Mountain People Research Articles

Appalachia on the Table: Representing Mountain Food and People by Erica Abrams Locklear (review)

Appalachia on the Table: Representing Mountain Food and People by Erica Abrams Locklear (review)

Elevation-dependent dynamics of soil properties in a hilly watershed: a landform-based approach.

Understanding the variation of soil physical properties in relation to land use and elevation is essential for modeling soil-landscape relationships and sustainable land management. Hence, this study investigates the spatio-temporal variability of soil physical properties in a lower Himalayan watershed, where agriculture, forest, and grasslands are dominant. Samples from 104 sites in a 422 km2 watershed were collected using a gridded sampling scheme (2km × 2km resolution) over 57weeks. Spatial patterns were analyzed using the Kriging technique, and Spearman rank correlation was employed to identify landform-dependent correlations between soil properties and elevation. The interdependence of the properties was detected using principal component analysis (PCA), while the random forest (RF) approach explored the factors influencing electrical conductivity (EC), organic content (OC), soil temperature (ST), and soil moisture (SM). The results revealed that forest landforms have higher coarser fractions (40%) compared to other landforms, while grasslands have higher soil fines (66%). A positive correlation was observed for elevation with sand content (0.15*), organic content (0.42*), and specific gravity (0.03), while a negative correlation was observed for silt (0.10), clay (0.21*), bulk density (0.52*), electrical conductivity (0.41*), soil moisture (0.28*), and temperature (0.31*). Elevation, soil texture, and specific gravity were identified as critical controls for EC, OC, ST, and SM, emphasizing the importance of soil properties, especially elevation and texture, in shaping spatial distributions. These findings contribute to creating a high-resolution regional inventory for effective land use management, adaptation to climate change, and improved livelihood, specifically for mountain people.

Образовательная деятельность подразделений Отдельного Кавказского корпуса в контексте политики по включению Кавказа в общеимперское пространство (первая половина XIX века)

The aim of the research is to reveal the essence and specificity of the educational activities of the Separate Caucasus Corps within the framework of Russian authorities’ efforts to integrate the Caucasus into the common imperial space. The paper examines the educational activities and policies of units and subdivisions of the Russian army stationed in the Caucasus. Educating representatives of the mountain peoples was considered by the Russian authorities as one of the instruments for spreading Russian power in the Caucasus region through the transmission of common imperial values. Concurrently, personnel were being trained for the army and the regional administration. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that military units, which acted as organizers of educational institutions, served as the primary subjects of educational activities. Educational activities are considered within the context of the relationship between Russian authorities and local peoples against the backdrop of the Caucasian War. As a result, it has been found that schools for the local population played a significant role in integrating the mountain peoples of the North Caucasus into Russian culture and education, contributing to the formation of the first generations of national intellectuals and strengthening mutual understanding between Russia and the Caucasus. Educational activities became one of the technologies not only for strengthening Russian power in the Caucasus region but also for integrating the region into the civilizational space of the Russian Empire.

Changes In Worldview Through the Study of The Transformation of Marriage Among the Ede People in Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province, Vietnam

The Ede people are one of the long-established ethnic groups in the Central Highlands. The unique culture of this ethnic group is reflected in various architectural works, festivals, rituals, and customs. This article analyzes the human values in marriage and the changes in worldview regarding marriage among the Ede people in Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province, Vietnam.

