STANDARDS
Common Core: RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.5, RH.6-8.8
C3 (D2, 6-8): Civ.2, Eco.1, His.2, His.3
NCSS: Culture; Science, technology, and society; Time, continuity, and change
Soaring With Eagles
For hundreds of years, the tradition of hunting with golden eagles has been passed down from father to son among the nomadic Kazakh people of western Mongolia. It is said that Genghis Khan (1162-1227), who conquered a vast swath of Asia, kept thousands of hunting birds.
It takes years for a person to learn how to handle an eagle and earn its trust. The bird must learn to return to its handler after catching prey—usually a corsac fox, which is prized for its fur. (Other prey include rabbits, marmots, and owls.)
Training for eagle handlers begins on their 13th birthday. By then they’re usually strong enough to handle the powerful birds. Traditionally, eagle handlers have been male. But traditions may be changing.
When Ashol-Pan’s older brother was drafted into the army, he had to leave their home in the remote Altai Mountains and end his apprenticeship. So Ashol-Pan (pictured), a girl then 13, asked to take his place.
Happy to keep the tradition alive in their family, her father agreed to teach her. Ashol-Pan may be the first and only female Kazakh to learn the ancient art.
