The Evenki are one of China’s least known minority peoples. Evenki (E-wen-ke in Chinese) means "people of the mountains and forests." Originally, they inhabited the dark forests on the shores of Lake Baikal in Siberia. But in the 18th century, as Tsarist Russia occupied the area, the Chinese Imperial government removed most of them to their present location in Inner Mongolia, to China’s northernmost tip.
Today there are 26,000 Evenki, of whom nearly 23,000 live in the Hulun Buir region of northern Inner Mongolia near the city of Hailar. There are also nearly 3,000 Evenki in neighboring Heilongjiang Province. The Evenki have their own language, which is sub-divided into three dialects: Tungus Evenki, Yakut Evenki and one other. However, they have no written language.
The Evenki are traditionally herdsmen and hunters. They live in an area of spectacular natural beauty, where the snow-capped peaks of the Xingan Mountains overlook six hundred lakes and vast areas of forest and pasture-lands. Already by the age of seven, both boys and girls are sent to help their parents look after the livestock, and they quickly become accomplished horsemen.
Evenki hunters search the forests for deer, bears, wild pigs and otters. Temperatures in January can fall to 30 below 0.
The traditional religion of the Evenki is shamanism, involving possession of mediums by spirits. The herdsmen worship the god "Jiyachi," while the hunters venerate the gods of the mountains and of fire. The bear is held in awe as a totem and a creature around which various taboos have grown by long custom. The shamans themselves hold a high position in society. Some Evenki have become Lama Buddhists, probably through Mongol influence. There are several hundred Evenki who are Russian Orthodox.
Christians
Today few Evenki have the opportunity to hear the gospel. Some of them speak and read Russian or Mongolian and are able to read the Bible in those languages, or in Chinese. Across the border in Russia a tape of Bible stories and a Bible storybook have been completed in one of the Evenki dialects, using Russian Cyrillic script.
Will you pray for the spread of the gospel among this remote people?