Caregivers’ Perspectives About Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing of Next Generation of Hill Tribe Children in Institutional Care in Northern Thailand: A Descriptive Qualitative Study

ABSTRACT Children who grow up in institutional care are usually separated from their families. Separation from families can have lasting negative effects on the physical, cognitive and emotional development of these children. The study aimed to explore the perspectives of caregivers about the health and psychosocial wellbeing of the new generation of Hill Tribe Children in institutional care. Data collection involves both focus group interviews and in-depth one-to-one interviews. Thematic analysis was applied to derive key themes from the data. Four themes emerged from the analysis, namely, (1) Persistent health problems, including lice, scabies, and dental caries; (2) Challenging emotional and behavioral expressions of Generation Z children, including physical and verbal aggression, emotional suppression, and fading social and cultural etiquette; (3) Tensions between discipline and children “s rights; and (4) Emotional fulfillment accompanied by exhaustion. Caregivers” perspectives highlighted the challenges of working with Hill Tribe children. Further training may be needed to manage the balance between addressing the evolving needs of a new generation of Hill Tribe children and preserving their cultural background.

Study of the population genetic structure of Opisthorchis-like eggs in northern Thailand using mitochondrial genes.

Opisthorchis-like eggs are a public health problem in northern and northeastern Thailand. However, the genetic epidemiology and structure of these parasites in northern Thailand are unknown. Thus, this study investigated their population genetic structure using cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) nucleotide sequences. A study was conducted in the hill tribe regions of Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. Internal transcribed spacer 2 polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism were used to distinguish 205 positive feces samples for Opisthorchis-like eggs. The results showed that the prevalence of O. viverrini and Haplorchis taichui was 10.5% and 38.2%, respectively, and the co-infection rate was 37.2%. To determine the genetic structure of O. viverrini and H. taichui using cox1 and nad1 genes, genetic analysis was performed using 30 randomly chosen fecal samples for Opisthorchis-like eggs. Pairwise FST analysis indicated that O. viverrini and H. taichui displayed nonsignificant genetic differentiation within Chiang Mai Province and between interpopulations from different geographic areas. Moreover, within the intrapopulation in Chiang Mai Province,cox1 presented higher gene flow than nad1 in O. viverrini, while nad1 demonstrated higher gene flow than cox1 in H. taichui. The neutrality tests based on Fu's Fs indicated population expansion and selective sweep from bottleneck or hitchhiking in O. viverrini and H. taichui populations, supported by haplotype network patterns. Phylogenetic tree analysis based on cox1 and nad1 revealed the monophyly of O. viverrini and H. taichui and genetic relationships with other isolates collected from Thailand, Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), and Vietnam. This study investigated the molecular discrimination and genetic structure of Opisthorchis-like eggs in northern Thailand. The genetic information derived from this study could be associated with the background, molecular epidemiology, and disease severity of these parasites.

Book Review: Appalachia on the Table: Representing Mountain Food and People

Book Review: Appalachia on the Table: Representing Mountain Food and People

Cultivation of White Button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) for Economic Empowerment of hill people in Uttarakhand

Cultivation of White Button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) for Economic Empowerment of hill people in Uttarakhand

World Heritage and human rights

This paper describes the protracted nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage (WH) List of the Keang Krachan Forest Complex, Thailand and the issues it exposed. The complex was inscribed in 2021, seven years after it was first nominated, despite ongoing conflict with indigenous Karen hunter-gatherer communities. The nomination was referred back to the state party by the WH Committee in 2015, 2016 and 2019 for reasons related to inconclusive and out-of-date ecological information, and human rights issues associated with the forced resettlement of Karen hill tribe people living within its proposed boundaries. In 2020 the nomination was resubmitted during the 4th mandate of the Thai state party on the WH Committee, and the property was inscribed contrary to a formal recommendation to defer the nomination, and despite repeated communications from the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights to the WH Centre, the Thai government and the WH Committee seeking resolution of community and human rights issues prior to inscription. Decisions that run contrary to the advice of the WH Committee’s three advisory bodies have become an abiding and troubling aspect of the Committee’s decision-making, reflecting a trend in the politicisation of Committee sessions that has increased over more than 20 years, to a point where it now threatens the integrity of the World Heritage system. This paper examines how the state party pursued its WH ambitions and the impacts this had on particular indigenous Karen communities during national designation and nomination to the WH List. It demonstrates the issues that arise due to legacy nature conservation approaches to the management of extensive natural protected areas.

