongolic, Yeniseian and Samoyedic origins. The original home of the Tofalar was on the slopes of the Sayan Mountains but they moved to their present location during the 17th century. With the Russian advance to this region in the 18th and 19th centuries, Tofas adopted many aspects of Russian culture, religion, and language. The modern Tofalar are in danger of being assimilated by the Russians. They currently reside in Nizhneudinsky District within Irkutsk Oblast.

Culture

Tofas used to be nomadic. Their economy included raising reindeer, trapping and hunting. Shamanism was vastly important to traditional Tofa culture and spirituality. Most Tofas are now settled.