Here Castrén is referring to a historical narrative(s) based on events that took place during the colonisation of Western Siberia from the 17th up until the mid-19th century. Wars between Russian and indigenous troops, but also constant waves of revolts against the Russian administration and towns but also against indigenous princedoms, took place repeatedly. The Харючи family, known in Russian as the Karačej or Karačejskie Samoyeds, formed one of the largest and most powerful Nenets communities not only in Siberia, but also among the European Nenets. They organised several raids on the fortress of Pustozersk in the 17th and 18th centuries, but also Obdorsk, and the Siberian princes were either asking the Tsar for help or to release the Karačej prisoners in order to bring back or retain peace in the area. (Perevalova 2019: 73–76)