INDIA: UNDERSTANDING THE HILLS-VALLEY DIVIDE AND MEITEI-KUKI CONFLICT IN MANIPUR

This paper explores the notion of the hills-valley divide in Manipur, focusing on the divide between Meitei people and hill tribes and its consequences on ethnic conflict. It examines the hills-valley divide through secondary data such as articles, news reports, and talks. The Meiteis, the largest community, enjoy power in all aspects of life. Due to poor representation in the Legislative Assembly, tribals have a lesser voice in decision-making. Moreover, since funds are allocated by population size, dwellers have a natural advantage over hill people. The existing hills valley divide and development inequality lead to misunderstanding between the tribals and the non-tribals in Manipur. The tribals of Manipur came up with different demands for developing their respective areas and safeguarding their identity. However, their demands were never fulfilled by the Meitei-led Manipur government. The state government tried to change the law to alienate tribal land in a very well-planned manner. This creates inter-ethnic tensions, and tribal political problems have remained unresolved. This paper suggests that the state must for mulate policies for Manipur’s moral and emotional integration by proportionately diversifying developmental infrastructure. Keywords: Manipur, hills-valley divide, buffer zone, ethnic clash, violence.

Livelihood Options and Agrobiodiversity in Mountain Settlements of Manang District

Mountain ecosystems are experiencing rapid changes in natural environmental conditions and human activities including tourism and development activities. And such factors have substantial impacts on the livelihood of mountain people. Increasing road networks towards the rural settlements have increased the availability of goods and services from the nearby markets, thereby contributing to shifting away from traditional agricultural practices in the rural mountain settlements in Nepal. In this study, we sought to analyze the impact of tourism on agrobiodiversity and livelihood strategies in different villages of Manang with different level of tourist flow; low at Naar, moderate at Ngawal/Khangsar and high at Manang Nysyang. We used semi-quantitative field inventory data to compare diversity on agricultural plant species and livelihood options in these valleys. The study involved 72 households including 16 in Naar village, 26 in Ngawal/Khangsar and 30 in Upper Manang (Nysyang). We have confirmed a total of 60 species of agrobiodiversity in these mountain settlements (excluding microorganisms), with the minimum diversity at Naar Village with 28 species, and with maximum diversity in Upper Manang (51 species). The total number of species under agrobiodiversity is very poor in the mountain settlements of Manang which forms less than 1% of total agricultural species (60/6618) in Nepal. The poor agrobiodiversity in Manang is highly threatened due to various natural and anthropogenic drivers. We believe that our findings will be highly instrumental while making plans and policies for conservation of regional agrobiodiversity in context of changing climate and intensified human activities.

Национальная специфика и классовое искусство: от многообразия к унитаризму

The article highlights one of the key moments in the formation of the North Caucasian peoples’ national literature in the process of their integration into the USSR’s shared cultural space. The author notes that, despite the unity of the socio-social and economic systems of the region, the proximity of their cultures, the systems of verbal creativity of the mountain peoples had their own specific features, manifested not only at the general philosophical and conceptual levels but also in the models of apperception themselves. On the examples of poetic texts by K. Khetagurova, B. Pacheva, K. Mechieva, the essence of the reflex transformation process is considered in sufficient detail and, convincingly, its specific techniques and mechanisms are determined. The departure from the plastic “textured” sensation leads to an organic understanding of ideological and respon-sible symbolism, anticipating the flourishing of national poetry within the boundaries of ethnical-ly authentic apperceptive models. The latter, in turn, received a complete and perfect expression, as in the work of K.Kuliyev, as well as in the poems of his followers, who developed sensitive, materialized ideas on a new, symbolic level of their interpretations.

