Living With Cultural Heritage: Ethnic Minority Community in The Context of The Cultural Space of The Gongs in The Central Highlands, Vietnam

Abstract

This article examines the changing values attributed to wooden statue sculptures and to the brocade weaving of the Jrai and Bahnar people. The Jrai and Bahnar are indigenous groups residing in Gia Lai province in Vietnam's Central Highlands. They are unique handicrafts. Their wooden statues are displayed in three central locations: communal houses, stilted houses, and tombs. Brocade weaving is a typical woman's job. Both sculptures and brocade weaving help animate the Cultural Space of the Gongs of indigenous peoples in the Central Highlands, which was recognized by UNESCO in 2005. The boom of the market economy since 1986, along with religious changes and the development of tourism in recent years, has altered the value of wooden statue sculpture and brocade weaving, as well as the cultural values of the Jrai and Bahnar people in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. This research evaluates the policies for preserving and promoting the traditional crafts of the two ethnic groups mentioned above. Living with cultural heritage becomes the policy slogan, but it also shows the difficulties artisans face in preserving their craft. The research also challenges the State and the people to protect traditional cultural values.