d-brief edition 3 - ethnic tribes
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October D-BriefTRANSCRIPT
E t h n i c Tr i b e s
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D - B r i e f
Bangkok, 25 October 2010
Dear Partner,
This month‟s edition of D-Brief showcases the fascinating beliefs and traditions of diverse
ethnic tribes in Laos, Bhutan and Malaysia.
In the highlands of the Himalayas, two nomadic tribes have adapted perfectly to the
extreme Bhutanese weather conditions, while in Sarawak the Ibans – a tribe widely known
for its headhunting traditions – live hand in hand with the jungle, its animals, plants and
spirits. Laos, with over 240 ethnic groups, is home to many hill tribe communities that can
also be found in Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia and southern China: The true
melting pot of Asia!
We thought this topic would be useful to you when recommending a cultural encounter
with a difference. Diethelm Travel offers various experiences you can pre-book, which
incorporate these intriguing people.
Sincerely yours,
Victoria Sertic
Chief Sales Officer
Diethelm Travel Group
ETHNIC TRIBES Bhutan
The Nomads of Bhutan
While moving around with their yaks, the
Layaps and Lunaps find shelter in tents
made out of tightly woven yak wool. The
yak wool is waterproof but allows smoke
to escape and at the same time permits
light and fresh air into the tent. A truly
amazing material! When the families
move down to warmer areas in winter,
they stay with host families. In exchange
for a roof over their heads, they work for
their host and trade their animal products
for food or other goods they need.
The tribal dress shows another example
of how well the Layap and Lunap people
have adapted to their environment. The
Layap women, who stay with the yaks,
dress in vibrant and colorful dresses,
made up of layered yak wool garments.
The men on the other hand, are dressed
in simple, weather proof yak garments, to
assist in dealing with extreme weather
conditions on their long trading missions.
The Gasa district, which covers the middle
and high Himalayas at altitudes from 2770
to 8000 meters, is located in the extreme
northwest of Bhutan. Gasa‟s winters are
extremely cold with heavy snowfall,
whereas its summers are short with little
rain. Despite this climate, two tribes have
settled in what is probably the highest and
most remote region on earth: the Layaps
and Lunaps.
The Layaps and Lunaps are semi-nomadic
yak herders. Their lifestyle is centred
around the seasons and the yaks; which
are a source of food, transportation,
shelter and an indispensable part of their
culture. In summer the families move from
yak camp to yak camp to allow their cattle
to graze on different areas. Yak camps
exist at up to 6000 metres altitude and
can, due to the extreme weather, only be
utilized in summer.
The Legend of the Layaps & Lunaps
believe, if they fail to wear the hats, the village
spirits will be upset and misfortune will come
back to the people.”
The Lunaps, on the other hand, found Bayu –
the hidden land – for a very different reason:
“Long ago, when Shabdrung Ngwang Namgyal,
the founder of Bhutan, was building Punakha
Dzong, the palace of great happiness, he asked
for a workforce from all over the Country.
However, a lot of men did not want to help
building the palace and hid in the mountains.
According to legend, the Lunaps ran the furthest
to high altitudes, where they still live today. Due
to their choice of settlement, in a very remote
location, the Lunaps had a reputation for
wanting to be left alone and not opening up to
visitors. However, nowadays they welcome all
tourists warmly.”
Living in villages as isolated as Laya and
Lunana, legends are turned into history. Both
tribes are said to have originated from Tibet in
the fifteenth century and the elders, still today,
tell the tales of their origin and culture. An
example of which below:
“The Layaps used to live in southern Tibet in a
region that was haunted by a series of
unfortunate events. These were believed to be
caused by a terrible curse and so the
inhabitants of the village decided that the only
way to end the curse was to send it away. The
residents of one unlucky village were chosen
and banished, dressed in black cloaks and a
pointed hat. It took them several days to find
a new home, but when they saw the beautiful
valley beneath the majestic Mount Masagang
they shouted, “La-Ya” in excitement. Since
then the inhabitants of Laya – the Layaps –
have kept their unusual outfits as it ultimately
brought them luck. The distinctively pointed
hat is still worn today by the women, who
Source: Wangchhuck, A., Treasures of the Thunder Dragon, Penguin 2006
Source: Wangchhuck, A., Treasures of the Thunder Dragon, Penguin 2006
Did You Know?
