The Sea of Okhotsk region is one of the most inhospitable areas of the world for human habitation, yet its indigenous peoples produced cultures of marvelous richness and vibrancy.
These were peoples who thrived in a region of mosquito-infested swamps and forests that is brutally cold in winter, bereft of agricultural possibilities and pounded by seas whose severe tidal shifts, fogs and high winds are constants throughout the year. Even with today's modern ships, it is difficult to traverse these waters that frequently are full of ice floes, or closed by sea ice. In simple kayaks and small boats, though, the ancestors of the Ainu, Koryaks, Aleuts and others fished these waters hundreds of miles from their homes and hunted whales, walruses and seals before successfully returning, without the aid of any modern navigation devices.
From the fur-bearing animals they obtained pelts; from the forests, fuel and building materials; from other animals food, hides and bone for tools; and the rivers and lakes teemed with fish and fowl.