People and Seals at Siberia's Lake Baikal

Baikal seals in Eastern Siberia hold deep cultural significance for local people, particularly the Buriat, extending back thousands of years. Research reveals that these relationships are multifaceted, involving intimate knowledge of the animals based on sensory cues and proper treatment of their bodies after death to maintain good standing with local spirits. Seals also play central roles in regional cosmologies and legends, including origin stories. Archaeological evidence shows that humans have maintained meaningful interactions with seals since at least 7,000–8,000 years ago, challenging simplistic views of these relationships as mere predator-prey or consumer-commodity dynamics.

Nomokonova, T., Losey, R. J., Iakunaeva, V. N., Emel’ianova, I. A., Baginova, E. A., & Pastukhov, M. V. (2013). People and Seals at Siberia’s Lake Baikal. Journal of Ethnobiology, 33(2), 259–280. https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-33.2.259