Seven Songs from the Tundra

00:00:01 INTERVIEWWITH DOMINIQUE SAMSON NORMAND DE CHAMBOURG

00:00:52 Her passport says she was born in Yar-sale

00:01:35 because it was all in Russian and she realised her language might be lost.

00:02:24 When she started school, all the children had to have their head shaved.

00:03:12 she found she could see again.

00:03:57 Before the revolution literature was oral.

00:04:50 The major milestones are the conquest of Siberia in the 16th century

00:05:41 because peasants and workers were all part of the grand plan

00:06:27 They worked during the day, but at night they had their rituals

00:07:27 which had a big impact on Nenets living in European Russia, West of the Urals.

00:08:24 They are born and they die through song.

00:09:05 the mother may say his face is like the sun.

00:09:50 You have the "sjudbabc", which are quite old songs

00:10:36 as if the hero himself were telling the tale.

00:11:22 It also shows their ability to adapt.

00:12:04 So an example of a riddle might be...

00:12:51 In this film, Anastasia...

00:13:40 There have been other films made in Europe and elsewhere

00:14:26 Then around the turn of the century the Soviets arrive.

00:15:11 It wasn't called a school, it was just an idea

00:15:55 Anna Nerkagui also donated a lot of her own time and money.

00:16:44 They have served as aide-memoires to some of the older people