▁to ▁ 9 th ▁centuries , ▁although ▁the ▁native ▁land ▁of ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁Even ki ▁people ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁vast ▁regions ▁of ▁Si ber ia ▁between ▁Lake ▁Ba ikal ▁and ▁the ▁Am ur ▁River . ▁The ▁E wen ki ▁language ▁forms ▁the ▁northern ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁Man ch u - T ung us ic ▁language ▁group ▁and ▁is ▁closely ▁related ▁to ▁Even ▁and ▁Neg idal ▁in ▁Si ber ia . ▁By ▁ 1 6 0 0 ▁the ▁Even ks ▁or ▁E wen ki ▁of ▁the ▁L ena ▁and ▁Y en ise y ▁river ▁valle ys ▁were ▁successful ▁rein de er ▁her ders . ▁By ▁contrast ▁the ▁Sol ons ▁( anc est ors ▁of ▁the ▁Even k is ▁in ▁China ) ▁and ▁the ▁K ham nig ans ▁( E w enk is ▁of ▁Trans ba ik alia ) ▁had ▁picked ▁up ▁horse ▁bre eding ▁and ▁the ▁Mong ol ian ▁deel ▁from ▁the ▁Mong ols . ▁The ▁Sol ons ▁nom ad ized ▁along ▁the ▁Am ur ▁River . ▁They ▁were ▁closely ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁D aur ▁people . ▁To ▁the ▁west ▁the ▁K ham n igan ▁were ▁another ▁group ▁of ▁horse - bre eding ▁Even ks ▁in ▁the ▁Trans ba ik alia ▁area . ▁Also ▁in ▁the ▁Am ur ▁valley ▁a ▁body ▁of ▁Si ber ian ▁Even ki - spe aking ▁people ▁were ▁called ▁O ro chen ▁by ▁the ▁Man chus . ▁ ▁Historical ▁distribution ▁ ▁The ▁ancest ors ▁of ▁the ▁south - e astern ▁Even ks ▁have ▁most ▁likely ▁been ▁in ▁the ▁Ba