History
The Nenets are an indigenous Siberian people. They came under Russian influence from the sixteen century onwards. Under Soviet rule they were forcibly collectivized and the Nenets shamanist religion was attacked. A number of Nenets rebellions took place in the 1940s. The Nenets were subsequently largely sendentarized in the 1950s, and the region later saw a large influx of Slavic settlers employed in industry.
Religion
The traditional conception and customs of the Nenets fall within the general definition of Siberian shamanism. The shamans, of whom there were several categories, were the principal mediators between humans and spirits. During the last few centuries the traditional religious conception came to be mixed with elements of Christian origin, and figures from the Orthodox pantheon.