Itelmens

The Itelmens (Itelmen: Итәнмән, Russian: Ительмены) are a native population of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. Itelmen call themselves itenme'n-itelmen, which means "an inhabitant of dry land", or "a human being." They are also called Kamchadal. They are related to the Chukchi and Koryak peoples.

 Language 
Itelmen spoke the Itelmen language. It is a Chukotsko-Kamchatsky language. As of 2016, there are only about 5 native speakers of the language alive, and it is an endangered language. Most Itelmen now speak Russian. There have been efforts to bring the language back since the 1980s.

 Pre-contact life 
Kamchadal is the general term for the native peoples of Kamchatka Krai. This includes the Itelmen. Itelmen were called Kamchadals by Russian settlers until 1927. They were fishermen and fur hunters. They were also herbalists, which means they used plants like herbs as medicine.

 Russian contact 
Itelmens were being converted to Christians as early as the 1730s.

The population of the native peoples of Kamchatka declined from 1769-1770. There were hundreds of Itelmen settlements in the 18th century, but there were only seven Itelmen-speaking villages by the 20th century. Russian became the main language, and Russians spread diseases to the Itelmen, like smallpox. They also suffered from famine.

Kamchadal people suffered from Russian rule. Cossacks kept Itelmen as slaves. Some Itelmen who fought against the Russians were deported, or had their tribes separated.

 Related pages 

 Indigenous peoples
 Kamchatka Peninsula
 Cossacks
 Colonialism

 References 

 Other websites 

 Endangered Languages Archive: Itelmen Collection

Category:Ethnic groups in Siberia