▁of ▁the ▁Even k ▁ ▁( Only ▁includes ▁count ies ▁or ▁county - equ ival ents ▁containing ▁> 0 . 1 % ▁of ▁China ' s ▁Even k ▁population .) ▁ ▁Even ks ▁of ▁Ukraine ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁census , ▁there ▁were ▁ 4 8 ▁Even ks ▁living ▁in ▁Ukraine . ▁The ▁majority ▁( 3 5 ) ▁stated ▁that ▁their ▁native ▁language ▁was ▁Russian ; ▁four ▁indicated ▁Even k ▁as ▁their ▁native ▁language , ▁and ▁three ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁Ukrain ian . ▁ ▁Religion ▁Prior ▁to ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁Rus si ans , ▁the ▁belief ▁system ▁of ▁the ▁Even ks ▁was ▁anim istic . ▁Many ▁have ▁adopted ▁Tib et an ▁Buddh ism . ▁ ▁The ▁Even ki , ▁like ▁most ▁nom adic , ▁past oral , ▁and ▁subs istence ▁agr arian ▁pe op les , ▁spend ▁most ▁of ▁their ▁lives ▁in ▁very ▁close ▁contact ▁with ▁nature . ▁Because ▁of ▁this , ▁they ▁develop ▁what ▁A .   A . ▁Sir ina ▁calls ▁an ▁" ec ological ▁eth ic ". ▁By ▁this ▁she ▁means ▁" a ▁system ▁of ▁responsibility ▁of ▁people ▁to ▁nature ▁and ▁her ▁spirit ▁master s , ▁and ▁of ▁nature ▁to ▁people " ( 9 ). ▁Sir ina ▁interview ed ▁many ▁Even ks ▁who ▁until ▁very ▁recently ▁spent ▁much ▁of ▁their ▁time ▁as ▁rein de er ▁her ders ▁in ▁the ▁ta iga , ▁just ▁like ▁their ▁ancest ors . ▁The ▁Even ki ▁people ▁also ▁spoke ▁along ▁the ▁same ▁lines : ▁their ▁respect ▁for ▁nature ▁and ▁their