Kate Humble: Living with Nomads (Mongolia - Full Documentary) | TRACKS

I have always been fascinated by

nomads

in constant movement, surviving in some of the most remote places in the world, I was a family of movers and

living

side by side with nature, it always seemed like a tremendously romantic existence to me, it is the most magical place, but is not easy. Life makes you feel physically sick and in today's modern world you are under increasing pressure. I am going to live with three groups of

nomads

in Siberia, Nepal namaste and now Mongolia. Sam Bellow with a family of pastors who are adapting to the 21st century.

Deep in the Gobi Desert, clearly this is a way of life that is very, very valuable, but life here is still dominated by the power of nature and the constant storms and predators, they are a nomadic way of life. I can't send you and say "no." I won't kill that wolf, it's not my place for the wild, untamed Mongolian goby, it's the biggest desert in Asia, it just seems like the most desolate, empty kind of landscape and the idea of ​​

living

here and making a living here is difficult. to imagine, but it has been my home. to nomadic families for centuries.

I'm on my way to stay with one of them. I think it will be really eye-opening to discover this partnership between them and their livestock and this landscape that has allowed them to thrive for so long. But Mongolia's nomads have had a checkered history: in 1924, the country fell under communist rule for almost 70 years, nomadism was banned and herds were collectivized, but with the arrival of democracy in the 1990s, a An incredible third of Mongolia's population chose to return to their nomadic roots. Today, 30% of Mongolians are believed to be nomads, but once again their way of life is threatened.

The country is undergoing an economic boom fueled by mining. It is tempting nomads towards a more prosperous and sedentary way of life There is something very romantic about the idea of ​​nomadism It is often not romantic when we see the reality of it It is often an incredibly hard life It is a six hundred kilometer journey from Ulaanbaatar Mongolia 'he is the capital to the southern half of the vast gobi desert and deep into the mountain range of the three beauties i want to know what keeps the nomads here the family i stay with moves four times a year with the seasons at two thousand five hundred meters above sea level this is your spring camp Sam Ben oh I'm Kate Kate hi no no and he's shy shy thank you for inviting me to stay with your family let the thing go second bite you ate an otter Jim is 78 years old and he's head From a large family, she has ten children with whom her youngest daughter or Dena lives and I can take a look, can you show me around?

He is doing well, he is married to Sarah Cove and the trimmers' youngest son, Bat Sock, stays with them to help with the busy cashmere wool harvest. The family owned an impressive 200 goats and one hundred and fifty sheep. and over a hundred yaks and horses, so these cashmere goat bats were or are hungry, you can see they are some ugly black, brown and white dots on the hillside, ah, tits, John, and those are all the adults that come cute so all these little ones are going to get food in a metaphor so we have become very loud animals are like the family bank account their meat and milk provide food and their wool and income in Mongolia are key to success o the nomadic failure English nationals I have to do it I lose bullion on that angle bus Chunhua Betty are there many wolves in this area?

Yes, yes, I don't allow goats in the house anymore. I may have to make an exception. They all live in this community store known as the Gare. It's your kitchen, living room and bedroom, this has always been your home, you know, cruelty made a bit of millions of videos that we reviewed our Johanna, we had our own order in Augusta, Georgia, so the dog touches the madness from our wooden dog, Jim, grew up. He grew up during the communist era working on a state farm with her husband, who died two years ago, his return to nomadism in the 1990s revived a long heritage and he proudly displays his family heirlooms on the station roof .

No, he's in Hawaiian Batoche. In fact, I did. Google controlled in my honor oh you are going to go it is beautiful Oh God our strategy you a Tome is not instructed in three well this is my wedding ring this ring belonged to my husband's grandmother and inside is engraved the word twelfth and she was Me I got married on September 12, my parents also got married on September 12 and my husband and I got married on September 12, so three generations got married on the same day, so it's very special, even Tina, the United Kingdom, English life is fragile.

Here in Gobi it is vital to keep your animals safe, especially at this time with newborns like this beautiful two day old foal on the first of the year. If those family heirlooms remind you of your past, this new foal is a potent symbol of your future, the most magical place, the film crew and I are camping a few hundred meters from the family in the valley. Clearly, this is a very valuable way of life and they are here with dignity, not living in abject poverty. it just seems to be a lot of good, I think pride is the only word I can think of really in the way they live this life, instant sex, first morning, waking up in the Gobi, not so solid their shelter.

