Total population |
---|
8 (2002 census) |
Regions with significant populations |
Russia |
Languages |
Religion |
Related ethnic groups |
Kereks are an ethnic group of people in Russia. According to the 2002 census, there were only 8 people registered as ethnic Kereks in Russia. According to the 1897 census there were 102 Kerek. During the twentieth century, Kereks were almost completely assimilated into the Chukchi.
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Their traditional language is the Kerek language, but this is no longer spoken. Kerek descendants speak Chukchi and Russian. The Kerek language, which belongs to the Chukchi–Kamchatka family (it is included in Paleoasiatic languages), is close to the Koryak language and is often considered a dialect of the later.
Historically, Kerek people engaged in fishing and hunting of wild deer and mountain sheep. They also kept sled dogs collected fur from marine mammals. Members of the group practice shamanism.