Kamu

A RARE LOOK INSIDE KAMU WEAVING

http://www.hrpc.com.vn/index.php?option=com_langnghe&view=villages&task=viewdetail&cid=111&Itemid=47

Bamboo weaving is a famous traditional craft of the Kamu people. “Any Kamu person can weave; it’s only that some can do it well and some can’t!” And weaving at Dinh Son mountain village, Huu Kiem commune, has developed to a level of “every house weaving, everybody weaving.”

In Vietnam’s fabulous community of many peoples, the Kamu ethnic minority numbers 57,000, and among them more than 27,000 reside in Ky Son, Que Phong, Tuong Duong, and Quy Chau districts of western Nghe An province. The rest are mainly at Son La and Lai Chau provinces. Kamu people grow up in the midst of a poetically natural landscape of a mountainous area enclosed by imposing mountains, forests full of bird songs, and a pristine river. Their soul is always down to earth and close to nature, even in the ways of expressing the products they weave.

Kamu people create many weaved products, from containers, transport means, production tools, and fishing tools to instruments for ceremonies. All products have their own unique characteristics, and they are carefully made by rattan. Examples are rice papooses, food trays, chairs, cloth trunks, cases for steamed glutinous rice, and stitched boxes. A rice papoose provides an unusual but excellent means of transport to be used by any person of a working age. It flares at the top, has plaits of rattan, has a small rope around the head and a yoke on scuff of the neck. A case for steamed glutinous rice of the Kamu people is considered as an artistic work derived from bamboo bark that attracts any demanding user.

Depending on the specific product, Kamu people use different techniques: a twisting technique (teleho) for food trays which is the most complicated and difficult technique, double splints weaving (lai xoong) and triple splints weaving (lai xam) for papooses. Kamu people believe that there should be many designs on rice papooses and cases for steamed glutinous rice to represent a prosperous image for the user. Besides traditional precise weaving, Kamu people are heir to plentiful techniques of raw materials’ processing; for example, bamboo harvesting should be performed only during moonless periods, because bamboo at the beginning of the month contains much water, meaning it’s an easy target for insects. The people only harvest mature green or yellow ones, thereby ensuring durability and no insects. They know how, for effectiveness and efficiency, to split bamboo from the top and rattan from the bottom.

Though weaving is only a sideline work, it still brings considerable income to the Kamu. It is easy to notice that bamboo wares are not only popular utensils for the Kamu but also for neighboring peoples such as the H’mong, Thai, and Laotians; the Japanese particularly prize food trays of the Kamu. Businessmen have much interest in the uniqueness of the Dinh Son weaving as this is a new opportunity for introducing Vietnamese traditional weaving to friends all over the world.

Please come to visit the Kamu ethnic minority people at Dinh Son to admire nature and visit hard-working, honest, and skilled people. You will see their offering bamboo products at their market where it’s endearingly so simple, honest, but so impressive: “Please buy this food tray – only VND 50,000 but durable and will last for 50 years!”

Exotissimo – Kamu Lodge

 

Project Fact sheet


1. Title :		  
2. Location(s) of the action: Yoy Hai village (Along Mekong river), Oudomxay district, Laos

The Lodge is isolated from the civilized world, surrounded only by nature and this Kamu village.
3. Total duration of the action (months): 24 months (Kamu Lodge was settled up in Ban Yoi Hai in 2002, operated services in 2004)
4. Amount (in US$) 300.000 USD
5. Funding sources Private investment 100% (Joint-venture company)
6. Background and rationale About 30 years ago, Ban Yoihai, a neighboring Village of Kamu Lodge, was home to a few Lao Loum families (Lowland ethnic). After the Kamu people who lived in the upland, mountainous area discovered this village, they then moved down to settle their village in Ban Yoihai and lived together with Lao Loum people.

 

The location of Kamu Lodge is really exceptional. We have everything in one place here: the mountains, waterfalls, rice fields, the river, ethic village and so on.

 

Fascinated by the beautiful nature of Ban Yoy Hai and its history, Mr Alain DAOUT decided to build Kamu Lodge there.

 
7. Objectives of the action Overall Objective:

We are not only trying to provide a great experience for our guests, we’re also mindful of the impact tourism has on this pristine environment and on the people who live here.

 

Our philosophy is to provide tourism that takes environmental, social and cultural sustainability into account.

 

Specific Objectives:

Objective is to contribute development to this area, to improve the life’s condition of these people and make it the best destination for nature lovers.

 
8. Project scope and description including detailed activities planned
  1. Provide socially and environmentally responsible tours
  2. Help people preserve their culture and traditions while also giving them new skills and finding activities that can help them and their families generate an income from the tourism industry
  3. Enable local people to fully participate in the benefits of tourism
  4. 20 safari tents are purpose built and feature solar-powered electricity
  5. Each tent has a private balcony overlooking the river and is simply but comfortably furnished with bamboo and rattan furniture
  6. Each tent has twin beds with a comfortable duvet and mosquito net
  7. Each tent has its attached stone bathroom which is designed to blend perfectly with the surrounding environment and scenery
  8. Activities at Kamu Lodge: We share our environment with the local people who are of the Kamu ethnic minority. They share their traditional methods of farming, weaving, fishing and panning for gold
  9. Guests at Kamu Lodge are able to fully participate in rural life alongside the Kamu people, giving a unique insight into the lives of these extraordinary people. They can also do a trekking to a remote waterfall, learning about medicinal plants in the jungle, planting rice alongside villagers in a paddy field or watching life on the river

 
9. Target group(s) Kamu Lodge is ideal for nature lovers, individual travelers and small groups. We can make special arrangements for trekkers, birdwatchers, corporate groups (team building) schools and colleges etc.
  1. Final beneficiaries
  • Income generating activities for local people:  Since Kamu Lodge was settled up there in 2002, the number of villager has increased to approximately 300-350 people, about 60 families (survey in 2006). This is the result of the fact that Kamu Lodge brings work and income to this local people. Kamu Lodge provides income and skills to these people through participation in all activities.
  • Positive impact on the nature and culture: Preservation of nature and culture by enabling visitors to increase their awareness and knowledge about the nature and the community
  • Creation of sustainable tourism which is the main purpose of LNTA (Lao National Tourism Administration)
  1.  Expected overall outcome
  • Transfer of skills to villagers
  • Provide positive experience for both visitors and hosts
  • Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect
  1. Expected specific outputs
  2. Number of local people trained: 50
  3. Kamu lodge staffs: 29(local people:26)
    1. Encourage Kamu villagers to produce handicrafts
    2. Provide income from village visit
    3. Provide recommendation in terms of hygiene
    4. Encourage them to provide agricultural produce (vegetable’s planting)
    5. Assisted in creation of the first primary school in Ban Yoihai.
    6. Provide school materials (some are provided by Kamu Lodge’s tourists)
      1. Time log
  • Training period: PERMANENT

 
  1. Monitoring and evaluation
  • The villages are represented by heads of the village. They meet with the Kamu Lodge management team once a month to discuss about tour operations (village visits etc.), management and administrative issues.
  • Kamu Lodge staff training was led by GM The purposes of the training were: the ability to communicate, knowledge of foreign languages, reception of guests, knowledge of cleanliness of the hotel etc.
  • Guide’s training :
  • The training took place between 2002-2010
  • Guest book and feedback sheet for visitors to fill in
  1. Implementing agencies, organisations
 To facilitate a successful sustainable business, Exotissimo Travel is involved in this project and brings the tourists to Kamu Lodge.

 
  1. Linkages with other projects/ organisations
  

The Akha Experience :Community-based Tourism