I didn't even wash my face for you. I'm really sorry I met the family yesterday, which is always quite stressful because it's a big leap, you just walk into their lives and hope they accept you and like a big ask. but it was just a lovely lovely start every morning begins by gathering the animals the relationship between man and beast is the basis of nomadism and goes back millennia yes you, but shy in your family, enjoy some of the modern comforts of life, and what do you do? Listen in Gaza mm-hmm OMG, absolute result. Adult goats and sheep are separated from their offspring so they can graze in the surrounding mountains.

The 4x4 was perfect for fetching water, but to follow the herd, nothing beats a horse. This is the most extraordinary saddle. I feel very perched, very upright and quite graceful, but only when I'm still, so you want me to keep the range short, okay, yes, and with my feet forward, if I can walk at the end of today, it will be a miracle, okay , the Mongols. Famous for their horsemanship and the order in which they ride most of the lands from the age of four back in the 12th century, it was the power of horses that helped Mongol warlord Genghis Khan create one of the greatest empires the world has ever known.

Yama Yama won today we are using horses to help guard the livestock and protect them from predators foxes wolves and snow leopards that roam these gloomy mountains so yes mom it is a goat so what is Yama , yes, mom, so we have been teaching each other and yes? I had a little language lesson. Practically a local, he knows how to spend much of the day observing the flock, but also finds time to sew. you, Michael, actually, in my husband, he is better than me, he is good, he has a sewing machine, so is it always your job to go out with the sheep through how did you do it today?

Donna, you've changed. I haven't met your son yet, doesn't he live with him? you and the timid mana, who do you go with the ending? Anton, so what did mana do? Who are Tauron? They are going to drink mhm, so watch them on their exact path. Manama Alcoholic Beverages Ordinance. Children aged 15 and 13 only return home during holidays and for special occasions. Did you do the same? They are hooked on the 800 which is a puppet. That's how you do it. Under the former communist system, a strict educational policy helped achieve one of the highest literacy rates in the world and continues today, but to get an education, children still must. they go to local towns and cities and as those cities grow the young people are attracted to the modern world and away from their nomadic culture tora tora tora karate and new kids or now they will be nomads, yes, it could stay or be serious or it that they are not starts servile and hostile to a thinner is called a misogynist did what you read in the Sudanese mother mentality ago not today you do not do it Jabar would resist the poverty of Jerusha but two or three to attack us I guess what I am gradually choosing this way of life is, you know or you deny when to go to school, but she chose to live this life, you know, no one stops anyone from progressing, but I think they are aware that their knowledge is significant, but it allows them to survive and allows them to live . a life they choose they want to live this life they have the option to be somewhere else and yet they want to be here today is a great occasion on the nomadic calendar all the shy sons, daughters and grandchildren have gathered together every year the family comes together to castrate the young male like this, yes, the Orisha turns to me, the order would still be just a movie, okay, yes, now I come as if it were you first, it is the young stallions, often your whole family gathers, When do you see everyone I've seen next?

If you ate them all quietly on modern wages on Saturday, incessantly chop the lady next to the goats and lambs. All the smoke around here, as far as I can understand, is almost like some kind of healing smoke. Part again, it is a very important part of this ceremony. It's much easier than a horse with a quick blessing. The Lambs released him. It may seem harsh, but let the Sox do it with true respect for their animals. It is a rite of passage. Think of it that way. Iron-rich testicles are believed to be healthy. giving properties, but the real pleasure is boiling them in salted water with yellow rice to make a delicious soup.

There is a lot here. I think I have more than my share, hundreds. Oh God, then do that. It's really okay, now that you've done it, I'm going to have to do it. Mine is bigger than yours. This one is like that. Do not make me laugh. It will be a disaster. Okay, ready. In fact, it's pretty good. It's not happy at all. It is very smooth and quite delicious. My God. my poor little lambs at home no no no what they must be everyone else's today I'm going 15 kilometers down the valley to visit Auden's sister Suren, she and her husband, single, are still in their winter quarters in a sheltered place on the edge of the mountains tomorrow they will move to their spring camp like most of the nomads in the Gobi.

