Hidden deep in the mountains of southwest China, the Bunu people are like a treasure waiting to be found. Many of the small Bunu villages are inaccessible by any type of vehicle. The Bunu went into hiding when they were forced to flee the Hunan valley due to violent persecution from the Han and Zhuang peoples.
The kinship system of the […]
If you were to venture into the Tarai plains on the India-Nepal border, not only would you behold the incredible Himalayan Mountain range, but you would discover the beautiful Tharu people. Large families live together in brightly colored houses and work in the fields and forests with tools made by their own hands. Proud of their cultural heritage, traditions, and […]
If you were to venture into the Tarai plains on the India-Nepal border, not only would you behold the incredible Himalayan Mountain range, but you would discover the beautiful Tharu people. Large families live together in brightly colored houses and work in the fields and forests with tools made by their own hands. Proud of their cultural heritage, traditions, and language, the Tharu […]
The Rukai, one of Taiwan’s sixteen indigenous tribes, inhabit the high mountains of southern Taiwan. Difficulties of travel in the high mountains and limited contact even among people of the same tribe have resulted in six distinct dialects of Rukai. Tribesman of the Rukai and neighboring tribes were fiercely protective of their hunting lands, and would hunt the heads […]
Imagine living your entire life committed to what you believe, dedicated to your people and traditions, following the teachings passed down to you from your parents and their parents, and then dying only to realize that everything you believed in was a lie and you must now spend eternity in torment, separated from God. How would it feel to know […]
“Avilakoa!” a man cries out to you from beside the dirt path. His long white robe brushes the ground as he stands watching over his cattle. In the distance, you see a village of mud houses and hear the sound of women calling out to each other as they get water and prepare food. This is a village of Fur people and you have just been greeted […]
Tucked away, high in the northeastern mountains of Pakistan, live the Hunza people. They are also known as the Burusha. These people lived for hundreds of years in complete isolation until a highway was built that brings many tourists to see the beauty of the Himalayan mountains contrasted with the lush, terraced gardens of the Hunza farmers. The Hunza people are renown not only for their beautiful […]
The Larestani people group of Southwestern Iran has a population of 115,000 Sunni Muslims. The Larestani are surrounded by Shi’ite Muslims, so religious tensions are often very high. The Larestani are farmers and shepherds; but as they are completely dependent on the little rainfall the region receives, are very poor. As a direct result of the difficulty in farming and shepherding, many Larestani have left their homeland […]
The Lembak, or Cul (population 231,000), live primarily on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. They are farmers whose main crop is rice, though some do farm and sell coffee and rubber. Families are close-knit; two family members accompany anyone leaving Sumatra to receive further training or work experience. When they finish their training, all three family members return.
They call themselves “Sindang Kelingi” or “Lembak Sindang Merdeka” […]
The Palaung people of Myanmar are divided into three groups, each of which has its own language. These three languages are all thriving; they are spoken in the home and markets by speakers of all ages. The Palaung live in the mountainous northern region where census taking is difficult and results uncertain. The Rumai Palaung number around 157,000; they have no Scriptures. The Shwe Palaung number […]