Ba Na ethnic group - a unique and distinctive culture

As the ethnic group with the largest population among the Mon-Khmer speaking ethnic groups in the Central Highlands and the second largest in Vietnam, the development history of the Ba Na ethnic group is closely linked to the history of the Central Highlands ethnic groups, forming a unique and distinctive culture. Let's find out information about the Ba Na ethnic group, Vietnam with iGuide.ai!

1. Historical origin

- The ancestors of the Ba Na people mainly lived in the area below Mang Yang mountain, along the two banks of the Ba River to the east to the bordering plain districts and mountainous districts of Binh Dinh province. Later, due to the impact of the migration process over the periods, the Ba Na people gradually moved west to the basins of the Ayun and Dak Bla rivers and all the way to Kon Tum as it is today. It can be said that the history of the Ba Na people is closely linked to the history of the ethnic groups in the Central Highlands.

- The Ba Na ethnic group has a common self-name “Bahnar”, which means “Mountain People”. In addition, they also have other names such as Bo Nam, Roh, Kon Kde, Ala Kong, Kpang Kong…

2. Geographic distribution

The Ba Na people's residential area is spread across the provinces of Gia Lai, Kon Tum and the western regions of Binh Dinh, Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa.

3. Population, language

- Population: According to the survey data of 53 ethnic minorities on April 1, 2019, the total population of the Ba Na people: 286,910 people; male population: 141,758 people; female population: 145,152 people; household size: 4.6 people/household; proportion of population living in rural areas: 89.5%.

- Language: The Ba Na people speak Ba Na - a language belonging to the Mon-Khmer group (Austroasiatic language family).

4. Main features

- Traditional social institutions: The Ba Na people live in villages, called plei. Ba Na villages are located in flat or relatively flat areas, along rivers and streams, with a small scale. Although the matriarchal system has disintegrated in Ba Na society, the remnants are still clearly shown in family, clan and marriage relationships such as: after marriage, the custom of residing at the wife's house is still popular.

- Housing: The Ba Na people live in stilt houses made of bamboo and thatch. In the past, stilt houses were dozens of rooms long and were the residence of a large family. Nowadays, people have replaced them with 3- or 5-room stilt houses for small families of 2 or 3 generations to live together.
Standing out among the Ba Na villages are the towering communal houses, built in the most solemn location in the village. That is the place where the village holds common cultural activities.

- Clothing: On normal days, Ba Na men wear loincloths and leave their shirts bare. Only on festival days do they wear shirts and wrap scarves around their heads. Women usually wear skirts, shirts and wrap scarves around their heads.

- Religion and beliefs: In the Ba Na belief system, life appears as a unified entity and is arranged by the hands of the gods (yang). In which, Bok Kei Dei and Yă Kuh Keh are the supreme pair of gods - the creators of everything and the caretakers of humans and crops. In addition, they also worship the Forest God (yang Bri), the Earth God (yang The), the Rock God (yang Tmo), the Mountain God (yang Kong), ...

- Cuisine: Every day, the Ba Na people eat rice. On special occasions or when having distinguished guests, the Ba Na people often drink wine made from rice, corn, cassava, millet, and fermented with a type of yeast made from herbs. Both men and women of the Ba Na people like to smoke.

- Education: Traditional education for Ba Na youth is regularly organized at the village house by the village elders. It is also the place to teach vocational skills, train in combat and learn the cultural traditions of the community.

According to the survey data of 53 ethnic minorities on April 1, 2019: the rate of people aged 15 and over who can read and write is 67.8%, the rate of people attending primary school is 99.6%, the rate of people attending lower secondary school is 69.1%, the rate of people attending upper secondary school is 20%, the rate of out-of-school children is 28.4%.

- Marriage: The Ba Na practice monogamy, with rotating residences and follow the principles of endogamy within the ethnic group and exogamy within the clan. At the end of each cycle of residence, the couple moves out to live separately.

- Festivals: In the past, the Ba Na people often celebrated the traditional New Year after the harvest. Currently, they celebrate the New Year according to the Kinh people.

5. Economic conditions

- The Ba Na people live mainly by slash-and-burn cultivation. Besides slash-and-burn cultivation, the Ba Na people also cultivate wet rice fields, dry rice fields, and grow perennial crops.

- Along with farming, each family often raises poultry and livestock. The Ba Na's handicrafts include weaving, forging, pottery, wood carving, etc., of which weaving and weaving play an important role in the ethnic group's life. Currently, the Ba Na's trading activities are mainly carried out with the Kinh people through local grocery stores, small trading service stores or traders and street vendors.

- According to the survey data of 53 ethnic minorities on April 1, 2019: The Ba-na ethnic group has: Unemployment rate of 1.71%; Rate of trained workers with degrees and certificates: 2.3%; Rate of workers working in the non-agricultural sector: 4.6%; Rate of workers working in management or high and middle-level technical and vocational jobs: 0.9%; Rate of poor households: 31.3%; Rate of near-poor households: 18.1%; Rate of households using clean water sources: 88.7%; Rate of households using grid electricity for lighting: 98.6%.

Above is some interesting information about the Ba Na ethnic group, Vietnam. Let's plan to explore, meet and experience the culture with the Ba Na people in the near future with iGuide.ai!

Source:
- Ethnic groups in Vietnam (National Political Publishing House Truth)
- Basic characteristics of 54 ethnic minorities in 2019 (Committee on Ethnic Minorities and General Statistics Office)
- Website of the Ethnic Committee, Website of Nhan Dan Newspaper
- Survey results collect information on the socio-economic status of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam)