Totem Peoples Preservation Project
Dedicated to supporting the native rights, sacred lands and livelihoods of Siberia and Mongolia

March 2005

Dear Friend of the Totem Peoples:

Since 1999, you have been an essential partner in promoting the native rights of the Dukha People to live nomadically with their reindeer herds in the high alpine forests and tundra of northern Mongolia. I am writing now to ask again for your renewed support to advance our 2005 Campaign for the Totem Peoples.

Though half a world away, Mr. Gombo and Mrs. Sindalee, elders of the East Dukha tribe, along with their kin in Mongolia and Siberia, know well and appreciate your help. Together with Dukha elders and reindeer herders, we are thankful to our donors who this past year made it possible for the Totem Project to:

Advance native representation for the Dukha Peoples: Continue our leadership by facilitating our second historical delegation of Dukha elders to travel to Mongolia's capitol to present their cultural survival issues in face to face meetings with Mongolia's Presidential Administration, Parliament, Agriculture and Education Ministries, and Human Rights Commission.

Exercise their right to freedom of expression: The Dukha delegation of four native Dukha reindeer herders chose the Totem Project alone to help in producing their culture's first twenty minute radio program on the challenges facing their culture for the Voice of Mongolia - Voice of Asia Radio Programs that were translated into five languages and distributed across Asia.

Improve Veterinary practices: The project's ongoing and unique program to advance basic veterinary care and herd health stirred Dukha leaders to exclaim, "Our reindeer, weakened over the past twenty years, once again stand proud thanks to the critical veterinary aid initiatives of the Totem Project!"

Stimulate new economic initiatives: The Totem Project's special craft training workshops in the taiga and provision of craft tools advanced the skill, quality, and quantity of hard antler carvings, deer skin bags, and other native crafts, thereby significantly improving the herders' incomes.

Foster Inter-ethnic dialogue and cultural exchange: By supporting cross-border relations among native peoples, non-profit efforts and government leaders in Russia's Siberia and Mongolia, and with New York State's Adirondack Park region, the Totem Project fortifies inter-ethnic dialogue and understanding that are so important in these troubled times.

We have made critical headway on behalf of the Dukha Peoples and neighboring native Buryat Soyot and Toja-Tyvan cultures, but we have much more to do.

Please join us again by making a fully tax-deductible donation to the Totem Project today and mailing it in the enclosed self-addressed, postage paid envelope.

Your help is urgently needed if we are to reach our campaign-finding goal of $166,000 to continue the veterinary advances, native rights and representation struggle and to further the international and inter-ethnic dialogue across borders. All fluids raised will be used to advance native rights efforts, improve native capacity to survive in the new market economies of northern Asia, provide opportunities for indigenous self-representation as with the Dukha campaign and to gain sustainable solutions for their cultural survival.

As a matter of principle, we do not spend hard-won dollars on multiple outreach mailings as we must safeguard resources for needed veterinary medicines and equipment, antler craft and carving tools, herder and elder delegation travel, specialist and expertise costs, etc. Therefore, as we can make this appeal only once or twice annually, please help us today on behalf of the last nomadic peoples of North Asia and their cultural survival.

Thank you sincerely,

Dan Plumley, Director

Please contact me by email:  dan@totempeoples.org

The Totem Peoples Preservation project is part of Cultural Survival, Inc -- dedicated since 1973 to promote native rights, voice and visions worldwide. Go to www.cs.org and www.totempeoples.org or call or write anytime - our address is on the hack of the picture card/or your convenience-we'd love to hear front you!

Dan Plumley (Totem Project - USA)
Myagmar Nansalmaa (State Veterinary Lab Mongolia)
Purev Tsogtsaikhan (Taiga Nature NGO- Mongolia)
Totem Peoples Preservation Project - Cultural Survival
Call for additional project information: phone: (518) 576-4430 Email: dan@totempeoples.org or drpadk@aol.com