«Народная партия горцев Кавказа»: идеология, деятельность и кризисы

The aim of the article is to consider the history of the creation, ideology and main stages of the activity of one of the main parties of North Caucasians in exile - the “People’s Party of the Cauca-sus Highlanders,” which functioned in Europe from 1926 until the start of World War II. The sources of this article were the documents from the archives of France and Russia, as well as arti-cles by the leaders of this party. The party’s head, a Turkish citizen and the grandson of Imam Shamil - Said, is given special focus, as is the role of Polish politician and military figure Tadeusz Schetzel. The author investigates party membership, ideology, and the attitudes of its ideologists (B. Bilatti, T. Elekhoti, B. Baitugan, etc.) toward the “Caucasian Confederation” concept. This ar-ticle aims to study the tools of the party’s activities (future war, League of Nations, etc.). There are four periods in the party’s activity: 1926–1930, 1931–1933, 1934–1936, 1937–1939. The au-thor investigates both internal and foreign issues in the party. The “People’s Party of the Caucasus Mountain People,” on the one hand, did not have significant success in the socio-political life of North Caucasian emigrants in Europe in the 1920s-1930s, did not gain authority and respect among compatriots, but, on the other hand, it was a very important experience in the highlanders’ political activities and a very deep stage in the development of their political self-awareness.

Терек и Дагестан на рубеже 1917-1918 гг. в описании генерала А.И. Деникина

The article touches upon the topics related to the reflection of the development of the revolution and the Civil War in the Tersk-Dagestan region at the turn of 1917-1918 in the description of General A.I. Denikin in the 2nd volume of “Essays of the Russian Troubles”. The author examines a wide range of issues related to the revolutionary process in the North Caucasus after the Bolshe-viks seized power. The emphasis is on the fact that, due to historical, territorial, and national qual-ities, one of the first anti-Bolshevik hubs was established in the former Russian Empire’s south-east. Because of historical peculiarities of the region’s development in the period 1917-1920, rela-tions between the Terek Cossacks and nonresidents, and the Terek Cossacks and Ossetians, Che-chens and Ingush intensified. To understand the regional alignment of forces, General A.I. Denikin gave brief characteristics of local peoples and their role in revolutionary events. On the one hand, the emphasis is placed on the indomitable, superficial Bolshevism of the mountain peoples who used the revolutionary restructuring of Russian society for self-serving interests, on the other hand, the passive role of the Terek Cossacks was noted, on which, including General A.I. Denikin, hopes were pinned in the fight against regional Bolshevism. Separately, General A.I. Denikin con-sidered two regional attempts to create an interregional military-political movement against the Bolshevization of the North Caucasus. The first concerned the created in May 1917 Union of the United Highlanders of the North Caucasus and Dagestan, later, in December 1917, joined forces with the Terek Cossack government and formed the Provisional Terek-Dagestan Government headed by the Terek ataman M.A. Karaulov. The second attempt, which concerned the creation of a wider representation of the South-Eastern Union in September 1917, seemed to General A.I. Denikin more promising, however, because of prevailing military and political situation in revolu-tionary Russia in the autumn of 1917, it failed. Separately, it is worth noting the regret that the general reflected on the pages of his memoirs due to the fact that a real opportunity was missed to unite the White Guards and the mountain liberal movement into a single anti-Bolshevik camp.

Trade and economic relations of Eastern Caucasus with Russia (17th–18th centuries)

