Dersu identified himself to Arsenyev as Nanai, and in the 1970s a Nanai named Fyodor Uza proudly spoke of him as a relative. However, another local historian speculated that he was Udege, pointing out that the clothing, language, and customs attributed to Dersu by Arsenyev are closer to Udege than Nanai.[1]
The Russian explorer Vladimir Arsenyev started his expeditions to the forests of the Far East in the area of Ussuri in 1902. He described numerous species of Siberian flora and the lifestyle of native ethnic people.
When Arsenyev met the trapper Uzala he hired him as a guide for his journeys,[2] Uzala earned the respect of Arsenyev and his team. When Uzala's eyesight and other senses began to fade with age, Arsenyev offered to take him to the city where he lived. Uzala discovered that he was not permitted to chop wood or to build a hut and fireplace in the city park, nor was he allowed to shoot within the city limits. In the spring of 1908 he asked Arsenyev for permission to return to the woods. As a parting gift, Arsenyev gave him a new rifle.
Shortly afterward, Dersu Uzala was murdered. It was speculated that his murderer wanted his new rifle.
Cultural references
Memorial stone for Uzala in KorfovskyMonument for Uzala in Arsenyev
In 1923 Arsenyev released his book Dersu Usala, which later was released under the alternate U.S. titles With Dersu the Hunter and Dersu the Trapper.
