Symbolism of the river and water ethics of the indigenous people of Yakutia (a case of the Evens)

Based on field studies, the author presents the ethical standards and attitudes of the indigenous people of Yakutia related to the water landscape. Water ethics plays an important role in the life and culture of these peoples and correlates with the common ethical principles of interaction with the environment. For centuries, the attitudes and rules of environmental ethics have served as symbolic communication when developing water spaces. Water is an essential element in the cosmogonic views of the indigenous people of Yakutia. The ritual and mythological practice of the Evens shows that the aquatic ecosystem remains the dominant symbol of space where people's knowledge, relations, and ethics are built. The daily and sacred water-ethics practices of the Evens still exist. Thus, the feeding ritual of the spirit of the river is the main symbolic action to be taken during calendar holidays.