Culture Summary for Sherpa
According to Paul, Skoggard, and Beierle (2004), the Sherpa are a Tibetan-related group that live in high altitude in northeastern Nepal throughout several valleys and mountain ranges, who take part in an old type of Buddhism. They settled into valleys and survived through farming and herding livestock. Some of the early Sherpa people decided to integrate themselves into trading routes and brought the Irish potato into their settlements, eventually making it into the staple crop for the group. Also, because the Sherpas were able to navigate the mountains and land that they lived in, they were eventually utilized in the tourism industry. Sherpas began to and still do guide tourists up Mount Everest.
The Sherpas are divided into clans that are subdivided into lineages (Paul, Skoggard, Beierle 2004). Marriage between the Sherpas is usually monogamous and arranged through a process that involves gift and labor exchange. Females are mainly in charge of raising children while males are generally expected to work. Girls are included in the household chores and activities while boys are sent to socialize in groups of other boys.
Sherpas believe in the Tibetan form of a certain Buddhism. There is a wide range of beliefs, from the search for enlightenment to being saved by local gods, spirits, and demons that influence different aspects of life. Sherpas take part in ceremonies that are based on seasons, life-cycle, and religious rituals. Funerals are the most elaborate ceremonies, which includes ritual in order to reach rebirth (Paul, Skoggard, and Beierle 2004). Karma is a huge influence on whether or not the rebirth of the recently deceased will be favorable. Ceremonies and arts are seen as very important for the Sherpas. Dancing and singing are seen as a favored social activity among many young people, along with certain Buddhist arts.
Dance within the Sherpa culture
The Sherpa are a very hard working and dedicated group of people and they hardly have time for entertainment or socialization. However, when they do have the chance to socialize, dancing is almost always involved. The Sherpa love to put on elaborate dance dramas that feature special routines and costumes. One particular event involving dance that is important to the Sherpa people is the festival of Mani-rimdu. According to Jerstad (1969), this festival has Tibetan origin and is a form of Buddhist worship. Sherpa leaders have been practicing this festival for so long that they don’t know its purpose in their culture. This festival “is communicated primarily through the medium of dance” (Jerstad 1969). The Mani-rimdu is a tantric, or mystic, form of art and dance that is highly symbolic for the beliefs of the Sherpa people. This festival is not exclusively practiced by the Sherpa, but it is still a cultural custom for them. Their attendance to and participation in this dance drama is an act of worship for the Sherpa (Furer-Haimendorf 1984). The dances are performed while wearing masks and the ritual as a whole depicts the war between good and evil.
Jerstad (1969), says that Sherpas are a very hardworking group of people. They tend to their fields and their animals every day of the week from morning until night, meaning they have little time to do what they please. Whenever Sherpas get the chance to take a break, they will drink alcohol and dance and sing to old traditional songs (Jerstad 1969). According to Ortner (1978), dancing is one aspect of Sherpa life that treats all people as equal, regardless of social status or gender. Dance is a way for Sherpa people to come together, and it is always the most anticipated part of a social gathering (Ortner 1978). Dance also plays an important role in Sherpa weddings. There is singing, group-dancing, and solo dances performed by the men that are in attendance (Mulich 1997). Dance is very valued in Sherpa culture and is featured in religious rituals, parties, weddings, meals, and every day socialization.
Cultural Summary for Garifuna
According to González, Skoggard, and Beierle (2005), the Garifuna are people that live in Central America and along the coastline of several small islands. These people were presumed to be cannibals and because of that, it was justified to kill them or put them into slavery in the 1600s and 1700s. The Garifuna were dispersed widely and would join whatever civilization was ideal to them, thus leading to the Garifuna culture being a combination of different ideals of other cultures. The Garifuna were hunters and fishers, as a lot of them lived along the coast, and they also were involved with trading and the selling of their labor when the Europeans moved in.
The Garifuna created baskets, blankets, pottery, and all other sorts of items (González, Skoggard, and Beierle 2005). The labor was divided in that the women were farmers, cared for the children, and were primary figures in ceremonial and ritual life. The women are more educated than the men and are given a lot of independence. The family system that the Garifuna follow is most likely maternal rather than paternal. Marriage is not stable or solidified and women will typically have children out of wedlock and without any official ceremony (González, Skoggard, and Beierle 2005). Garifuna boys are raised as normal until they are young men, and then they are forced out and expected to make money and support their family. Girls are raised with more responsibilities and tasks to complete in order to help the family unit run smoothly.
