The Nivkh are an Indigenous people of the Russian Far East whose historic homeland centers on northern Sakhalin Island and the lower Amur River basin; scholars describe them as likely among the oldest inhabitants of that region, and their own ethnonym, Nivkh, simply means “person.” They are especially notable for their language, which is generally treated as an isolate and is often grouped only for convenience with the broader “Paleosiberian” label; the language is internally diverse, with distinct varieties on the Amur and across Sakhalin, reflecting long geographic separation within a relatively small population. Traditionally, the Nivkh economy was built around fishing and, to a lesser extent, hunting, especially salmon and sea-mammal hunting, and their way of life was semi-sedentary, with regular movement between winter and summer camps and between different house types, including wooden summer dwellings and semi-underground winter houses. Their social world was never isolated in a literal sense: they maintained trade and marriage ties with neighboring Nanais and other Tungusic-speaking peoples of the Amur, as well as with the Ainu of southern Sakhalin, while also exchanging furs and other goods with Chinese merchants and officials centuries before Russian expansion. Russian imperial colonization, and later Soviet policies, profoundly altered Nivkh life by concentrating settlements, disrupting subsistence patterns, and accelerating language shift; today, most Nivkh speak Russian in daily life, while Nivkh is endangered and used only in limited community, ceremonial, and educational settings. Their ritual life has long included shamanic traditions and the bear festival, which scholars describe as a major ceremonial complex tied to clan identity, reciprocity with the spirit world, and the seasonal hunting cycle.

Elle, here is the info. I figured it would be easier to create a post and tag you in it. FangedFanatic, I tagged you because this was originally your question and I figured you might want to see. :-) I did notice that Wiki mentions Cherokee. I'm not sure if that is a new development on his part because I don't remember seeing it while researching before, but this was a few years ago. I still think it would be great if someone could just ask him about it. I would love to hear what he has to say.

So, in Oklahoma, tribal culture is very prevalent. It's very collectivistic. So my unrelated cousin's cousins were always just another part of the family. It never really mattered if it was by blood or by marriage or whatever. Everyone's a cousin, an auntie, an uncle, a grandmother, or a grandfather. Honestly, sometimes I get culture shock and just forget that that's not a mainstream thing.

“Volcano Woman” mask by the late Beau Dick, a Kwakwaka’wakw chief

I think that the ancestors wouldn't really care about any of that. I think they would just be happy that I'm not going to allow their culture to be erased. I respect it and I'm happy I was lucky enough to be raised the way I was, even if I didn't necessarily appreciate it or recognize it as a child.