Long Lau May
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2018) |
Long Lau May village, or Ban Long Lau May, is a village in the
History
Long Lau was originally established by several
Although they lived in the same village, Khmu and Hmong families lived in separate residential clusters. By 1995, due to population growth, Long Lao village had divided into two smaller villages. The Khmu cluster became Long Lau Kau village, while the H'mong cluster became Long Lau May village. This division was mainly done in terms of administrative and demographic structure. However, village boundaries, cultivated land, livestock and forest resources had not been divided. Accordingly, people of one village could go into the other for cultivation, collecting forest products for daily life as well as worshiping the Nature Spirit.[1]
Geography
Long Lau May village is located in the southwest of Luang Prabang, 18 km from the Luang Prabang
Since 2016, Luang Prabang authorities, in consultation with Social Policy Ecology Research Institute and with the support of CCFD-Terre Solidaire, have conducted community-based forest and land allocation for Long Lau May village. The aim is to promote sustainable usage and management of community forest and land resources, as well as to preserve cultural identity throughout the Kuang Si upper catchment, including districts of Luang Prabang, Mueang Nan and Xieng Ngeun.[2] The entire traditional territory of Long Lau Kau and Long Lau May villages[3] was measured and legitimised. It includes strictly preserved forest (about 1,820 hectares (4,500 acres)), water protection forest (about 910 hectares (2,200 acres)), community use forest (e.g. 565 hectares (1,400 acres)),[4] grazing land, agricultural land and housing land.
Demography
As of December 2016, Long Lao May village had 93 households with a total of 638 people (338 females), including 200 labourers (90 females). Most of them engaged in agricultural production, community tourism and wage working.
Economy
Like mountainous dwellers in Luang Prabang province, the livelihood[5] of H'mong families in Long Lau May village mainly depends on upland rotational cultivation and collecting forest products.[6][7] On slash-and-burn fields,[8] people plant one crop, such as Khau Hay (upland rice), Mak Duoi (Coix lacryma-jobi) or Xa Ly (corn), which is alternated with Mak Teng (cucumber), Mak Keo (Pachyrhizus erosus), pumpkin and various vegetables. These varieties are local and indigenous in origin.
Since 2007, some villagers in Long Lao May village and neighbouring villages worked as guides for community tourism services. Travel companies in Luang Prabang City have linked up with village authorities for families to host tourists.[3]
References
- ^ Veerle, Vandenhende (2014). "Nature spirit - An Approach to Biological Human Ecology Theory"
- ^ Consultation workshop for approval the customary laws based community regulations in watershed forestland management in Luang Prabang, Laos. [1] Accessed: 25 March 2018.
- ^ a b "Eco Bungalow | Fair Trek". fairtrek.org. Archived from the original on 2015-07-18.
- ^ "Forest Law of Lao PRD". 24 December 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
- ^ Keith, Barber (September 2013). "Livelihood and Anthropology".
- ^ Eija, Pehu. "Upland farming in Lao PDR"
- ^ Houmchitsavath, SODARAK (1999). "Shifting Cultivation Practices By Hmong, Khamu and Lao ethnic categories in The Nam Nane Watershed, Nane District, Luang Prabang Province, Lao PDR". NAFRI. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
- ^ Spencer, J.E (1977). Shifting cultivation in Southeast Asia. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press. pp. 2, 3, 5.