"Vetka" is a traditional boat of the northern Selkups. Manufacturing technology issues

The article presents the results of studying the technology of manufacturing a traditional wooden dugout boat of the Northern Selkups living in the Taz River basin, in the middle reaches of the Pokolka River. Selkup dugout boats are among the important elements of traditional economic activities. The northern Selkups preserved the traditional technique of boat manufacturing in this region of residence, which makes observations of traditional technologies and their transformations extremely relevant. We have not come across any data on manufacturing dugout boats by the Northern Selkups in the scientific ethnographic literature. The Selkups call their dugout boats “Vetka”. All researchers (linguists and ethnographers) note that “Vetka “ refers to the Russian vocabulary and the use of this word in the languages of the Siberia peoples is a borrowing. The article deals with the mythological and ritual aspects associated with boats among the Selkups, as well as all the stages of making a dugout boat using traditional tools and technology. The types of transformation of traditional technology under the influence of modern industrial culture are established. These include: 1. The use of a chainsaw when cutting wood and primary longitudinal cuts; 2. The use of a modern motor boat in transporting the primary blank of the boat from the place where the tree was cut down to the camp; 3. Using an electric screwdriver when drilling holes for dowels; 4. The use of aluminum wire to secure the bow and stern of the boat during its firing and expansion (which was later replaced by traditional cedar root braided rope).