The Udege, a small Indigenous group in the Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk
Krai regions of Russia, have a rich oral storytelling tradition. They
speak the Udege language, and their religious beliefs include animism
and shamanism. Over two decades, Kira Van Deusen travelled across Russia
interviewing Udege storytellers in order to record their
folktales.Tigers and the Internet recounts individual storytellers'
lives and the stories that they related to Van Deusen. Combining the
translated stories with detailed commentary, background information on
the storytellers, and historical context to the themes they explore, Van
Deusen provides a rich and moving text that allows the reader to travel
with her through time and space. She respectfully shares the stories
with a wider audience and preserves them in English for future
generations. Readers will learn about the folktales of the Udege, but
also about their contemporary lives and connections with other
Indigenous groups.The Udege are not widely known outside of Russia.
Tigers and the Internet provides a valuable collection of first-hand
stories that shows this fascinating culture to those interested in
folklore, Indigenous histories, and cultural studies.