Importance. In the 17th–18th centuries the development and strengthening of trade and economic relations between the peoples of Eastern Caucasus and the Russian state took place, which became systematic since the second half of the 16th century. The urgency of the work is due to the importance of studying these relationships, identifying the ways in which trade and economic relations took place. The aim of the paper is to consider the relations of the peoples of Eastern Caucasus with Russia, to reflect the role of cities, villages acting as trade centers between peoples.Materials and Methods. The object of the study was trade and economic relations of the peoples of Eastern Caucasus with Russia. The main scientific methods used in the paper can be attributed – the method of description, synthesis, analysis, the principle of objectivity, etc.Results and Discussion. It is noted the growing role of cities as trade centers, through which trade routes passed to different countries. Thus, Tersky city is a link in the trade of the peoples of Eastern Caucasus with the Russian state. Local feudal owners are given free trade for loyalty to the Russian state, which testified to the further development of the productive forces of the region and external economic relations. The peoples of Eastern Caucasus traded with the townspeople and merchants of Astrakhan, from Terki to Astrakhan went goods and products of Caucasian production and from Astrakhan to the mountain people are delivered Russian, Western European and Eastern goods. In the 18th century, in Eastern Caucasus there are trading centers, where the exchange of goods is conducted between the plain and the mountainous parts.Conclusion. Initially, the trade of the peoples of Eastern Caucasus with the neighboring peoples is of an exchange nature. Gradually there is a transition to the development of commodity and monetary relations, which is characteristic for foreign trade operations. The local feudal elite are mainly involved in trade, which managed the process through their own people, and later the middle classes became involved.

Assessment of Indigenous Hill People of Meghalaya, India regarding Household Food Access

Background: While the broad issue of food security has generally received attention of the researchers, the particularities in hills and mountains has remained neglected. Thus, to provide some insights on food insecurity regarding mountain specificities, the current study aims to evaluate household food access of indigenous hill people in Meghalaya, India. Methods: Food access is a measure of household’s ability to acquire available food over a given period. In the current study, a sample of 900 people from indigenous population were randomly selected from rural Khasi, Garo and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya. Household food access was explored with the following indicators: household wealth and income; household dietary diversity score (HDDS), and food consumption score (FCS). Data collection was done during December, 2019 to September, 2020. Results: The sample households are characterised by the predominance of marginal farmers (93% to 97%). Most of them were in the category of borderline food security with the FCS of between 21.5 to 35.0. Starchy staples were considered the main component of their diet. Their dietary diversity was significantly correlated with income (correlation coefficient=0.22) and wealth (correlation coefficient=0.38) at 0.01 level of significance. Conclusion: As dietary diversity at household is related to income and wealth, scarcity of income and wealth regarding indigenous hill population was an obvious reason for poor dietary diversity and the resultant poor dietary quality at the household level. To increase local food production and improve dietary diversity of indigenous hill people, revitalizing and strengthening local food systems is of great significance.

Романовы на Кавказе в отражении письменных источников XIX – начала XX вв.

The article discusses the visits of representatives of the Romanov dynasty to the Caucasus and their influence on the life and customs of the mountain peoples of the Northern Caucasus. To at-tain this goal, a combination of legislative, administrative, personal history sources, and infor-mation from periodicals were used. Each type of historical source helped shed light on the unique nature of these relationships, highlighting their significance for both the Romanovs and the moun-tain peoples. Legislative sources allowed for the detailed examination of agrarian reforms, show-ing that despite Alexander II’s assertion of projects to grant land to the mountaineers, and thus be-coming law for all subjects of the Russian Empire, under pressure from the mountaineers who identified many flaws in these projects, the government was forced to reconsider the results of the reform and make significant amendments to the final version of landownership and land use in the Northern Caucasus. The memoirs of S. Siukhov depict one of the most tragic episodes of the Cau-casian War: the meeting of Emperor Alexander II with representatives of the Adyghe peoples, which ended in a new confrontation. The majority of Adyghe society chose departure to Turkey over relocation to the plains. Administrative sources described Alexander III’s meeting with rep-resentatives of the Kabardian and Balkar peoples, which resulted in the granting of alpine mead-ows to mountaineers.

