Heartfelt thanks to the kind invitation of my friends Ramphai and Greg (from Pun Pun Organic Farm and Learning Center), I found myself in a quite unexpected place, with the people whom I wouldn’t predict to meet. Life is very generous, blessing us with its surprising gifts. Here I’ll be telling you about such a valuable gift of inspirational connections and enriching experiences.
This essay is about the days of the gathering where P’gakeryaw tribe of Northern Thailand and Maoris of New Zealand came together for cultural exchange. The gathering took place in Ban Nang Tao village at the high altitudes of Doi Inthanon mountain that is close to Chiang Mai city in North Thailand. Isn’t it quite amazing to be part of such an event as a traveler and let your soul nourish from that?
For 4 days, we were guests of P’gakeryaw tribe who were so generous and kind to open their houses. So we divided into groups and stayed at a different family house in the village. Everyone developed intimate relations with the family they stayed with. So many stories and gifts were shared as well as the delicious local food cooked by the house holders. The video below shows some parts of the village.
During our times together, we explored many elements of the cultures of these two groups such as; language, stories, myths, history, local way of life and customs, beliefs, indigenous practices, traditional handicrafts, music, dance, and many more. We were either meeting at the coffee shop for some sharing sessions or we were exploring their indigenous way of living during our walks in the rice fields or in the forest.
The sharing circles where we listened to one another deeply and presented our hearts were very emotional. Below we see Ramphai while she was sharing her heart in one of those circles. Along with her husband Greg, she was the originator, organizer and the host of the gathering. I really appreciate her willingness to work for what she loves and values. Her efforts and contributions were priceless.
Coming to the sharings.. Maoris see reviving and keeping their languages alive as one of the main elements of restoring their identity. That’s why, before expressing themselves in English, they first used their own native language. I was very impressed by the way they introduced themselves. They stated where they came from, their mountains, rivers, oceans, in other words, the geographical signs of their home; then their families, tribes, and ancestors. Their strong presence and powerful expressions, their commitment to their culture, ancestors and traditions, their sincere connection with one another and the nature were very impressive. I couldn’t hold back my tears.
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Indigenous cultures are different all around the world but they share some common values and world views. Indigenous people have evolved and maintained knowledge that accumulated across generations. They gain this knowledge through direct experience, interacting with landscapes, ecosystems, elements and species. They teach us how to develop more caring relationships with nature because they regard each living being as having an important role in the cycle of life. This is understanding the sacredness of life. They have always known that caring for each other -the land, waters, plants, animals- is how they could maintain and restore balance with all of creation.
With care and respect, they developed their sensory capacities that they relied on for their survival. We can say that it is some sort of refined mindfulness. Some groups can put themselves into the viewpoint of many creatures or objects – rocks, water, clouds. By sustaining their culture, supporting the lives of numerous species, and guarding the well-being of our home -the Earth, they contribute to the diversity of life.
Coming to the brief story of Maoris; I learned that the colonization of the British began during 1840s in New Zealand. Maoris, indigenous people of New Zealand, were forced from their lands, alienated from their languages and traditions. Even, they were made to feel ashamed of being who they are. But now they are in the times of regaining their identity. After all those years of revolutionary improvements for the sake of Maoris, they feel lucky now. But they are fully aware of the pain their ancestors endured and the collective traumas they still carry.
On the other hand, the story in Thailand goes like this; When Thailand became a country and all the indigenous tribes came together under the same name, they found themselves in the danger of losing their identities. The governments took the lands and forests from them, saying that they would protect the environment. They even held these indigenous people responsible for forest fires or floods. So, the tribes couldn’t understand why the lands were given title deeds or why the trees were cut down. They felt that they are losing their spirit.
2 groups also exchanged information on the tools they use for local and national organization. They shared experience on the effective ways to protect their lands against governments and local authorities. For example, Maoris conducted some serious researches in order to defend the rights of nature and people. They recorded the talks of their ancestors, who had been living their particular way of life for centuries, and submitted these to the government. Their main purpose was to explain how the ocean was vitally important to them. We learned that while governments in New Zealand try to dominate particularly the oceans and coasts, in Thailand they set their sights on the forests. Mountain or forest tribes here are under pressure and having really difficult times.
What Grandfather Patijani’s son said to Maoris was very touching; “You are here with us now. My child will be there for you in the future.”
