THE VALUE OF DIGGING STICK IN THE CULTURAL LIFE OF THE KHO-MU PEOPLE IN THE NORTHWEST AREA

Abstract

The Kho-mu people are one of the ethnic minorities residing in the Northwest region of our country. During the production process, the Kho-mu people have accumulated quite rich cultural capital. Cultural characteristics of the Kho-mu people are always show a close relationship with the mountainous forest nature, the practice of shifting cultivation and the daily life of the community. The image of a digging stick for planting seeds is one of the manifestations of the relationship between the habits, conditions, farming environment and daily life of the Kho-mu people. Digging stick for planting seeds is a labor tool associated with the traditional production method of “poking holes for seeds” in the fields of the Kho-mu people; it is an object associated with religious activities as well as a unique folk musical instrument of the ethnic group. Through the research of this tool type, the article analyzes the role and position of the digging stick in the cultural life of the Kho-mu people in the Northwest region in the past, present and in the current local tourism development.