A group of Ma ethnic women in the Central Highlands province of DakNong are sparing no efforts to pass down their traditional brocadeweaving skills to descendants in the hope that this traditionalprofession will live on.
H’khieu, a woman fromQuang Khe commune in Dak G’long district is celebrated for her talentand passion in creating brocade items. She is now responsible forteaching local villagers weaving techniques as a means to serve theirown family life and increase their income.
Anotherwoman from Dac Nia commune, Gia Nghia town called H’Bach confided thatnowadays very few youngsters are enthusiastic about the craft. Hence,local artisans are doing all they can to hand down their knittingexperiences to children in families and hamlets.
Vice Chairman of Quang Khe commune, K’Sieng, boasted that though brocadeweaving is not as popular as it used to be, many families in the regionstill persist in keeping their traditional weaving looms in a bid tomaintain the industry.
Local authorities havehelped villagers raise their keen awareness of reviving their ethniccultural quintessences so that they will not disappear, K’Sieng said.
The Ma ethnic people are known by other names likeChau Ma, Cho Ma and Che Ma. They live in their own villages called “bon”in Bao Loc, Di Linh and Da Te plateaus in the Central Highlands, and inthe southern province of Dong Nai . There are around five to tenstilt houses in each “bon”.
The Ma people have twokinds of family relations, including a large patriarchal family and asmall patriarchal family. The oldest person of the highest generation inthe family will run all of the household’s business and take care ofvaluable possessions such as gongs and jars.
Theybelieve in God (Yang), and worship many others like “Yang Hiu” (HouseGod), “Yang Koi” (Rice God) and “Yang Bonom” (Mountain God). They oftensacrifice animals to these Gods on the occasion of a good harvest,giving birth, or when someone is ill or dies.
TheMa people do not have a writing system. Their folk stories are passeddown orally from generation to generation, encompassing legends, fairytales and folk songs.
Ma youngsters like to wearmany copper bracelets with engraved signs of different sacrificialrituals to pray for good luck.-VNA
H’khieu, a woman fromQuang Khe commune in Dak G’long district is celebrated for her talentand passion in creating brocade items. She is now responsible forteaching local villagers weaving techniques as a means to serve theirown family life and increase their income.
Anotherwoman from Dac Nia commune, Gia Nghia town called H’Bach confided thatnowadays very few youngsters are enthusiastic about the craft. Hence,local artisans are doing all they can to hand down their knittingexperiences to children in families and hamlets.
Vice Chairman of Quang Khe commune, K’Sieng, boasted that though brocadeweaving is not as popular as it used to be, many families in the regionstill persist in keeping their traditional weaving looms in a bid tomaintain the industry.
Local authorities havehelped villagers raise their keen awareness of reviving their ethniccultural quintessences so that they will not disappear, K’Sieng said.
The Ma ethnic people are known by other names likeChau Ma, Cho Ma and Che Ma. They live in their own villages called “bon”in Bao Loc, Di Linh and Da Te plateaus in the Central Highlands, and inthe southern province of Dong Nai . There are around five to tenstilt houses in each “bon”.
The Ma people have twokinds of family relations, including a large patriarchal family and asmall patriarchal family. The oldest person of the highest generation inthe family will run all of the household’s business and take care ofvaluable possessions such as gongs and jars.
Theybelieve in God (Yang), and worship many others like “Yang Hiu” (HouseGod), “Yang Koi” (Rice God) and “Yang Bonom” (Mountain God). They oftensacrifice animals to these Gods on the occasion of a good harvest,giving birth, or when someone is ill or dies.
TheMa people do not have a writing system. Their folk stories are passeddown orally from generation to generation, encompassing legends, fairytales and folk songs.
Ma youngsters like to wearmany copper bracelets with engraved signs of different sacrificialrituals to pray for good luck.-VNA
