Vietnam/ Thanh Hoa preserves the language and script of ethnic minorities

Thanh Hoa province (Central) is home to ethnic minorities such as the Dao, Kho Mú, Mông, Muong, Thai and Thô. Language and writing play an essential role in the culture of each ethnic group.

Lê Van Cuu is a native of the Thô ethnic group, living in the village of Yên Cát, Nhu Xuân district, Thanh Hoa province. He is passionate about collecting artefacts and safeguarding the customs and culture of this ethnic group.

In addition, he is the founder of the Facebook page "Người Thổ nói tiếng Thổ yêu vốn cổ" (The Thô speak the Thô language and love their tradition), which brings together thousands of people sharing content related to Thô culture, including their language.

According to Lê Van Cuu, the Thô people live mainly in the town of Yên Cát and in the communes of Hoa Quy, Cát Tân, Cát Vân, Xuân Binh and Bai Trành in Nhu Xuân district. This ethnic group, which has no script of its own, sees its language threatened with extinction.

"Older people like me are worried and hope that our children and grandchildren will learn to love the language of the Thô ethnic group, so that our culture is not lost", he shares.

Between 1995 and 1996, Lê Van Cuu began to write down the habits and customs of this ethnic group in the Thô language, in the form of poems, to make them easier to read, memorize and understand.

Dr. Lê Ngoc Thang, former Director of the Ethnic Minorities Institute of the Ethnic Affairs Committee, explains that ethnic minority culture is an essential part of Vietnamese culture. However, in the current context of rapid development, the traditional cultural values of the ethnic groups, including their language, script, costumes and architecture, are disappearing, mainly due to accelerated urbanization, socio-economic development and the spread of new technologies.accelerated urbanization, socio-economic development linked to the^4th industrial revolution, and the growing influence of foreign culture.

In order to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities, particularly the Thô ethnic group, the competent central and local authorities and ethnic communities must recognize these values and put in place measures to protect them. It is also essential to raise awareness of this issue, particularly among young people.

Open classes

Hà Thi Khuyên is a young literature teacher who teaches Thai language and writing at Quan Son high school, located in the eponymous district. Quan Son is the first school in Thanh Hoa province to teach this language. Since 2012, in addition to teaching the Thai language at the school, Khuyên has also been collaborating with Hông Duc University and the Department of Education and Training of Hông Duc University.ducation et de la formation de la province de Thanh Hoa pour gérer des classes thématiques, organiser des examens et délivrer des certificats de langue des Thai aux cadres, fonctionnaires et employés de cette province.

Recently, the Thanh Hoa Police opened courses to promote the Thai language and script among police officers working in localities with a high Thai population.

Within this ethnic community in Thanh Hoa province, the distinguished teacher and craftsman Hà Nam Ninh, a resident of Ba Thuoc district, inspires respect and admiration. He has dedicated his life to the preservation and transmission of the ancient Thai script.

In the Muong community of Thanh Hoa, eminent scholars include folklore researcher Cao Son Hai, originally from Câm Thuy district and currently residing in Thanh Hoa town. He has produced numerous works, including poems, contributing to the collection and compilation of ethnic minority folk literature.

Concerned by the gradual disappearance of Muong culture, he is actively involved in its preservation. He was awarded the State Prize for Letters and Arts for a series of works: Những bài ca đám cưới người Mường Thanh Hóa (Muong wedding songs in Thanh Hoa), Lễ Pôn Pôông eng cháng (Ceremony Pôn Pôông eng cháng, bilingual) and Nàng Út Lót - đạo Hồi Liêu (Demoiselle Út Lót - religion Hôi Liêu), a love song of the Muong ethnic group.

Source: lecourrier.vn/