• As men can be away from the family for a long
period of time, a Lunap or Layap women can have
more than one husband. Sometimes the co-
husbands are brothers, so that whilst one brother
is away on a trading mission, the other one can
still help at home with the yaks.
• Bhutanese people, who chant prayers on prayer
beads are a common sight, especially on religious
days. There are 108 beads in a Buddhist rosary,
which is a sacred number corresponding to the
108 different manifestations of the Buddha of
Compassion.
• Chewing of Doma Pani (betel leaf and areca nut
with a dash of lime), which is carried by many in
their pouches, is an all time favorite all over
Bhutan. The offering of doma to someone is an
act of friendship, politeness and a mark of
generosity.
Old Spirits Protect Buddhist Deities
When Buddhism was introduced from Tibet into
Bhutan, the locals did not just replace their old
believes with the new religion. They simply integrated
Buddhism into their shamanistic and animistic
practices. Nowadays, the Layaps and Lunaps believe
in a mixture of the two religions. The tribes believe in
animistic gods that were especially created to defend
and protect Buddhism.
Both tribes attach great importance to the spirit
world. When people have disturbed or displeased the
spirits, it is believed, they will fall sick or suffer
misfortune. Often, the village astrologer is the only
person who can soothe the spirits again.
In Lunana, for instance, there are sacred forests that
belong to the demon tree and myth has it, that
people who need to cross these forests, have to ask
the spirits for permission.
Even though the Layaps and Lunaps pray to their
spirits and Buddhist deities, there are distinct
differences between the two tribes: The Lunaps walk
around their shrines anti-clockwise whereas the
Layaps walk around them clockwise.
Active travellers who wish to experience the lifestyle
and tradition of Bhutan‟s nomadic tribes first hand,
can join a 20 day trek to the Laya villages. Hikers
will enjoy fantastic panoramic views at an altitude of
up to 4900 meters as well as the very interesting
local flora and fauna.
The trekking tour starts in the lower Paro region and
on the way up to the Thimphu region, traditional
Laya and Gasa villages will be visited. According to
Layap tradition, anyone can visit any local household
without invitation. Therefore, the hikers are always
greeted by friendly faces with a cup of tea. In the
evenings your guide will, among other things, take
you to hot springs for a revitalizing bath or invite you
to taste locally brewed beer.
A Diethelm Travel Bhutan representative will be your
tour guide throughout the trek and will make sure
that you have a unique cultural experience.
Experience The Layaps Yourself
ETHNIC TRIBES Laos
The Cultural Melting Pot of Indochina
As diverse as Laos' indigenous people are
in cultural and linguistic terms, as diverse
is their adaptation to the natural and
social environment they live in.
Despite the importance of Buddhism in
Laos, most ethnic tribes still worship
animist spirits. Animist shrines are found
in many parts the country and festivals to
honour the spirits and ancestors are hold
all year around.
We have picked four ethnic groups, each
coming from a different ethno linguistic
background, to show you just how unique
the tribes in terms of their religious
beliefs and traditions are. From predicting
the future by reading chicken bones to
kidnapping your bride, the people of Laos
definitely have many interesting stories to
tell!
Laos is a country rich in history and
beauty. But it has so much more to offer
than beautiful temples, great scenery and
treks through the hilly forests of the
North:
Being land locked, in the heart of
Indochina, Laos has the most ethnically
diverse population of mainland South East
Asia. The people of Laos can be divided
into four distinctive groups according to
their ethno linguistic origin: the Tai-Kadai,
the Hmong-Yao, the Mon-Khmer and the
Tibeto-Burman group. Each group is
divided in many ethnic sub groups,
resulting in more than 240 tribes that can
be found in Laos. Unsurprisingly, the six
million inhabitants of Laos who live in an
area somewhat smaller than Britain speak
over sixty dialects.
