ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with the ways in which Oka-Soiot herder-hunters of South Central Siberia collaborate with their dogs in the hunt for sable and other fur-bearing animals. It contributes to the anthropological literature of dog–human relations in collaborative hunting contexts within and beyond the North. The chapter illuminates how dogs and humans in Oka were seen not only to live side by side, but how they actively engaged in each other's embodied perspectives of the landscape. It illustrates Soiot human–dog relations in terms of communication and collaboration. With a rise in the importance of cattle and other livestock for Soiot households, it is reasonable to assume that the role of dogs had to shift as well. Yet, even where dogs spent the majority of time on a chain, intermittent releases enabled some to join the hunting activities of other households on their own accord, further affirming their status as hunters in their own right.
