Archive Project
Archiving material documenting the Mongolian traditional way of life from the past three decades will enrich the lives of the new generations. But more than this, something deeper, it answers the yearning all humans share-“who am I?” To know and be bonded to the ways and wisdom of their ancestors addresses this profound question.
- Eleanor Ott, professor, ethnologist and writer, Nomadicare board member
For 30 years we at Nomadicare have collected data in the form of clinical notes, calendars, photographs, video clips, artifacts, and books. Sas was able to document life beginning in 1994, before many Mongolians with cell phones could take an abundance of photos or videos. The 1990s were a time of rapid transition from socialism to democracy. Our work focuses on the day-to-day life starting at that time.
The University of Pennsylvania has expressed interest in obtaining Nomadicare’s digital and paper archive materials as a special collection. This means that documentation of the lives of Mongolia’s nomadic herders for the past three decades would be preserved. Archivist Nicholas Connizzo has helped organize our collection, which includes video footage, still photographs, clinical notebooks, calendars, documents, and documentaries. We continue to work on this sorting through 25,000 photos.
For years, we have hoped our archive would be accessible to scholars, researchers, and herders. Becoming a Special Collection at UPenn means that the cultural and social experiences of Mongolia’s nomads will be available in the future.
Please consider supporting this important work!
Nick Connizzo, Digital Archivist
