Promoting the cultural identity of ethnic minorities in Nghe An
Over the years, the implementation of programs, projects, and plans for preserving and promoting the cultural identity of ethnic minorities in Nghe An province has been given attention and effectively carried out by relevant sectors and localities.
Typical models
Following an introduction from Ms. Bui Thi Ly, a cultural officer of Nghia Xuan commune (Quy Hop district), we visited the Folk Arts Club of Dot Va hamlet – a community with 239 households and 974 inhabitants, of which the Tho ethnic minority accounts for 84%. The people's income mainly comes from agriculture, and life is still difficult, but they have a love for culture and arts, especially a desire to preserve, protect, and promote its values.cultural identity of the Tho ethnic groupThe passion for folk art has always burned brightly in the hearts of the people here. In 2012, with the support of the Party Committee, the People's Committee, and Nghia Xuan commune, the Tho ethnic folk art club of the hamlet was established.
Over the past 12 years, the club's activities have been vibrant. Currently, the club has 45 members, 100% of whom know how to play the gong, 50% know how to play the khach luong drum, and 50% know how to sing Tho folk songs and play various traditional musical instruments. Regularly, twice a month, club members and local residents gather at the village cultural center to sing, dance, practice, and teach folk songs and dances. From these activities, the artisans in the club have revived and written new lyrics for folk songs with melodies such as "En en ac ac," "Du du dien dien," "Tang khang le," "Xay eng," "Da oi," etc.
Furthermore, the club has developed many performances and cultural programs to serve the political, cultural, and social tasks of the commune, district, and province. Besides folk songs and dances, the club also collects and practices the preparation of several traditional Tho ethnic dishes such as: taro soup cooked with buffalo skin, fish sauce with bamboo shoots and sticky rice, chicken soup with giang leaves, and soup with bu leaves…
The club will continue to nurture the passion and recruit more members to participate in activities, contributing to the preservation of the cultural identity of the Tho ethnic group.
Ms. Truong Thi Tuyen - Head of the Club in Dot Va hamlet, Nghia Xuan commune.
It is known that in Quy Hop district, there are currently 16 ethnic minority cultural clubs with a total of over 500 members. Besides the Dot Va hamlet club, several other clubs are also actively operating and contributing positively to the development of local culture and arts, such as the Tho ethnic group cultural club in Mo Moi hamlet, Nghia Xuan commune, and the Thai ethnic group folk culture club in Chau Cuong commune…
According to Ms. Truong Thi Kim Chi, Deputy Head of the Culture and Information Department of Quy Hop District, every year, the district's cultural sector sends staff to support ethnic minority cultural and artistic groups, teams, and clubs with basic knowledge on organizing activities and performance skills; coordinating with departments, agencies, and organizations to organize many cultural and artistic activities according to specific themes and events… to create opportunities for clubs to perform, thereby nurturing the love of ethnic culture among members.”
Meanwhile, in Thanh Son commune (Anh Son district), in 2023, the Folk Song, Folk Music, and Folk Dance Club of Bong village, Thanh Son commune, was selected by the Department of Culture and Sports to build a provincial-level cultural model.
Ms. Lu Anh Tuyet, the club's chairperson, said: "Established in 2019, the club currently has 62 members divided into 4 groups (singing group, dancing group, musical instrument group, and songwriting group). Over the years, the club has actively developed cultural and artistic programs to serve the political, cultural, and social tasks of the commune and village; participated in folk art festivals and performances at the commune and district levels, and cultural exchanges. The club also collaborates with the Thanh Son Commune Youth Union to open classes to teach folk dances and how to perform them."Thai ethnic musical instruments"Opening classes in brocade weaving and food preparation aims to promote the cultural values of Vietnamese cuisine."
More specific policies are needed.
According to Ms. Quach Thi Cuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports, in recent years, the implementation of programs, projects, and plans to preserve and promote the cultural identity of ethnic minorities in the province has been emphasized and effectively implemented, a prime example being the Project "Preservation and Promotion of Folk Performing Arts of Ethnic Minorities in Nghe An Province giai đoạn 2018-2025".
Following the project's issuance, since 2018, the Provincial People's Committee has allocated funds to support the construction of models for preserving traditional ethnic culture in the districts of Que Phong, Quy Hop, Quy Chau, Con Cuong, Ky Son, and Anh Son, with an average budget of 600 million VND per model per year. The support includes loudspeakers, sound systems, lighting, musical instruments, props, traditional costumes, training in club activities and performances for grassroots cultural officials, artisans, village elders, and influential community members. In addition, from 2018 to the present, the Department of Culture and Sports has organized training courses to implement policies and laws, provide professional support, and enhance the capacity of cultural officials, artisans, village elders, community leaders, and influential community members in cultural preservation and promotion, with over 150 participants.
Furthermore, implementing Project 6 “Preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development” under the National Target Program for socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas giai đoạn 2021-2030, the Department of Culture and Sports has provided equipment support for cultural and sports activities to 105 village cultural and sports facilities; and coordinated with local authorities to implement ethnic minority cultural models in mountainous districts.
Along with implementing programs, projects, and plans of the Central Government and the province, the Department of Culture and Sports also presides over the organization of activities to protect and promote the value of traditional cultural heritage of ethnic groups in the locality, such as: the Day of Vietnamese Ethnic Cultures, the Spring Festival of the Western Region, and the establishment of art troupes to participate in the National Ethnic Culture Festival organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism…
However, the implementation of programs, projects, and plans to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities still faces difficulties and shortcomings. First, some local Party committees and authorities have not yet fully recognized the role of culture in socio-economic development, thus lacking attention and investment in leading, directing, and organizing resources for cultural development.
Investment and support budgets for the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities from the provincial to district levels are limited and do not meet practical needs; facilities, infrastructure, and equipment for cultural activities are still lacking and inadequate. Models for preserving the traditional culture of ethnic minorities are still largely spontaneous, lacking rich content and depth...
Within the overall framework of ethnic policies, there is a need for specific policies focusing on the preservation of traditional cultural values of ethnic minority communities. This includes prioritizing the training and development of ethnic minority cadres, providing incentives for artisans involved in the transmission of cultural heritage, and, especially, implementing specific policies to attract socialized investment in cultural and artistic activities in ethnic minority and mountainous regions.
Ms. Quách Thị Cường – Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports.