Maritime Chukchi

The Maritime Chukchi are a subgroup of the Chukchi people who inhabit the Arctic and Bering coasts of the Chukotskiy autonomous okrug in northeastern Siberia, Russia. They are linguistically and culturally related to the Koryak and Itelmen peoples.1

Their traditional subsistence relied on hunting marine mammals, primarily walrus, seals, and whales, as well as fishing. They lived in fixed villages with semisubterranean houses. The basic socioeconomic unit for the maritime Chukchi was the boat team, composed of several related families, sometimes including neighbors. Their religion involved a belief in invisible spirits and included sacrifices and shamanist ceremonies for divination and healing. After the Russian Revolution, the Chukchi were settled on collective farms.1