Indigenous Heritage in Siberia: The Power of Objects (Bloomsbury Studies in Material Religion)

This book explores the culturally significant objects of various Indigenous peoples in Siberia by considering the power, agency, use and evolving meanings of these objects over time.It acknowledges that top-down conceptualizations of heritage, in Russia as anywhere, are only one element of a complex story that is negotiated by multiple actors.The book further explores the shifting politics and spirituality of material objects and their role in the construction of heritage across this vast multi-ethnic region from Indigenous perspectives. The regional case studies consider human-non-human interactions involving objects, which are more-than-things, such as ritual rugs, Buddhist relics, shamanic figurines and wooden carvings in contemporary Indigenous communities as well as in museum contexts.The overarching dominance of the Soviet state and now modern Russia, which had - and continues to have - conflicted bureaucratic views towards Indigeneity and heritage management, provides a crucial