Endangered cultures refer to the assimilation and threatened extinction of indigenous cultures and languages. This has become increasingly more common in the international community, with more dominant cultures controlling a country or region and ignoring the less popular (usually indigenous) cultures that may have been in the area before. Within Vietnam, the endangered culture that I will be focusing on are the Montagnard’s. Montagnard’s are indigenous to the highlands on mainland Southeast Asia, with ancestral lands that used to span over Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. While they are often collectively referred to as the Montagnard’s, they consist of upward of 30 distinct and diverse ethnic groups, including the Bunong, Jarai, Ede, Koho, Tampuen, Brou, and Kreung.
Map of where the Central Highlands are:
From a western view, Montagnard’s are often seen as fighters, largely due to the knowledge that they sided with the US in the Vietnam war. Aside from that though, little is actually known by the general public. In fact, Montagnard’s were not only hired by the US but were hired by both sides. Due to this the Montagnard population experienced many casualties.
The name Montagnard, originate from the French colonial period. It means “people if the mountains” and has been adopted by the US since the end of Frances colonization. However, it is important to note that while they may often be grouped under one name, each of the different villages and cultures are unique. Often times, it is hard to group them into one category due to the culmination of so many different tribes. Regardless of this though, Montagnard tribes are mainly of Malayo-Polynesian, Mon-Khmer, and Sino-Tibetan extraction.
During the French colonial period, late 1800’s to 1954, the Montagnard’s were allowed a bit of autonomy to act on their own within their tribes. However, even with this autonomy, the 28 distinct tribes became one political unit under the French. When the French were overthrown and the Southern Vietnamese government took power in 1954, the Montagnard’s autonomous political status was abolished. This was followed by the banning of teaching native languages, burning of books and documents, and the Montagnard’s being forced to take Vietnamese names. Additionally, about 1 million Vietnamese refugees resettled in the Central Highlands. Ancestral land was seized often times with no compensation.
In 1958, the Montagnard’s attempted to resist the government. This effort was crushed and the Vietnamese government even resorted to violence in some instances. Many southern Vietnamese citizens viewed Montagnard’s as “Moi” or savages. In 1960, the Northern Vietnamese communist government, included the right for highlander autonomy in its founding platform, though when they did eventually take overpower, this promise was forgotten. In fact, the government even executed some tribal leaders, while others died in prisons or “reeducation” camps. Montagnard’s were again subjected to severe restrictions, such as limits on cultural rights, education, and employment opportunities. While the treatment of Montagnard’s has mostly gone unnoticed by the West, they gained some international attention between 201 and 2004, for protesting religious repression and the confiscation of ancestral lands. This protest ended in violence and has not been heard of since.
Nowadays, many Montagnard’s live in extreme poverty. They are rarely found outside of Vietnam, if they are from Vietnamese origin. While it has become increasingly rare to interact with Montagnard people outside of Vietnam, there are nearly 12,000 refugees, many of which live in North Carolina.
To read more:
- https://carolinaasiacenter.unc.edu/event/endangered-cultures/#:~:text=Endangered%20Cultures%3A%20the%20Montagnards%20of%20Cambodia%20and%20Vietnam,-February%2025%2C%202019&text=Often%20collectively%20referred%20to%20as,Tampuen%2C%20Brou%2C%20and%20Kreung.
- http://encyclopedia.uia.org/en/problem/135023
- https://www.rfa.org/english/commentaries/vietnam-montagnards-10232018155849.html
- https://www.mhro.org/montangards-history