The Four Ethno Linguistic Groups of Laos
The Khmu people live in themost northern provinces and areaboriginal to Laos and its neigh-bouring countries. They belong tothe Mon-Khmer language group.
The Akha people most probablyarrived from Mongolia some 1500years ago. They speak Akha, alanguage that belongs to theTibeto-Burman language group.
The Tai Lao are also called the„low land‟ Lao. They are membersof the Tai Kadai language groupand moved from China‟s Yunnanprovince in the 10th century.
The Hmong people migrated inthe 18th century from southernChina to Laos due to politicalunrests. Their language belongsto the Hmong-Yao group.
Picture source: Traditional Arts an Ethnology Centre (TAEC), Luang Prabang
If a Hmong boy intends to marry a Hmong girl he
will indicate his interest and kidnap her, day or night,
from her parent‟s house. A group from the boy‟s clan
will then bring the message of the kidnapping to the
girl‟s family. At the groom‟s house the bride is
welcomed with a ritual blessing that asks the
ancestors to welcome the new arrival into the
household. After three days, the couple will return to
the bride‟s house, where the actual wedding
ceremony will take place.
The groom‟s family is required to pay a „bride price‟
to the bride‟s family. Usually the price is negotiated
prior to the abduction of the bride and is traditionally
paid in silver bars or livestock. However, nowadays
money is the preferred payment method. After the
marriage, the girl will return to the boy‟s clan, where
another party is held to thank the people that made
the kidnapping a success: the negotiator(s), the
groomsman and brides maid.
The Hmong People
The Khmu believe in fate and have a selection of
different ceremonies at hand to determine what lies
in store for them. Some of these ceremonies are for
the ill, some for the happy and some for the unhappy.
A minor ritual, which can be performed by any elder
or knowledgeable member of the family, is the
chicken bone divination. The spirits are being asked
what the future will look like by sacrificing a chicken
and then studying its bones. The ceremony leader
will closely examine the holes on each chicken thigh-
bone and then predict good or bad luck, depending
on the circumstances of the divination. This is a very
difficult undergoing as the reader of the bones must
be very knowledgeable or he will never find the right
answer.
In case of an unfortunate prediction, the Hmong will
try to protect themselves against any bad spirits that
could make members of the family ill and thus
eventually prevent the clan of working in the fields.
The Khmu People
The Akha people are animists and believe that each
person that dies, in some way, is protecting the
village and making sure that there is an abundance
of rice crops. This is why one of the most important
symbols in any Akha village is the ceremonial swing
that is rebuilt every year.
The Swing Ceremony is held in mid-August and
September, approximately two months before
harvest season. During the four days and nights, the
Akha people sing, dance and make merit, as an
expression of respect to their ancestors. On the
second day of the festivities, last year‟s swing, is
replaced by a new one. The swing is constructed
from four newly cut trees, with a seat suspended
from a vine rope. Usually, the entire village
collaborates to build the swing with the help of a
shaman without whom, no sacred swing could be
erected.
If you happen to be trekking to one of the villages
during the festivities, you might be lucky to watch or
even be allowed to participate in the colorful event.
The Akha People
The Tai Lao People
The Thai Lao believe that our human body consists
of 32 organs and that the kwan, (which is often
described as a vital force that gives harmony and
balance to the body), protects the organs. The more
kwan are kept in one‟s body, the healthier a person
is. The „Baci‟ Ceremony is a common ceremony the
Tai Lao celebrate to call for the kwan of a person, in
the case of illness, and lead them back to the body,
thus re-establishing the balance. The ceremony is
usually held in times of transition: birth, marriage,
home coming or leaving, entering the monkhood or
after illness and injuries.
This „calling of the soul‟ according to Laotian beliefs,
can also be experienced by visitors and is a nice way
to explain how the spirits are tied to your body. The
ceremony ends by everybody tying threads around
each other‟s wrists. If you leave at least one of the
threads until it rots away, good luck will come to
you. Diethelm Travel can organize participation in a
„Baci‟ Ceremony for interested visitors.
Discover Laos’ Cultural Diversity Yourself
Located in a heritage building, the Traditional Arts an
Ethnology Centre (TAEC) in Luang Prabang exhibits
ethnic clothing, religious artefacts and handicrafts,
accompanied by explanations and photos. It is the
only institution in Laos that develops activities to
promote cultural diversity and preservation. Book a
guided tour with Diethelm Travel and learn about the
background of the exhibits on display. The Museum is
also a great spot to buy handicrafts directly from
ethnic producers at a fair price for both producers
and buyers.
"Fair Trek“ is a Luang Prabang based initiative of
villages, the government, local tour operators and
NGOs. The initiative aims to create new job
opportunities for villagers through tourism in a
sustainable way. It integrates visitors into the every
day life of local ethnic tribes, while still regulating the
number of guests to ensure the preservation of local
traditions. Diethelm Travel offers "Fair Trek"
adventures from a couple of hours up to 13 days in
length.
ETHNIC TRIBES Malaysia
The Iban of Sarawak
The Iban, at 30 percent of the entire
population, are the largest tribe in Sarawak.
In the 17th century the Iban arrived from
Indonesia and back then, they had a
reputation for practicing headhunting as
well as aggressive territorial expansion.
Many nowadays extinct tribes of Sarawak
are believed to have been exterminated by
the Ibans.
The Iban traditionally live in longhouses on
stilts which are located near to a river,
accommodating the entire village. Each
longhouse consist of several units for
individual families, called „bilek‟. All bileks
are linked by a communal corridor that
spans the length of the house and is
divided into three parts. The space right
outside a bilek is used exclusively by the
family, where domestic work can be done.
The rest of the corridor functions as public
space and guests can sleep along the outer
wall, when staying over.
For Ibans, longhouses are not just a home
and shelter. Each longhouse is respected as
a „ritual entity‟, which belongs to the
spiritual world. The Ibans believe that
outside of their longhouse, there is a world
of evil spirits and this is why certain parts
of the longhouse, such as the entry ladder
to the house or the fireplace in the kitchen,
have sacred meanings.
Living along rivers, each Iban family
possesses at least one boat, big enough to
fit eight people and mainly used as
transport to and from the paddy fields or
for short trips. Iban practice shifting
cultivation in planting their rice. The tribe
tends to alternate planting of their rice
which is an essential part of their daily life.
This ritual usually ends with a harvest
festival in May. The Iban community
celebrates many rituals, which can span
from agricultural festivals to healing
ceremonies or rituals for the dead.
The Spirit World of the Iban
The Iban believe that nothing happens without cause.
This is why their religion is paying attention to all
events whether in the conscious or sleeping stage. In
the Iban world, all objects have souls of their own
and during daily activities, the soul of man and of
spirits often could affect one another. In Iban belief
and narratives trees talk, plants walk, monkeys
become demons, household tools moan for lack of
attention and the sex of a human fetus is determined
by a cricket.
This holistic approach towards spirits and objects
explains why the Ibans used to keep the head of their
enemies as trophy. It was believed that, once the
enemy‟s head was ritually purified, the soul of the
victim would become part of the villages‟ ancestral
spirit group. During ceremonies, the Iban shaman
asked for the help and support of their former enemy
who now turned into their ally.
Iban Schamanism – Talking to the Spirits
“In the beginning I used to accompany my father,
who was a shaman too, whenever there was a
healing ceremony taking place. That‟s how I gained a
lot of experience and I learned the „Leka Pelian‟
narrative as well as other shamanic songs. At a later
stage, my father gave me a proper introduction into
his profession and I started to learn more and more
alongside him. Among other things, I managed to
send my soul out into the cosmos with the aid of a
spirit guide. We Iban believe that „this world‟ has
unseen dimensions where only your soul and the
spirits can go. With a lot of practice, I eventually was
able to go beyond this world; into the unseen „land of
the dead‟. My responsibilities are to heal my patients
by all means. In the jungle, rivers and mountains that
surround us, there live many spirits, souls, evils and
ghosts. My healing skills have no barrier because I
believe, I can communicate with the spirits. I work
with what the jungle offers us and use special stones,
oils and knifes that have been handed down from
generation to generation.”
