Celebrating Indigenous Peoples
Photo © Le Anh Tuan
This Tuesday, August 9, is International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, an opportunity to remember their essential role in preserving biodiversity and cultural diversity throughout the world.
Let's celebrate Indigenous peoples
Often on the margins of society because of their differences, they nonetheless possess a harmonious relationship with the environment and rich artisanal traditions, which they pass down from generation to generation. The root peoples, so named to evoke their proximity to the Earth, definitely have many things to teach us: reconnecting with nature, relearning how to use our hands... Why not follow their example? In this article, we highlight the women of the Lao and Cil ethnic groups of Vietnam.
Giot , a weaver from the Lao ethnic group, carries a handmade bamboo basket.
Group of Cil in front of a house and a typical landscape of the village of Dung Kno, in Vietnam.
Let's take care of the Earth
Indigenous peoples, although they represent only 5% of the population, alone preserve 80% of the Earth's biodiversity, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations . Indeed, these peoples have inherited environmentally friendly cultures. In their animist religion, worship is dedicated to deities such as the sun and the river. They show us the path to reconciliation with the Earth.
Indigenous peoples live day by day, in harmony with the flora and fauna that surround them. They know which plants to use to vary their diet and heal themselves. They use pesticides less because they understand the benefits of insects on the balance of ecosystems and the food chain. Their agricultural practices adapt to climatic variations; they are economical with natural resources and allow them to live self-sufficiently. Their houses and tools are made from natural materials, such as bamboo.
Lao women cultivate their land and care for the local plant species they need for their food and crafts. They grow yams , a nutrient-rich plant that can be used for cooking as well as dyeing textiles. The artisans dye and then weave in small quantities and according to the harvests, in order to conserve as much as possible the plants available on their land. They do not take more plants than they need on a daily basis. The Cil also live off the resources of the forest. They grow rice and coffee, fish, harvest honey, vegetables, drinking water, and medicinal plants.
Let's protect know-how
Women play a major role in many Indigenous communities. They are responsible for transmitting language, culture, customs, and ancestral traditions. Women are respected as much as men; both share agricultural work, and each has their place within the couple.
THE weaving is an activity specifically carried out by women. Lao and Cil weavers pass on their know-how from mother to daughter; they hand-weave cotton fabrics, decorated with traditional motifs that convey their history.
Traditional hand-woven motifs of the Lao ethnic group.
It is called "Dokmai", which means "flower" in Lao.
Despite this, these women from ethnic minorities are often victims of discrimination and violence, and are also excluded from political life due to their ethnicity, gender, and poverty. Furthermore, their artisanal expertise faces competition from low-cost textile products resulting from globalization. This is why NGOs and associations provide them with social and economic support.
In this way, we support ethnic minorities in Southeast Asia by implementing weaving cooperatives and development . The goal is to improve access to education, health and employment for these women from disadvantaged backgrounds, and to guide them so that they can gain independence. As a result, the Dien Bien Phu cooperative, where weavers from the Lao ethnic group work, was created thanks to a partnership with a local branch of Entrepreneurs du Monde.
In Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam, women of the Lao ethnic group possess
ancestral craftsmanship: THE weaving and the vegetable dye .
Let's save cultural diversity
Those we call indigenous peoples actually represent a considerable number of ethnic groups, each with their own dialect and particular culture, although similarities can be found between them. In Vietnam, for example, the K'Ho, the Ma and the Lach are close to the Cil - the ethnic group of the weavers with whom we work, etc. A person of the Cils ethnic group only understands 70% of a K'Ho!
Moreover, these people have lifestyles and ways of thinking that are different from Western trends. Neither materialistic nor envious, they are content with what they have. They have a real sense of community, sharing, and mutual aid. If someone is sick, the entire community pools resources to help them.
K'Gut weaves on his backstrap loom.
She would like to teach her daughter weaving one day; she hopes she will enjoy it!
Unfortunately, the root peoples are in danger. Some governments do not recognize the rights of these populations or the wealth they bring to society; they would like to see their country unified. Their culture and way of life are threatened by globalization, overproduction, deforestation, rural exodus, inter-ethnic conflicts, natural disasters… In addition, new generations sometimes abandon ancestral village traditions for modern city life.
Giving these people and their cause greater visibility in the media and on social networks can help them obtain the support they deserve and resolve some of their problems through international aid. You too can help them in your own way, by consuming products from cooperatives or by donating to a NGO who supports them.
Did you like this article? Discover the Lao et Cil cushion collections without delay!
We look forward to seeing you next week to continue this journey to Vietnam with the Cil people.
