I
visited nomads in Tibet, but most probably these were semi-nomads with a
concrete home somewhere, who are moving with the yaks and goat to where the
pastures are. They camped near the road, where they can travel with bikes and
tractors to their distant (?) homes and go uphill with the animals.
Nomadism
is adapted to extensive use of the land, mostly in the high altitude plains and
steppes/tundra. There might be about two millions of nomads and semi-nomads in
Tibet, but no one knows the exact number. Nomadism of course is a nightmare to
central governments and bureaucrats, not only in China. How could children go
to school? How can you make nomads pay taxes? How to provide health care? I’ve
seen a ruinous dental status in the few nomads, I’ve been able to see from
close by.
The
nomads live in tents made of yak wool, which contains lots of oil, but rain may
get into the tent as smoke gets out of the tent in case it doesn’t have a pipe.
Most of the year there is hardly any rain.
Nomads
might also profit from the extensive mobile net. As meat is valued, nomads
might also earn enough money for modern transport, communication and
traditional luxury items like silver and turquoise.
I would
have liked to see the pastoralists in the severe environment of Western Tibet, where
extreme altitude is the rule as well as problems in transportation / road
conditions. But I didn’t go this far west. And let’s not forget that nomadism
is void of romanticism.
Tibetan mastiff - not only watching the fuel
Tibetan woman weaving
Inside a tent
The yellow painted cask is used to churn butter
Around 3000 m altitude -
nomads near the woodlands (2009)
Mountain and plains at an altitude of around 4800 m
Nomads in the Zagros mountains of Iran
elevation around 2500 m
This Iranian tent doesn't look
so much different to the Tibetan tents
Links:
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