Чеченцы и ингуши в Османской империи во второй половине XIX в.: процессы эмиграции и реэмиграции

The mountain peoples of the North Caucasus were forced to relocate to the Ottoman Empire in the mid-19th century as a result of the Russian Empire's deliberate strategy. The High Porte was also highly interested in relocating the highlanders to its domain. The article examines the process of Chechen and Ingush return to their homeland from the Ottoman Empire. The author focuses on the difficulties encountered by the re-emigrants, describ-ing the ways the highlanders resettled back home. In spite of the fact that resettlement flows con-tinued throughout the 1860s. The active phase of Chechen and Ingush emigration took place in 1865. Statistical data shows that the process of Chechen and Ingush return to their homeland was not widespread because there were no organized activities on the part of the Ottoman and Russian empires. Overall, it was a rather piecemeal, chaotic and spontaneous process that lasted through-out the 19th century. Some highlanders still managed to return to their former places of residence; others were settled in remote regions of the Russian Empire. However, many were forbidden to return to their homeland. In addition, the position of the official authorities of the two countries was quite clear – their return was undesirable. Those who remained in the Ottoman Empire subse-quently formed the basis of today's Vainakh diasporas in Turkey, Syria, and Jordan. The study is based on materials from the Russian archives.

Exploring the Value and Potential to Commercialize Underutilized Leafy Vegetables Found in Karbi Anglong District, Assam, India

The present paper deals with the identification, documentation and exploration of diverse underutilized leafy vegetables consumed by the Karbi tribes of Karbi Anglong District, Assam. The NE region of India is the Gateway to India’s richest biodiversity zones important for the genetic resources’ world over. Genetic diversity of such underutilized leafy vegetables is concentrated or common in Northeast India more particularly in Karbi Anglong Hill District of Assam, which is considered to be one of the hotspots of the biodiversity in the world. The Indigenous and underutilized leafy vegetables are a source of livelihood for the local/ethnic communities of the district. In addition to food security these are also a part of culture and tradition for most of the hill tribes. These underutilized leafy vegetables are mostly found in wild forms as non-timber forest products and other natural habitats though some are domesticated and cultivated. The richness of plant diversity is largely due to ecological diversity superimposed with tribal and ethnic diversification, plant usage and religious rituals. The present paper deals with some of the common underutilized leafy vegetables used by the karbi communities. From the survey conducted in different local markets/weekly markets altogether 30 species belonging to 23 families were reported from the study area. These plant species were found to be morphologically different from each other and were found to important in the Karbi Anglong District of Assam because of their medicinal values and provide economic benefit for the rural poor people. Tabulation has been done according to their Scientific name with families, vernacular name(karbi), plant parts used, common uses, mode of propagation, ITK’s. etc. These plant species are used as vegetables which are having higher nutritional properties than commonly cultivated vegetables. Underutilized leafy vegetables and wild edible plants constitute an essential part in variation of diet and bring nutritional security and act as cheap source of healthcare component among ethnic communities. Therefore, there is a need for conducting systematic studies and research-based information on these plant species so as to establish them as economically viable crop. Domestication and bringing into cultivation is the need of the hour for promotion of these herbs beyond their confined locality. Studies on adaptability of these plant species in different environment are also important for their promotion as commercial crop.

A participatory learning management model of indigenous knowledge for creative economy of Karen in Thai-Myanmar Border

ABSTRACT The Karen is the largest hill tribe in Thailand, living in densely forested areas on the Thai-Myanmar border for centuries. This study aims to develop a participatory learning management model of indigenous knowledge for creative economy. The qualitative research purposively selected participants based on a village complex of four Karen major subgroups including Pga K’nyau (White Karen), Pwo (Red Karen), Pa-O (Black Karen), and Kayah (Long Neck Karen). This participatory action research applied three techniques including Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), Appreciation Influence Control (AIC), and Future Search Conference (FSC) to provide opportunities for participants to take part in this study. The findings found that a participatory learning management model of indigenous knowledge for creative economy requires knowledge integration and holistic learning processes. The knowledge integration and holistic learning processes must be sustainable in several areas including: being environmentally friendly, building pride, adding values, as well as maintaining identity. This paper offers policy implications on indigenous education.