Achum (/tʃuːm/) is a temporary dwelling used by thenomadicUralic (Nenets,Nganasans,Enets,Khanty,Mansi,Komi,Selkups)reindeer herders of northwesternSiberia,Russia. TheEvenks,Tungusic peoples living in Russia, Mongolia andChina also use chums, as do theYeniseian-speakingKet people.[1] They are also used by the southernmost reindeer herders, of the Todzha region of theRepublic of Tyva and their cross-border relatives in northern Mongolia. It has a design similar to aNative Americantipi but some versions are less vertical. It is very closely related to theSamilavvu in construction, but is somewhat larger in size. Some chums can be up to thirty feet (ten meters) in diameter.[2]
The frame of a traditional chum is made of wooden poles that are organized in a circular cone. The cover around the frame may be of reindeer hides sewn together, as well as bark orfelt. Modern chums may use modern materials. In the middle there is a fireplace used for heating and to keep mosquitoes away. The smoke escapes through a hole at the top of the chum. The frame and cover are usually quite heavy, but could be carried by the reindeer. The chum is still in use today as a year-round shelter for the Yamal-Nenets, Khanty and Todzha Tyvan people of Russia.
The wordchum (Russian:чум) came fromKomi-Zyrian:ćom[t͡ɕom] orUdmurt:ćum[t͡ɕum], both mean "tent, shelter".[3] In different languages it has different names:Nenets:ḿāʔ[mʲaːʔ],Nganasan:maʔ,Khanty:(ńuki) χot.Evenki:ǯū[d͡ʒuː].
Tents and overnight shelters | |
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