Begin forwarded message:
From: [log in to unmask]
Date: December 16, 2008 10:14:47 AM EST
Subject: Reindeer Voices of Totem: Who YOU Have Helped!
REINDEER VOICES OF TOTEM - WHO YOU HAVE HELPED!
The Totem Project - Taiga Alive! 2008 Update and Winter Appeal:
Please Help Us Raise Only $ 1800 By December 31 for our Barakat Foundation Match
to Continue our Aid and Native Rights Work with the Dukha and Tofa Reindeer Herders
in Mongolia and Russia!
Elder Samjiin, Dan Plumley and 3 Generations of West Dukha
Reindeer Herders in Northern Mongolia - where the Totem Project has successfully
replenished a once dieing reindeer herd to vigor and productivity for nomadic
hunter - gatherers
The Totem Project's antler craft project has permitted
the reindeer to improve in health, strength and longevity
benefiting the life and nomadic economy of the Dukha herders of Mongolia
(Evenk Craft Reindeer, D. Plumley, Totem)
December 12, 2008
Dear Friends of the Totem Peoples: RE: Reindeer Voices of Totem: Taiga Alive! 2008-2009
See More Project Pictures Below from Mongolia & Russia
The reindeer are singing and grunting happily in cold, northern Mongolia near the border of Russia's frozen region called Siberia - the "sleeping land." And the Dukha, Tofa, Todja and Soyot Peoples whose cultures have hunted, gathered and herderd these majestic, but threatened reindeer nomadically for 3,000 years are sharing their thanks at this time.
From Mongolia and Siberia, Russia, thanks to many donors and your support, these are the voices of the Totem Project - Taiga Alive! 2008 - 2009 - the people who YOUR support has helped:
"Thank you! Your direct aid to us through the Totem Project provided me my first note book computer which now holds our 9 year reindeer health database from our joint work. Its so exciting and useful to have direct access to the database when I'm in the field treating herder's own deer and able to check our historical records on herd and individual animal and family health. Thank you Totem Project for supporting my field veterinary care of the reindeer for 9 years!
Nansalmaa Myagmar
Totem Project Veterinary Specialist
Ulanbator, Mongolia
"Totem Project is refreshing and exciting support for us. You truly listened to our needs and helped us with material and financial support to produce the First Peoples Journal -- the only regional journal addressing the unique cultures and survival challenges of the Irkutsk reindeer herding Tofalar and Evenk Peoples. You tell us you will support our efforts and you deliver. We rarely see that happen here in Siberia! Thank you to all who support the Totem Project!"
Andrei Malchenko
Editor and Photographer
First Peoples Journal
Irkutsk, Siberia - Russia
Nansalmaa and Andrei are just two of the many people, reindeer herders and specialists that we support via the Totem Project and your critical donations. But our joint cause is the same: securing a promising future and full rights to the traditional livelihood of the nomadic hunter-gathering peoples who herd reindeer and other key, endemic livestock in remote, special ecoregions of Eastern Siberia, Russia and northern Mongolia.
Help us add to these voices of real change. There is a simple way you can add value to your donation this holiday season by helping us meet our Barakat Foundation matching grant. In fact, we need to raise only $ 1800 dollars by December 31, 2008 in order to meet our match for the Barakat Foundation grant that will bring in an additional $ 4,000 to continue our field effort in providing needed veterinary care, craft tools and enabling native rights delegations to stake out positive government action on behalf of the the Dukha and Tofalar reindeer herders and key folks like Nansalmaa in Mongolia and Andrei in Russia.
Please consider a donation of $ 25, $ 50, $ 100, $ 500 or the amount you can truly share to help us aid the protection of the reindeer and the reindeer herder's long storied and beautiful, nomadic lifestyle in the Sayan Mountains. See our campaign Totem Project - Taiga Alive! 2008, our mission and project objectives and news at www.virtualfoundation.org, or call me, Dan Plumley, director and founder of the Totem Project for any additional information or if you have questions of interest.
"Many people come, but the Totem Project, and those who support you from the US have made us proud with the return of our full reindeer herd and their beautiful antlers and strong health. The Government is finally listening to us because of your work. You have given our reindeer and our People a renewed voice - a voice of strength!"
Elder Samjiin
West Dukha Reindeer Herder and Lead Participant
in Totem Delegation to Mongolia's Capitol, Ulanbator
Mongolia
Add YOUR voice to ours and tell us you care about the future of the nomadic reindeer herders and their reindeer. Please support the Totem Project as generously as you can by sending your tax deductible donation to the Totem Project at:
Totem Project - Taiga Alive! 2008
c/o The Virtual Foundation - Ecologia, Inc.
P.O. Box 268
Middlebury, Vermont 05753
Thank you for your past support from us here at Totem USA and our colleagues Nansalmaa, Andrei, Samjiin and the Dukha, Tofa, Todja and Soyot reindeer herders.
Sincere and best wishes for a blessed holiday season,
Dan
Dan Plumley
Director
Totem Project - Taiga Alive! 2008-2009
www.virtualfoundation.org see Totem Project
(518) 576-4430
Veterinary Specialist Nansalmaa Myagmar at her office in Ulanbator, Mongolia preparing our reindeer health
database on her new notebook field computer provided by the Totem Project (Totem Photo 2008)
Our veterinarian specialist Nansalmaa Myagmar preparing treatments
and sharing medicines with the Dukha reindeer herders - West Dukha,
Mongolia (D. Plumley, Totem 2007)
Andrei Malchenko (2nd from left) Interviewing Tofalar Herders in their "chum" or teepee,
Irkutsk - Russia (A. Malchenko, 2008)
First Peoples Journal - Produced by A. Malchenko with material equipment and financial
support from the Totem Project (A. Malchenko, 2008)