The serene and singles move to the same spring camp every year. It's deep in the mountains and right now it should be

full

of fresh grass everywhere, it must be pretty tough. herding them around here it seems like they can go straight to the mountains with a busy day ahead everyone is lending a hand mister brother in law mister ago brought his truck beautiful soccer ball washing machine left to answer the gars in a surprising way simple structure with a canvas exterior to protect against wind and rain, a warm sheep's wool lining and a wooden frame to hold it all, isn't it funny?

Men always have to pack the car at the end of the truck. They are the youngest animals and I can't make the arduous journey on foot. There is something charming about that ability to be able to pick up sticks and go whenever you feel like it as long as it is dog or horse day. I think it takes less than four hours to pack everything up. Suren and the bachelors home would once have been carried through the mountains by a herd of yaks. Today everything fits in Sarah's truck, but her most valuable possession, the Hubbard, is still driven on horseback in the traditional way.

This is a wonderful experience. but it was not this romantic vision that made so many nomads return to this way of life after the collapse of communism in the 1990s. High inflation and food shortages made life in cities and settlements unbearable, so Families like the Syrian one chose to return to nomadism in the desert after four hours of constantly climbing uphill, finally fresh mountain pastures, it has been a long day, the 10 kilometer trip through the mountains to reach the spring camp. eight gars like this are found throughout Asia, it faces south so it receives the heat of the sun and is away from the prevailing bad weather AG air is often given to a young couple when they get married and they will wear it for the rest of your life are you happy with your new home with your new perfect place mm-hmm the delicious Russian I can, I can live with this view.

I have to say it's pretty special, it really is ah, what they have for sale, it's all placed in a floating world through Souls and a fish the next day, back at Jim Edd's, they're sad. news under the cover of darkness the wolves have killed the beautiful young colt do you lose a lot of your livestock to the wolves? Today it was his mother who did it, who in the past had hundreds of knowledgeable artists. I am from John Brennan, we are the ones you must enter, but they are the monastery to mortally hinder this amazing genius who directs the dessert if you find where the wolf is what would you do there are the unintelligible is a relative for nothing my children or who would simply inherit greater solute in Chilean education but that sock also believes that predators bring some benefits Chandler had no method it was a cigarette to reject this deterioration without lookingto beat other channels we Jerry Marotta was still thinking about the times of the past I don't know what I would do if I was in his situation I just don't know he is the one who lives here he is the one who is killing the cattle I can't I can't stay here and say no kill that wolf it's not my place in Jimmy's eldest daughters' camp it's Just 500 meters down the valley is Agha has asked me to help him comb his cashmere goats after China Mongolia is the world's largest producer of cashmere .

It comes from grooming the goats' winter hair. The nomads liked the cigarette. It is an important commercial crop. do this once a year

full

of raw Kashmir sells for around 70 thousand to the Greeks or 25 pounds with his herd of 250 goats Sitz happens can earn up to four thousand five hundred pounds one year, a few more days you will have to do this to me in the hair as best we can goats the weather outside changes during spring in the Gobi The Mongolians talk about happy seasons in one day going from a blue sky to a blizzard in minutes, but these blizzards are nothing compared to the harsh winters , when fierce storms known as suits often devastate and decimate flocks.

In 2010, a severe storm is estimated to have killed a staggering eight and a half million animals. Thousands of herding families were forced to abandon their way of life. life sits you can make good money from your cashmere, but one bad winter could doom you. Do you hope this way of life continues? tell each other for the generation of your grandchildren what would be hundreds of things about it visual lady lady sarah Martin various installations teacher I have a star, I look at how to develop it and I worry about your daughter, guide the bachata, our mother monitor, well, this is the sight that greeted me from my attempt this morning is basically a blackout, so um and we wrapped ourselves in each layer of clothing.

I get obsessed. Last night was a pretty wild night and around 3:30 the dogs were going completely crazy, which made me think: I wonder if that means there's a lot of wolf activity? I wonder with all the commotion last time. The night they returned that sock decided to leave the foal's carcass for the Wolves and Cubs to feed to the Wolves, the chances of them returning were high so it was an opportunity for us to put up a night vision camera to see if we could catch. the wolves in action just wanted to show you what the camera found testing the song so you can see this is the colt here you can hear the dog giving lessons instead of Renta we are heading to the local town of Dallin Sagat to sell some of the Kashmir family, it's a three hour drive through the mountains and spirits are high, so I could play a very tough character, I thought the old man is good, whose goal was thought out, I have a feeling this will be a dangerous day to go big. city ​​with two nomads the last time they were in the city was more than three months ago, so before you had a car, would you ride a horse into the city to sell the cashmere?