P’gakeryaws explained us their relationship with nature, mentioning about the principles they follow in this relation. For them, the uppermost part of the forest is the Goddess. They can’t cut any trees there. They can’t do cutting down in the valleys neither where the mountains meet because they are where the rivers and creeks are settled. But they can do agriculture in the intermediate area between the upper and lower parts of the mountain but under one condition. They mustn’t have seen some particular animal species (like birds) in the places where they intend to do agriculture.
They hunt under the same condition that they mustn’t have seen particular kinds of fish in the area where they do fishing. Before hunting they ask for permission from the forest first. If they intend to hunt deer, they only hunt it so they take action according to their intention. If their intention is to hunt just one animal, they don’t hunt two. If they kill an animal, they definitely eat it.
We were lucky to be there at the time of rice harvest so we had the chance to observe the villagers while they were working collectively. They explained us about their agricultural practices in detail. Regarding farming, they work with shared labor. In other words when it is your turn, everyone in the village come together and work in your garden. A family farms in one particular area for a year, then moves on to another area. They call this rotational farming. After the harvest, they leave a portion of the harvest on the land and perform a ritual in which they thank the land.
Grandfather Patijani says: “Take only what you need and stay rich. It is because when you take only what you need, the nature you live in remain rich. If you know how to listen to nature, your life becomes easier. You start to see that resources are already flowing to you.”
One of the most outstanding handicrafts of P’gakeryaw people is weaving. They weave various pieces of cloths and bags where they use natural dyes. The authentic patterns on these pieces symbolize so many different things like the cycles of life and nature.
At the closing session on the final night, P’gakeryaws gave a little concert. Loveliness of their music, humbleness of their instruments, simplicity of the lyrics, and the way they sing their songs without ever trying to be good was so beautiful. After that Maoris did Haka, their ceremonial dance. What a strong dance! Just by watching it, your heart beats faster. Strong or fluid body movements, sharp and fierce facial expressions and high voices not only express courage and fearlessness but also respect. Video below is a little section from their rehearsal.
I was in the middle of two indigenous groups who were doing their best to keep their cultures alive, despite all the hardships they have to overcome. Their sense of union with their community or tribe touched me so deeply, leaving me with the grief of not being a part of a community. Along with a few other friends there, we seemed to be representing the generations who had already lost or were about to lose their tribes. The sense of longing for belonging was so significant in my heart.
Even though I have so many fulfilling connections and dear friends that I feel grateful for, why was this feeling of incompleteness with me? Was that really true that I was lonely?
Maybe the community I long for has a different form or appearance compared to the communities our ancestors used to live in. By this new form, it may be more in harmony with the changing reality of humanity and the world. It is redundant and meaningless to expect continuity in the ever-changing nature of life so the form of the communities may be changing as well. I trust that we as human beings -moved with our survival instinct- are developing new ways to be together even though modern age -by its nature- puts us apart.
What matters is our openness and devotion to build and maintain sincere human connections where we speak our truth, listen and hold space for others, make them feel seen. By this way we can create safe grounds for one another. For sure the warmth of a hug is priceless, but these people whom we see as a family can be anywhere in the world. Maybe our new tribes will be composed of people from different landscapes and cultures. If the ancient knowledge of our own ancestors disappeared some time ago, we can benefit from the knowledge of the indigenous elders that can still hand down their ancient knowledge in another part of the world. They are also our ancestors, aren’t they?
Certainly, we shouldn’t disregard the basic psychological needs of our human nature such as connection, safety and visibility. But by honest and true contemplation, we may realize that actually we are not separate from the whole totality and the whole flow of life. No separation is the absence of lack. No separation means peace and harmony with what is. Then we turn back and look again at our loneliness and our longing (for our lost connection with our ancestors, with our tribes). And see that they all burn up in the intimacy of no separation.
In this essay supposedly I wrote about 2 indigenous groups from 2 different parts of the world. But this is also my story, your story, our common story as humankind. Their dreams, hopes, happiness, pain, longing, joy, wisdom, failure are also ours. Thanks to all the ancestors of our history, that each of us carries the seeds of wisdom inside us. All we need to do is open the box of our consciousness and tap into what had been handed down to us as ancient wisdom.
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PS. Some of the photographs of this post are taken by dear brother Chan. You can take a look at his photo collection on his instagram page: lazygotji
