ification ▁of ▁the ▁education ▁system ▁comprom ised ▁social , ▁cultural , ▁and ▁mental ▁well - be ing ▁of ▁the ▁Even ks . ▁Today , ▁few ▁people ▁can ▁speak ▁the ▁Even ki ▁language , ▁rein de er ▁her ding ▁is ▁in ▁significant ▁decl ine , ▁the ▁suic ide ▁rate ▁is ▁extremely ▁high , ▁and ▁alco hol ism ▁is ▁a ▁serious ▁issue . ▁ ▁Trad itional ▁life ▁▁ ▁Trad itionally ▁they ▁were ▁a ▁mixture ▁of ▁past oral ists ▁and ▁h unter - g ather ers — they ▁re lied ▁on ▁their ▁domestic ated ▁rein de er ▁for ▁milk ▁and ▁transport ▁and ▁h unted ▁other ▁large ▁game ▁for ▁meat ▁( V as ile v ich , ▁ 6 2 0 - 1 ). ▁Today ▁“ [ t ] he ▁Even ks ▁are ▁divided ▁into ▁two ▁large ▁groups … eng aging ▁in ▁different ▁types ▁of ▁economy . ▁These ▁are ▁the ▁hunting ▁and ▁rein de er - bre eding ▁Even ks … and ▁the ▁horse ▁and ▁cattle ▁past oral ▁Even ks ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁some ▁far ming ▁Even ks ” ▁( 6 2 0 ). ▁The ▁Even ks ▁lived ▁mostly ▁in ▁areas ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁called ▁a ▁ta iga , ▁or ▁bore al ▁forest . ▁They ▁lived ▁in ▁con ical ▁t ents ▁made ▁from ▁bir ch ▁b ark ▁or ▁rein de er ▁skin ▁tied ▁to ▁bir ch ▁pol es . ▁When ▁they ▁moved ▁camp , ▁the ▁Even ks ▁would ▁leave ▁these ▁frameworks ▁and ▁carry ▁only ▁the ▁more ▁port able ▁cover ings . ▁During ▁winter , ▁the ▁hunting ▁season