MONGOLIA. East Taiga. 2010. Shamanism arose in animist communities like the nomadic reindeer herders in forests of northern Mongolia. Here, traditional shamanism has been better preserved than in other parts of Russia and Mongolia that were more affected by Soviet atheism and Buddhism. This reindeer camp in the East Taiga is very isolated, a seven hour horse ride from the nearest town during summer months. They herd reindeer, drink their milk and make cheese from it, tying them up at night and letting them loose in the day. They hunt and fish and collect wild berries from the forest. They change camps several times per year to find new pastures for the reindeer. There are about 300 of these people in total.