Page 133 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

1434 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

The Search for Pasturage

The Sherpa people of Nepal are one of the nomadic, or winter. In May the yak were driven to Lapharma,
semi-nomadic peoples, of the mountains of South Asia. where there was even less grazing, but where they
As described below, they must move in order to find were fed on the hay stored in Dorje’s house. By the
pastures for their cattle. beginning of June new grass sprouted on the pastures
near Khumjung and Dorje’s herd, like those of other
Periodic movements from pasture to pasture are an
villagers, was brought down and kept at various resa-
essential element of the Sherpas’ cattle economy.
camps above Teshinga and Khumjung.
Their extent and range, however, varies with the size
In July, however, all cattle had to leave the hill-slopes
of herds.The owner of a small herd may base his yak
close to the area of cultivation, and part of Dorje’s
for five months in the year on the main village, move
family moved with the yak to their yersa-settlement at
with his animals to higher pastures for another five
Lapharma, where by that time the pastures were cov-
months and spend perhaps two months at one or
ered by a carpet of luscious grass and flowers. After
two gunsa-settlements.A man owning thirty or more
a few weeks herdsmen and herd moved further up to
yak, on the other hand, may keep them only one
the settlement of Macherma. There Dorje Ngungdu
month out of twelve in the main village, and take
and five other families celebrated the Yer-chang rite,
them even during part of the winter to some high
which is designed to ensure the well-being of the herds.
yersa-settlements.
During the first part of September the yak remained
This system can be demonstrated by tracing the
at Macherma, and the grass on the walled-in mead-
annual movements of the herds of two men of Khum-
ows was cut and dried.When the hay had been safely
jung: Dorje Ngungdu, who in 1957 owned 8 female
stored, the herd was driven down to Lapharma and
yak and 1 bull, and Ang Tandin, who owned 2 male
haymaking began there.
and 32 female yak, 1 female cross-breed and 1 bull.
Two members of the family stayed with the yak at
Dorje Ngungdu kept his cattle in Khumjung from
Lapharma until the middle of October. By that time
November until March, and during that time the ani-
the harvest in Teshinga had been completed and the
mals grazed as long as possible on the surrounding
cattle could be moved down to this gunsa-settlement.
slopes, and from December onwards were fed on hay
In its vicinity there was still ample grazing and when,
and the dried stalks of buckwheat stored in Khum-
at the end of October, Khumjung was reopened to
jung. In April his son took the herd to Chermalung,
the cattle, Dorje brought his yak back to the village,
a site near some caves half-way between Teshinga and
kept them at night in a harvested field next to his
Lapharma. Dorje Ngungdu had a store of hay in
house and during the day let them graze on the hill-
Lapharma, which was then still under snow, and he
slopes above the village.
hired men to carry some of this hay to Chermalung
Source: von Fürer-Haimendorf, C. (1975). Himalayan Traders: Life in Highland Nepal
to supplement the meagre food found on the pas- (pp. 52–53). London: John Murray.
tures which had only just emerged from that grip of
Desert Middle East and and serving as mercenaries. Nomads who only raise cam-
North Africa: Camels els live mostly in Arabia (the peninsula of southwestern
The Sahara and Arabian Deserts are home to Bedouins Asia including Saudi Arabia,Yemen, and the Persian Gulf
who specialize in raising the dromedary (one-humped) states) and have the widest migration circuits, which
camel for food and transport.They derive other income allow them to exploit deep desert pastures where only
by extorting dates from oasis farmers, raiding other camels can survive because water is so scarce. A larger
nomads for camels, selling camels for the caravan trade, number of nomads in north Africa and other parts of the