Our Cultural Guide To The Traditions Of Hunting With Golden Eagles In Mongolia
Western Mongolia is dominated by the Altai Mountains both physically and culturally. For thousands of years, these mountains have served as the homeland for the nomadic cultures of Eurasia, including the Kazakhs, Mongolia’s largest ethnic minority group, representing 3-4% of the country’s population, which totals just over 3.4 million.
“They have an extraordinary bond with the golden eagle, which to them represents the wind, the open space, the isolation and the freedom found at the edge of the world.”
Western Mongolia is dominated by the Altai Mountains both physically and culturally. For thousands of years, these mountains have served as the homeland for the nomadic cultures of Eurasia, including the Kazakhs, Mongolia’s largest ethnic minority group, representing 3-4% of the country’s population, which totals just over 3.4 million.
The Kazakhs of Mongolia are culturally and ethnically distinct from the Mongolians, with language and religion being two key differentiators. Kazakh is the dominant language in Bayan Ulgii, Mongolia’s westernmost province and home to the majority of Mongolia’s Kazakh population, while Mongolian is the official language of government and business. Local schools offer instruction in either Mongolian or Kazakh. The Kazakh population is predominantly Muslim, contrasting with the rest of Mongolia, which is predominantly Buddhist.
Eagle hunting is a traditional form of falconry found throughout the Eurasian steppe, with approximately 250-300 eagle hunters in Mongolia, mainly in Bayan Ulgii Aimag. A Kazakh who hunts using eagles is known as a ‘berkutchi,’ and this practice continues among some Mongol Kazakhs in western Mongolia. In 2021, UNESCO added falconry to the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognising it as an example of living human heritage.
However, it is crucial to remember that not all of Mongolia’s Kazakh population are eagle hunters. The Mongol Kazakh community, shaped by history, geography, and political change, is richly diverse. It includes herders and those settled in rural towns who often engage in service industries such as education. To focus solely on the lifestyle of eagle hunters is to overlook a significant aspect of the local culture and population.