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BOOK REVIEW |
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BOOK REVIEW |
Ethnicity And Aspirations Martin Gaenszle highlights
the importance of ethnic identity among the Mewahang Rai of eastern Nepal By A CORRESSPONDENT Nepal, although very small in terms of geographical size, has an ethnic and cultural diversity few bigger countries can match. From the plains to the high hills and mountains, there are various ethnic groups and sub-groups that have been residing for centuries. Although King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great stressed the message of unity in diversity in Nepal, it has taken a long time for Nepal to realize this strength. With the restoration of democracy in 1990, the situation has changed and various steps have been taken to study the status and aspirations of ethnic groups. In the last 12 years, many studies and books have been published on the dynamism, origins and culture of ethnic groups. This book under review advances that understanding by analyzing the cultural and organizational structures of Mewahang Rai community of eastern Nepal. The writer, who completed his fieldwork in 1984-85 in affiliation with the Center for Nepal and Asian Studies, is among the well-organized studies on the Mewahang Rai. "Looking back at this book today, it may seem that this kind of comprehensive ethnographic study belongs to a genre which is slowly disappearing. Of course, conditions have changed and it is now possible to do more focused research which can build on previous work," says Gaenszle. "In the present study, I have tried to combine a local ethno history, analyses of social organization and a study of oral tradition in order to show that these domains are intrinsically linked." Kirantis are one of the biggest communities of eastern Nepal, but few studies have been conducted into their culture, language, structure and organization. Thanks to the publication of this book, many scholars and students will have a good opportunity to probe deeper into diversity of the country's heritage. Based on the findings of Gaenszle, this is the first published anthropological monograph on Kiranti mythology in its social and historical context. The book, prepared following an in-depth fieldwork in the Arun Valley (in the Makalu-Barun Areas), examines the narrative tradition of the Mewahang Rai and its intrinsic links to the idiom and practice of kinship. This approach elucidates the traditional notions constitutive of a self-image such as concepts of personhood, territory and landscape. Gaenszle, who teaches at the Department of Ethnology at the South Asian Institute of Heidelberg University, was the resident representative at the South Asia Institute in Kathmandu during 1987-1993.
Originally written in German as a doctoral dissertation (accepted at Heidelberg University in 1989), the book is a translated version. "Ever since, it has been my wish to make the book available in English, as this will make it accessible to a much wider audience, both in the international scientific community and also among others who have a specific interest in Kiranti culture and society, particular in Nepal," says Gaenszle. The study focuses mainly on issues of social organization and the political economy. According to the author, this particular Rai group is one of the largest sub-tribes and appears to be also one of the most traditional ones. Origins and Migrations |
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