Ma ethnic characteristics

The Ma people are long-standing residents of the Central Highlands. The Ma people live mainly by farming, so they still retain many customs, beliefs and cultures that bear the mark of their people. Let's find out information about the Ma people in Vietnam with iGuide.ai!

History of the Origin of the Ma People

Historical origin The Ma people are an ethnic minority that have long lived in the southern Central Highlands. With diverse self-names, they are distinguished by their residential areas such as Ma Blao, Ma Da Dong, Ma Da Huoai, and by local groups such as Ma Ngan, Ma Xop, Ma To and Ma Krung.

Population

According to the 53 Ethnic Minority Survey on April 1, 2019, the Ma ethnic group currently has 50,322 people, of which the male population is 24,401 and the female population is 25,921. The average household size is 4.7 people/household.

Geographic Distribution

The Ma people mainly reside in the areas bordering the Da Lat plateau, through Bao Lam, Bao Loc, Da Huoai, Duc Trong and Di Linh districts of Lam Dong province, and partly in the buffer zone of Cat Tien national forest to the southwest of Binh Phuoc and Dong Nai provinces.

Language and Education

The Ma people belong to the Austroasiatic language family, the Mon-Khmer language group, and are closely related to the languages of the Mnong, Choro, Xtieng, and Co-ho ethnic groups. They do not have their own written language, and after 1975, the Ma people began to learn the common language.

According to the Survey of 53 Ethnic Minorities on April 1, 2019, the rate of people aged 15 and over who can read and write in the common language is 70.8%. The rate of primary school attendance is 100.1%, lower secondary school 77.6%, high school 33.3%, and the rate of out-of-school children is 24.4%. Only 20.1% of Ma people aged 15 and over can read and write their own ethnic language.

Main Features

Housing: The Ma people used to live in long houses, with about 20 - 30 households. These houses were often the symbol of a clan, and every time a new family came along, they would add a house on either side of the main house without any partitions.

History and Beliefs: The Ma follow the lunar calendar and are mainly polytheistic. Gods (Yang) control human life through supernatural forces such as the Mountain God (Yang bò nôm), House God (Yang hiu), Rice God (Yang koi), River God (Yang đà)... The biggest sacrificial ceremony is the buffalo stabbing ceremony to thank the Gods after the farming season.

Traditional Costume: Men wear loincloths, women wear long, tight-fitting dresses with simple patterns and beads. The custom of tooth filing and ear stretching no longer exists.

Traditional Musical Instruments: The Ma people are famous for their set of 6 knobless bronze gongs and musical instruments such as bamboo lute, gourd trumpet, mouth harp, and lithophone.

Culture: The Ma people preserve their legends, fairy tales, and Ma folk songs. However, only about 4.4% of the Ma people know how to sing traditionally and 1.2% know how to play traditional musical instruments.

Social Relations

The village is the highest social unit, with a village head (quang bon) at the head and presiding over community ceremonies. The patriarchal extended family and the patriarchal small family are two common family forms, with the head of the extended family being the oldest person in the clan.

Wedding

According to Ma convention, relatives can still marry, but it must be at least three generations old. Boys and girls have the right to court each other and usually live with their husbands after marriage. However, the husband must live with his wife for a few years, depending on economic conditions.

Economic Conditions

Agriculture plays a major role in the life of the Ma people, with innovations in crop varieties and technology application. Nowadays, in addition to farming, the Ma people also develop fish farming, livestock and commercial poultry, and are famous for weaving.

According to the 53 Ethnic Minority Survey, the poverty rate is 14.1%, near-poor households are 7.7%, and the unemployment rate among the Ma community is 0.48%. Only 3.7% of trained workers have degrees or certificates, and 8.8% of workers work in the non-agricultural sector. The rate of households working in traditional handicrafts is 1.02%.

Above is some interesting information about the Ma ethnic group, Vietnam. Let's plan to explore, meet and experience the culture with the Ma 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)