Revisiting the Herd at the End of the World: Christine Amour Levar's Journey With the Nenet Reindeer Herders of Siberia
12/25/23 • 48 min
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It's hard to imagine Christmas without reindeer. But long before the beloved antlered animals were pulling Santa's sleigh, they were providing a way of life for indigenous peoples around the world, including the Nenets of Siberia’s Yamal Peninsula.
The Nenets of Siberia’s Yamal Peninsula are among the world’s oldest existing true nomads, making a living by herding reindeer in a place that literally translates to ‘the end of the world.’ And when Christine Amour-Levar learned that she had a third-degree connection to the tribe, she set about arranging an unprecedented trek to accompany them during their southward migration. Five months later, she was leading the largest - and only all-female - group that the Nenets had ever hosted, as they prepared to live, migrate, and journey alongside the tribe for a week.
Cozy up and get ready for an episode that celebrates this traditional symbol of the holidays in a decidedly non-traditional way...even including the occasional consumption of fresh reindeer blood.
FIND CHRISTINE
Follow Christine Amour-Levar on Instagram (@christineamourlevar) or visit her website at christineamourlevar.com for more incredible stories, photos of her expeditions, and more. You can also find her book, Wild Wisdom: Life Lessons From Leading Teams to Some of the Most Inhospitable Places in the World, online or at your local bookstore. Finally, we encourage you to learn more about her two nonprofit organizations, Women on a Mission and HER Planet Earth, where you can volunteer, donate - or even sign up for an upcoming expedition yourself!
SOCIAL
Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website at APTpodcaststudios.com.
CREDITS
This episode was produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at armchair-productions.com. Jenny Allison wrote and produced this episode, along with host and producer Aaron Millar. Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Theme music written by the artist Sweet Chap.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's hard to imagine Christmas without reindeer. But long before the beloved antlered animals were pulling Santa's sleigh, they were providing a way of life for indigenous peoples around the world, including the Nenets of Siberia’s Yamal Peninsula.
The Nenets of Siberia’s Yamal Peninsula are among the world’s oldest existing true nomads, making a living by herding reindeer in a place that literally translates to ‘the end of the world.’ And when Christine Amour-Levar learned that she had a third-degree connection to the tribe, she set about arranging an unprecedented trek to accompany them during their southward migration. Five months later, she was leading the largest - and only all-female - group that the Nenets had ever hosted, as they prepared to live, migrate, and journey alongside the tribe for a week.
Cozy up and get ready for an episode that celebrates this traditional symbol of the holidays in a decidedly non-traditional way...even including the occasional consumption of fresh reindeer blood.
FIND CHRISTINE
Follow Christine Amour-Levar on Instagram (@christineamourlevar) or visit her website at christineamourlevar.com for more incredible stories, photos of her expeditions, and more. You can also find her book, Wild Wisdom: Life Lessons From Leading Teams to Some of the Most Inhospitable Places in the World, online or at your local bookstore. Finally, we encourage you to learn more about her two nonprofit organizations, Women on a Mission and HER Planet Earth, where you can volunteer, donate - or even sign up for an upcoming expedition yourself!
SOCIAL
Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website at APTpodcaststudios.com.
CREDITS
This episode was produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at armchair-productions.com. Jenny Allison wrote and produced this episode, along with host and producer Aaron Millar. Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Theme music written by the artist Sweet Chap.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Previous Episode
Bicycles, Bad Violin Playing, and Blank Maps: Redefining Adventure With Alastair Humphreys
When Alastair Humphreys was young, he craved something unknowable.
That something - adventure, excitement, wisdom, whatever it was - was close. But he suspected that in order to find it, he'd have to step outside of the familiar shapes of his routines. He'd have to break free from the expectations of his friends and family, of advanced degrees and office jobs and apartment living.
In his search for something, he moved to a rural village in Africa at 18. And after university, he cycled across 6 continents and pedaled the circumference of the globe. But he still hadn't quite found that something - and his quest for it would reveal a truth that would change everything.
Whether you're looking for an epic saga about a cross-continental bike trip or the wildest story about playing the violin you've ever heard, you're going to enjoy this episode about the many types of adventure that exist, how we can have them, and why we need them.
FIND ALASTAIR
Learn more about Alastair, his adventures, and his books at his website, AlastairHumphreys.com, or follow him on Instagram @Al_Humphreys. Find his latest book, Local, wherever books are sold (though we recommend ordering from your local bookshop!).
SOCIAL
Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website at APTpodcaststudios.com.
CREDITS
This episode was produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at armchair-productions.com. Jenny Allison wrote and produced this episode, along with host and producer Aaron Millar. Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Theme music written by the artist Sweet Chap.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Next Episode
SPECIAL EPISODE: Surviving Thailand's 2004 Tsunami with Aaron Millar (Adventure Sports Podcast)
Today's episode is a little bit different - because our very own Aaron Millar is our guest! This re-released episode is one of the most memorable conversations he's ever had, and we're very excited to share it with you.
In this interview, which originally aired with the Adventure Sports Podcast in 2020, Aaron shares stories from his years as a travel writer - from doing a ridiculous 100-mile pub crawl in Britain to trekking with Shugendo monks in Japan. He also shares a never-before-shared story about surviving Thailand's devastating 2004 tsunami, which you won't want to miss.
If you've always been curious to learn more about the man behind the show, sit back and get ready for a conversation that is at times silly, at times sentimental, and at all times thoughtful.
FIND MASON AND THE ADVENTURE SPORTS PODCAST
Listen to the Adventure Sports Podcast everywhere you can find podcasts, or learn more on their website AdventureSportsPodcast.com. You can also find Mason on Instagram @alive_adventures.
SOCIAL
Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website at APTpodcaststudios.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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