Sherpa Culture
This is an excerpt from the paper...
For hundreds of years the Sherpas existed in the Mount Everest region of the Himalayas, after having migrated there from Tibet in the 16th century. Until the 1950s it has been generally assumed that the Sherpas led a relatively stable existence based on agriculture and pastoralism. The crop and stock-raising lifestyle seen in the first half of the 20th century was presumed to be a traditional, static one. It is generally assumed that the potato-based agrarian economy and nak-based pastoralism had been static and the status-quo for many generations. However, even before the dynamic changes that affected the region and culture after 1950, the Sherpas were an adaptive people and their lifestyle had experienced dynamic changes. The Sherpas contend that they lived a ore “dynamic history of innovation and adaptation. Sherpas suggest that since the late nineteenth century few aspects of crop production or pastoralism have remained static. The crop repertoire, cropping patterns, total amount of land under cultivation, technology, agricultural knowledge and belief, and community regulation of agricultural practices have all changed significantly” (Stevens 213-214).Nonetheless, whatever agriculture or pastoral orientation changes have been experienced by the Sherpas before the 1950s, their Buddhist nature remained in tact. Sherpa natives represent one of the few strongholds of traditional Vajrayana faith and have maintained Buddhism’s religiou
. . .
many hikers pause at a Buddhist temple at the beginning of the climb in order to perform the ritual known as puja (worship), wherein hikers light butter lamps to win the blessings of the gods for a safe and successful climb, “Flickering light cast by 25,000 butter lamps limns the lines of Bodhnath, a most revered temple for Kathmandu’s large Tibetan community. Traditionally, climbing groups bound for Everest, pause here first, and light at least a few lamps in hopes of propitiating with offerings and ensuring success and safety” (Sherpa 1).
Nonetheless, the impact of the outside world has down more to disrupt and erode the Buddhist values of the Sherpa culture than it has done to preserve them. For example, the government that controls the Sherpas is Hindu in nature and ideology. Government schools do not offer Buddhist teaching of cultural values and any Sherpas develop an inferiority in comparison to Hindus. Further, no access to formal education in their native language or culture exists for the Sherpas. Thus, many young Sherpas abandon their cultural heritage and identity in order to gain access to education and employment opportunities. In addition to this, the mountain hikers, trekkers and tourists have devastat
. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
Mount Everest, Ganggar Stevens, Tibet Chinese, Mt Everest, Sherpas High-altitude, Sherpas Sherpas, Austrian Christof, Kathmandus Tibetan, Sherpas Hindu, Chinese Tibet, sherpa culture, outside world, chinese occupation, tourism development, impact outside, affected region culture, development increased, increased region, region culture, degree tourism, successful climb, development increased region, dec 16 1998, impact outside world, degree tourism development,
Approximate Word count = 1609
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
More Essays on Sherpa Culture
|
Customer Service
to Over
32,000 Professionally Written Papers!!!
