What Does Modernity Bring to Dolpo?

Our homeland Dolpo and the Dolpopa, the people who live there, are very special in many ways, and they must be protected and preserved. However, Dolpo is no longer isolated from the rapidly evolving world around us, and Dolpopa are provided with many opportunities while facing many challenges. Keeping pace with globalization is a wise approach to a shared future and an inevitability we can never avoid.

What are the aspects of life in Dolpo which are most important? We understand that it is unacceptable to harm the environment, also to ignore centuries-old Buddhist practices and culture in the pursuit of progress. Our birthplace, Dolpo, is far from the rest of the world, and its lifestyle, centuries-old knowledge, culture, and traditions are remarkably unique. 

Firstly, regarding religion and culture: men and women practice Buddhism. Every village has a monastery, and every household has a shrine. Dolpo customs and culture are truly wondrous and help to sustain the ancient Tibetan culture.

Secondly, about the lifestyle:  agriculture and livestock, including sheep, horses, mules, yak, dri (female yak crossbreed), and dzomo (male crossbreed), are essential for surviving in the traditional lifestyle. For millennia, Dolpo people have sustained themselves through this agro-pastoralist way of life.

While most countries around the world have seen tremendous progress over the last 30 years, Nepal and in particular, Dolpo remained virtually unchanged.  For Dolpo, this is mainly due to a lack of educational opportunities, and limited exposure to broaden perspectives. However, most recently, Dolpo has undergone considerable lifestyle changes in many areas, some as stark as earth and sky.  Dolpopa of the younger generations will recall their childhood memories in Dolpo and consider their current knowledge of our homeland, and realize how far modernity has already influenced Dolpo lifestyle.

• The younger generation has now access to education in more than 22 villages, thanks to different projects. In the past, the words "school" and "education" were unheard of. Men and women only knew the lifestyle inherited from their ancestors - women engaged in weaving, spinning wool, etc. to eventually become housewives confined within the four walls, never imagining any other possibilities. Later, as a few schools emerged in some parts of Dolpo, the youth got opportunities to study. They learned that the earth revolves around the sun, not vice versa, among other new knowledge that gradually dispelled age-old beliefs. People's mindsets transformed, aspiring not just to be wives/husbands and parents but to serve their village, country and lead meaningful lives as doctors, health workers, teachers, legal professionals, businesspeople, etc. Many youths now travel to different places for education and jobs, infiltrating our homeland into the global mainstream.

• Reduced reliance on domestic animals. In Dolpo villages, the local people strive to make their lives easier, which is only natural. Although vehicles are often impractical in Dolpo, modern modes of transportation are symbols of development. However, an obsession with modernity is often accompanied by negligence of essential domestic animals. While development is desirable, the indifference towards these animals that have sustained Dolpo for centuries is worrying – their preservation should be everyone's responsibility for sustaining our future lifestyle.

• People have started leaving the agro-pastoralist lifestyle for other occupations. Instead of just centuries-old traditional medicine practices, patients now visit doctors and hospitals. Our diet has expanded beyond just Tsampa (roasted barley), meat, tea, and Chang (traditional beer), and there is a growing consumption of packaged food.

In summary, keeping pace with global progress is crucial to improving the quality of life for everyone, and we should never be surprised by change.  The profound influence of modernity on Dolpo's traditional lifestyle is evident to all. We cannot accept the cost of environmental degradation, cultural erosion, and disregarding our traditions as inevitable for the sake of change. It will be better for Dolpo and the Dolpopa to move along with modernization while preserving what is most important to our culture and people.

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