Told by Unding anak Libau, shaman of the Serubah Ulu longhouse community
In the past, both men and women of the Iban tribe
were tattooed. These tattoos are more than just
decoration, with each having its own meaning and
significance. For young men the first tattoo is usually
the illustration of the flower of a local egg-plant,
tattooed underneath the outside edge of his collar
bone. The tattoo location is chosen because this is
where the straps of backpacks rest, making the
wearer strong for the „bejalai‟ journey. During this
path towards manhood, a young man has to gain his
wealth and fame. On the journey he visits other Iban
communities, where his help is rewarded with more
tattoos. On his return the tattoos can be read like a
map of where he has been and what he has
accomplished. For women there are special designs
too, with each tattoo being awarded to a woman
upon attaining a particular skill (e.g. weaving).
Traditional tattooing is fairly painful and is thus
regarded as a small test in itself, especially the first
two designs. Today, the tattoos are quite easily
available for both locals and tourists who visit
Kuching or other parts of Sarawak.
Iban Tattoos – More Than Just Decoration
If you are interested in learning more about the
fascinating Iban culture and want to experience a
night or two in the jungle, Diethelm Travel operates
two to four day jungle experiences.
An example is:
Around 290 kilometres away from Kuching in the
rainforest of Sarawak, you will board a native
longboat and travel upstream for 45 minutes on the
Lemanak River. You will arrive at the Iban long house
„Ngemah Ulu‟ and at the village, you will be served
tea and meet everyone.
This home stay will give you ample opportunity to
learn more about the Iban‟s way of life and join
activities such as weaving or fishing. Your Iban guide
will take you on a jungle trek and show you what the
rainforest offers: medicinal or edible plants and fruits,
which are used on a daily basis. After dinner at the
long house, the Ibans will sound their gongs and
perform their war dance in full ceremonial regalia.
You will stay overnight in the longhouse with the
Ibans. A very enlightening experience!
Experience The Ibans Yourself
Visa Section
BHUTAN
Visitors to Bhutan are required to book and
obtain their visa through a registered tour
operator, as independent travel is not permitted
in the kingdom. Diethelm Travel arranges entry
visas and clearance for all our customers well in
advance of travel.
In order for us to apply for a Bhutanese visa,
we need to supply clients with a visa application
form. This needs to be filled in and e-mailed
back to us at least three weeks before departing
for Bhutan. Additionally, every client has to
provide a clear scanned copy of her/his passport
and needs to bring three additional passport
pictures with her/him.
The visa fee with Diethelm Travel is included in
any of our quotations for Bhutan. Visas are
required for all visitors, with the exception of
Bangladesh, Maldivians & Indian nationals,
travelling to Bhutan.
Important notes:
o It is a requirement of The Department of
Tourism in the Kingdom of Bhutan that your
visa application is TYPED rather than
handwritten. Handwritten visa applications
may not be accepted.
o Some travellers might hold multiple
passports, however it is important that the
visa matches the passport your client is
travelling with.
o Please ensure that the passport is at least 6
months valid at the point of entry to Bhutan.
Visa Section
Visa Section Bhutan
Ingredients:• 250 gms fish washed, sliced • 1 cup coriander leaves chopped• 2 tomatoes finely chopped• 8 cloves garlic• 2 green chillies chopped • 1 tsp methi seeds • 1 tsp coriander powder • A pinch turmeric powder • Salt to taste • Oil as required
How to make Indian fish curry:Marinate the fish in salt and turmeric powder for 15minutes.Shallow fry the fish pieces, drain and keep aside.Grind the coriander leaves, garlic and green chillies.Heat oil, add masala paste and fry till the oilseparates.Add tomatoes, methi seeds and powder masalasand fry till the oil begins to float on top.Add about 1 cup water. Bring the gravy to a boil.Add the fish slices and cook for 10 minutes.Serve fish curry hot.
Source: Indian Food Forever
Recipe of the Month: Indian Fish Curry
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D - B r i e f
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