| Budget Amount *help |
¥10,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥10,800,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥3,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000)
Fiscal Year 2002: ¥4,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,000,000)
Fiscal Year 2001: ¥3,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000)
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| Research Abstract |
The aim of this research project on the cultures of the ethnic minorities living in the mountainous areas along the Mekong (Lancang River in Chinese), is to prove that in order to preserve forests, it is inappropriate to exclude the people who have lived in, used and worshipped the forests for a long time, but that on the contrary it is such people themselves that should be the main players. For this purpose we have tried to find and explain their cultures, especially on forest usage, and evaluate their ideas and the functions of their cultures for preserving natural environment in their ways they have used forests since time immemorial.
In this project we have researched in the mountainous ethnic minorities' area in the Mekong watershed, the grand international river that has lately attracted considerable attention as a potential subject of huge development plans. The nine villages we researched are the ones of 6 ethnic minorities in Menghai county of Xishuangbanna Dai nationality Auto
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nomous Region, Lincang county and Shuangjian county of Lincang Region, and Tengchong county of Baoshan Region (3 villages of Dai nationality,2 villages of Wa Nationality,1 village of each nationality of Bulang, Hani, Lisu and Lahu) in Yunnan Province. We focused on the four points : influence of the forest policies in village societies ; ethno-histories and transitions of natural environment ; forest usage and its results (customary laws and subsistence economy) ; cosmology.
As the results of our field researches, we can say that in 1960s and 70s most of the ethnic minorities who depended on forests for their lives had been gradually losing their self-directed lifestyles that used to have much relation with forests. This situation around ethnic minorities has been raised by huge destruction of forests that was caused rather by strong forces outside than by their own, and changeable policies. Before that greater historical turning point, almost all the ethnic minorities retained balanced traditional practices between using and preserving forests based on their religions and worldviews.
Considering the facts mentioned above, we suggest that from now on we should recognize and promote the self-direction of mountainous peoples in usage and management of forests not only for their own well beings but for preservation of natural environment contributing to the benefits of China and the neighboring countries along an international river, the Mekong. To recognize their self-directions does not mean to allow the peoples to use forests selfishly and to ignore such a certain danger as they would destroy forests. It entirely means to admire the minds of such ethnic minorities built-in their cultures that they have to manage carefully their own forests that they depend on to survive. Less
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