Tribe Talking: Native Peoples in Vietnam

Hillary Easom, The Travel Queen shares . . .

Having spent eight months in Asia this past year, I have learned the necessity of developing canned answers to common questions. “What was the food like?” “Did you ever get sick?” “Were you ever afraid?” “What was your favorite place?”

To the latter, while every country I visited had its own magic and splendor, I always answer, “Vietnam.” And to the inevitable follow-up (“Why?”) I explain this: Vietnam is a gorgeous country that offers beaches, mountains, the Mekong Delta, and a history and culture that drew me in from the very start.

Soon after arriving in Vietnam, I was amazed to learn that the country’s population is composed of 54 different ethnic groups. These are categorized by distinct language differences, derived from the areas of Asia from which the people originally came. Migration to Vietnam transpired over thousands of years, though some ethnic groups have lived here only a few centuries. Most movement occurred for political reasons or the need for more fertile farmland. Visiting villages and learning more about native cultures was a definite priority when planning my Vietnamese travels.

The first opportunity arises during a motorcycle tour through the central highlands. Unbeknownst to me when the trip begins, my driver speaks 7 tribal languages, facilitating communication with people in several villages along our non-touristy route. This makes our visits more social and less intrusive, and I like feeling welcome.

We spend a night in an Ede longhouse, made of bamboo and straw and raised on wooden stilts. Since my driver knows the village chief, we are invited to dinner at his house, where we share traditional rice wine and many toasts. (“Nhítlé,” his favorite, means “Bottoms up!” I have to fake it after the first couple or I’ll end up on the floor.)

In subsequent days, we visit Bahnar villages, each with a rong house in the center: a communal building for ceremonies and other public activities. One Mnong woman is so mesmerized by my foreignness that she presents me with a hand-beaded necklace for good luck. Perhaps most striking are the people in northwest Vietnam. Among these are the Flower and Black Hmong, so named because of their clothing styles. I am told that in Vietnamese “Hmong” means “bottom,” and I have to smile whenever I spot a “flower-bottomed” woman.

This region’s markets are remarkably colorful. Each weekend, villagers buy and sell vibrant clothing and musical instruments, and smoke tobacco out of bamboo water pipes. Unlike many ethnic markets I have visited around the world, tourists here are in the minority; these markets service the local community. Mothers nurse their babies, men imbibe rice wine, and children entertain themselves in their parents’ stalls. That which beguiles me is commonplace to them. Children smile for my camera then run away giggling, probably thinking I’m crazy for staring in awe at their shy beauty.

I’ve always found people to be the most intriguing facet of international travel; this is definitely true in Vietnam. Upon returning to Hanoi, I spend several hours in the Museum of Ethnology. Designed with assistance from Paris’s Musée de l’Homme, this museum has numerous displays of the country’s different ethnic groups. Visitors can discover more about tribal dress, farming methods, household tools, and social traditions.

Additionally, there are life-sized reproductions of the various architectural styles just behind the main building. While nothing compares to an actual visit, the museum houses excellent educational displays about Vietnam’s people, and all groups are represented. It would take several excursions to encounter people from all 54 groups. I’m already planning my next trip.

© 2004 Hillary Easom