The Garifuna are politically active but cannot yet vote. The people who act outside of the standard conduct will be publically shamed and witchcraft may be threatened. The Garifuna believe that there is a higher power god, but also believe in the spirits of their dead loved ones. The Garifuna have also adopted Roman Catholicism. Along with the catholic practices, Garifuna have ceremonies to celebrate their loved ones who have died where they sacrifice animals, play music, and drink alcohol. The main form of art that they have is singing and dancing. The singing and dancing is also a part of the ceremonies that they participate in. These ceremonies are important because they are part of the interaction the Garifuna have with their dead ancestors. Garifuna believe that they will have interaction with ancestors and that their dead relative can cause problems in their lives if the interactions do not go smoothly. (González, Skoggard, and Beierle 2005).
Dance within the Garifuna culture
Dance is a very important part of the Garifuna culture. There is a lot of dancing involved in holidays, day to day life, rituals, and ceremonies. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years’ are some of the main holidays that involve dance within the Garifuna culture. There are dance clubs in the village that carry out traditional dances within the community. These traditional dances are called the punta (Bianchi 1989). These dances are performed at Christmas Eve and Christmas Day festivities. On New Years’ Eve, the Garifuna participate in a traditional dance called Wanaragua, where elaborate costumes and headdresses are worn and there are several different instruments are played to accompany the dancing (Bianchi 1989). In this dance, the men that participate will dance from house to house. The purpose of dance in Garifuna culture is entertainment for the members of the community. In exchange for entertainment from the dancing, the viewers of the dances will give them money and alcohol when they perform well. This is an incentive for the Garifuna to participate in the dances (Kerns 1983).
While dance is very important for celebrating specific holidays, Dance is also a large part of the ritual aspect of the Garifuna culture. Garifuna believe that they have special ties with their ancestors and have sacred rituals in order to honor them and communicate with them. The most important part of these ancestor rituals is the “dance of placation”, or mali. According to Kerns (1983), this dance is performed eight times on the first two days of the ancestor rituals and the dance consists of counterclockwise shuffling around a circle accompanied by traditional Garifuna music.
Comparison of Dance between Sherpa and Garifuna
Both the Sherpa and Garifuna people are very complex groups with unique lifestyles and cultures. The Sherpa are from Nepal and the Garifuna are from Central America, yet these two different cultures still can relate to each other through the art of dance. Dance is one aspect of the culture that the two people groups share similarities in. For both the Sherpa and the Garifuna, the art of dance is held to extremely high importance. The dances are a part of traditional history in both of these cultures. The aspect of dance is a large ordeal in the lives of these people and their lifestyles and rituals would not be unique to them without their dances. The dances performed by both the Garifuna and the Sherpa are complex and include elaborate costumes and headpieces or masks.
While the general dance form is commonly shared between the two cultures, the reasons behind their customs of dance are different. The Sherpa people practice their traditions of dance as a part of their everyday lives. They dance when they get spare time and whenever they socialize as a community. Dance is also a key aspect of their most revered festival that they participate in, along with a playing a large role in weddings and other similar processions. Garifuna mainly perform dance as a tradition in celebrating main holidays. There are dance performances for Christmas, New Years’ Eve, and several other holidays celebrated by the Garifuna. Ancestor worship is also prominent in the traditions of the Garifuna, and specific dances are performed at each ritual that involves communicating with or honoring the ancestors.
While both of these cultures are so incredibly unique, there are still ties between them, regardless of how far away they are from each other and how different their cultures are as a whole. This art form of dance plays part in the traditional rituals and routines of both the Sherpa and the Garifuna, even though they are not necessarily for the exact same purpose.
References Cited
Bianchi, Cynthia Chamberlain. 1989. “Gubida Illness And Religious Ritual Among The Garifuna Of Santa Fe, Honduras: An Ethnopsychiatric Analysis.” Ann Arbor, Mich.: University Microfilms International. http://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/document?id=sa12-016.
González, Ian A. Skoggard, and John Beierle. 2005. “Culture Summary: Garifuna.” http://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/document?id=sa12-000.
Jerstad, Luther G. 1969. “Mani-Rimdu: Sherpa Dance Drama.” Seattle: University of Washington Press. http://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/document?id=ak06-003.
Kerns, Virginia. 1983. “Women And The Ancestors: Black Carib Kinship And Ritual.” Urbana: University of Illinois Press. http://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/document?id=sa12-004.
Mühlich, Michael. 1997. “Waterspirits And The Position Of Women Among The Sherpa.” Kailash 17 (1-2). Bhothity, Kathmandu, Nepal: 67–80. http://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/document?id=ak06-020.
Ortner, Sherry B. 1978. “Sherpas Through Their Rituals.” Cambridge Studies In Cultural Systems. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. http://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/document?id=ak06-008.
Paul, Robert A., Ian A. Skoggard, and John Beierle. 2004. “Culture Summary: Sherpa.” New Haven, Conn.: HRAF. http://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/document?id=ak06-000.