There are ten other duties and getting visitors during the trip to Georgia Tech to shoot him. what you know so far after work with other machines sorry okay Karen Detmer Danzig gut is the provincial capital with a population of 18,000, like many urban areas in Mongolia, it is growing rapidly as the younger generation feels Tempted by modern urban life, but it is also home to former nomads whose livelihoods were ruined by the 2010 storms Edna and Surigao meet a cashmere trader on the side of the road. Mongolian cashmere is said to be the finest in the world. The combed hair will be transformed into a fine thread that is highly appreciated in the world. capital, Lambert, it is 250 pounds for 10 kilos of goat hair since the end of communism Kashmir's production has grown to become the second largest industry in Mongolia Mongolia's economy is booming and it is not thanks to Kashmir that they have found large mineral deposits beneath the Gobi and Mining has become the country's largest industry.

It is estimated that it will grow by 30 percent in the coming years. This new wealth is having a negative impact on Mongolia as nomads. Do you think more and more people will be tempted to abandon the nomadic life and leave? in mining and in industry and moving to cities because the euro or hybrid technology did not flourish, you know, the technical solution to my voltages, no wonder young people are tempted to move away when the mining sector Pay up to $2,000 a month 13 times. which most shepherds can do, but this family has a large and valuable flock, in addition to goats and sheep, they are the proud owners of a fine collection of horses and yaks.

The yaks are highly adapted to life in this harsh landscape, they used to transport the family's possessions. when they moved camp, but with four-by-fours and trucks doing the hard work now the yaks are preserved as a symbol of pride and prestige, as well as for their milk and wool, a fantastic, magnificent, magnificent landscape, there is nothing more cool than here in two days. there's a yak festival in a neighboring valley and the whole herd will be on display you look at the heat you see seemingly barren hills and you think how the hell cattle are kept alive you know these animals are as clever as their owners when it comes to making a living off of them This landscape is wonderful to see how the family has invited me to go to the yak festival but I need to dress appropriately or Dena has made Adele a traditional Mongolian coat for me.

She is very, very intelligent, your daughter, do you think? I look good for access to govern, yes, of course, I will not disappoint your family and I would talk more about the quality touched, it is the day of the long-awaited yak festival, how Mongolia handles its transition to a modern global economy and, at the same time Its rich nomadic heritage is a difficult balancing act, but festivals like this one created by the regional government to support nomads and encourage tourism are a step in the right direction and are a wonderful opportunity for nomadic families to meet. gather.

I'm doing very well. More than 300 acts have been brought to the valley. The festivities begin with a yak rodeo. Oh, next up is a competition for the whole family. What do you want me to do? They are too good. Impossible. The men were catchy. share it while we rope in the cold we were a little slow sorry, like any good Mongolian spring day, it's starting to snow and in the great tradition of all national fairs, there are prizes galore for me, that's so delightful , look how. She seems proud that this whole festival is about restoring yak herding in this province and remembering how important these animals are to nomadic families, but above all, I have gotten a real idea of ​​how nomadic families can live in places so remote and often isolated. lives, but that doesn't mean there isn't a really strong sense of community, tradition and culture, and today everything has been that.

Oh, with the festival, my time with Timid and his family has come to an end, beautiful, what are they? they called what BOTS thoughts are difficult to do it seems that you met you managed to associate in a very successful way tradition and modern life without affecting the heart type of nomadic life in this best birch table I like to tell you it is the day Otis that the You touch, this is a good life, no sir, sir. Thomas is my Maharaja, who do you judge? He appeared Norah, not your content, everything is still power and a saga in the days of Ender.

Good answer, it's been the most fantastic privilege to be here and I just wanted to thank Iris Peterson for it. the onager cell beta team didn't do it today we have to waste it is a head thanks there is no doubt that nomads around the world are threatened and the odds are against their extraordinary way of life, but here in Mongolia at least I Cautiously Optimistically, this is modern nomadism with all its traditions and all its cultures absolutely intact, but these are people who do not shy away from the modern world at all. Jimin and his family have shown me that there is a place for nomads today and I am truly hoping that their descendants will be here for centuries to come, this is clearly not an easy life choice and I think that is what It makes me admire them even more, they are nomadic and incredibly proud of it and they seem almost as much a part of this landscape as the mountains and birds of prey are to the wolves.