End of the road: The changing lives of Bhutan’s yak herders
In the mountainous far east of Bhutan, the hardy Brokpa tribe have herded yak for centuries. These are the last days of their isolated existence. Will the new road bring everything these communities hope, like better opportunities for their families, or will their unique identity be lost in the race to modernize? TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS…
Vanishing tongues
Languages of some remote communities are in immediate danger of extinction Lama Shacha Tenzin, Angay Choden and Dadum have one thing in common besides being elderly members of their communities. They share a concern for the tongues they speak. Lama Shacha Tenzin, 80, is from a remote village call Daksa in Gongdue, Mongar. Choden, 78,…
Olep tribe on the cusp of change
Three decades after the tribe of hunters settled down in Rukha, the Olep community is not far from catching up with the rest of the country. On the foothills of southern Wangduephodrang, is a small village of Rukha in Adha gewog encircled by a mixed conifer forest, undergoing rapid change as the country itself braces…
Bhutan – The Olep community of Rukha
Bhutan’s government and royal family provide a role model in taking a long-term, holistic view on all decision making relating to its people and land and, with 70% of the country required by law to remain under forest cover, it is the only carbon negative country in the world. But Bhutan’s culture is vulnerable and…
Comprehensive Community Development for Poverty Alleviation [for Oleps]
Finalist 2015|Bhutan This project focused on the Olep ethnic group who live on the western fringes of an important national park in the west central part of Bhutan. Originally a nomadic hunter gatherer community, the Olep were encouraged by the government to settle in Rukha in the early 1970s, so that they could benefit from…
Rukha Community Centre in Wangdue to serve as Olep’s museum
Her Majesty the Gyalyum Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, the Founder and President of the Tarayana Foundation inaugurated the Rukha Community Centre in Wangdue Phodrang on October 19.The centre is a part of the Cultural Sanctuary Project implemented by the Olep community of Rukha in collaboration with Tarayana and the Cultural Sanctuaries Foundation based in the US.The…
Guesthouse for the Olep community to be completed soon
Locals in Rukha chiwog under Wangdue Phodrang have to host visiting officials at their homes since the community is one of the most remote places without a proper guesthouse. However, with the ongoing construction of a two-storied guesthouse, the problem will soon be solved.Tarayana foundation provided the construction materials while the community manages the labour…
The dying language of the Oleps
Only two people remain who speaks the language The Ole language which belongs to the Olep people is on the verge of extinction with only two Oleps who can speak the language. Currently there are only two old ladies, Choday and Mindu Gyem both in their 70’s who can fluently speak the Ole language at…
Saving the highlanders
In a few years’ time Yeedpa (fermented cheese) and yak meat might just make it to your last supper and chugo (hard cheese) maybe a story of a rock-hard milk candy that you tell your children about if yak herders opt off their nomadic life. This is indeed a possibility if there are no developmental activities to enhance the yak herders’ socio-economic…
How development and modernization has changed the lives of Brokpas
Although people of Sakteng Gewog under Trashigang dzongkhag are happy with development activities like road, electricity, network connection, health and education facilities, they are worried that with such development and with villagers exposed to new things, it might result in destabilization of their culture and traditions. The people of Sakteng are however determined to protect…
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Anthropology of Bhutan 