Hội nhập vào thời đại phát huy đổi mới bản sắc văn hóa các tộc người thiểu số

• Main Author: Vạn, Đặng Nghiêm
• Format: Article
• Published: Nhà xuất bản nông nghiệp 2016
• Subjects: Bản sắc Việt Nam; Dân tộc thiểu số; Phát triển Miền núi
• Online Access: http://repository.vnu.edu.vn/handle/VNU_123/10119
• Institution: Vietnam National University, Hanoi

Vietnam is a multi-ethnic country. Therefore, the cultural characteristic of Vietnam is based on each typical cultural historical region, which has been from the beginning both unified and diversified. At present, in the current trend of globalisation with modern means of communications and the construction of a modern industry, inheriting the "open door" tradition of our ancestors, the policy of our Party and State is to establish an advanced culture which is rich in national identity. Thus, a national culture of Vietnam should be formed using the cream of cultural elements from the ethnic groups in the country and at the same time, absorbing selectively advanced elements from outside cultures which are appropriate to our nation. Meanwhile, the culture of each ethnic group should also be nurtured. The cultural identities of ethnic minorities in Vietnam have special characteristics which should be taken into account in the process of integration, promotion and renovation. They include: First of all is the language treasure, because language is the sustainable basis of culture, on which oral and writing culture is form. As long as the language and culture of an ethnic group exist, that ethnic group will remain in existence. All ethnic minorities have, together with the Viet group, written the glorious pages of the history of Vietnam, and are members of the Vietnamese community. Therefore, both the Viet people and its brother ethnic groups respect the feats of our ancestors, of the national heroes and cultural celebrities, and deify the persons who have contributed greatly to the country, to a specific ethnic group or a community, thus forming a basic traditional religious system for the whole nation and for each ethnic group. All ethnic groups live by cultivation and consider land as their mother. Agriculture practice is reflected in the daily life as well as religious life. Each season has its own festivals and holidays, most of which are concentrated in the period from after harvest time to cultivation time. The traditional culture of Vietnamese ethnic groups is a vegetation culture, embodied in the use of raw materials being bamboo, wood, rattan and cane, which are very abundant in tropical forests. Vegetative raw materials have gone deep into many aspects of people's daily life as well as their cultural and spiritual life. Ethnic minorities have made significant cultural contributions to the cultural and artistic treasures of Vietnam. Therefore, a number of typical cultural characteristics of upland inhabitants are both the pride of a specific ethnic group and contribution to the diversified values of the nation. Finally, a seemingly paradox which should be appreciated is that despite of their low technology and scientific knowledge and poor living conditions, ethnic minorities are real "human beings" in its true sense from a moral point of view, who are currently sought after by moralists. For integration into the current era, the culture of ethnic groups must be changed on the basis of protection and development of their own identity. Reality has shown that the more an ethnic group receives exogenous cultural elements, the richer its cultural treasure is. Cultural exchange is necessary for the development of community culture. However, if not well handled, it may lead to cultural assimilation, resulting in ethnic assimilation. Thirty years of wars have had serious impacts on the cultural life of ethnic minorities. Their traditional culture was gradually faded, and a number of cultural elements brought in by the invaders, even when they were used, were not accepted by people as part of their culture. There are naturally new issues arising at the beginning of the integration process. In order to receive modern cultures from outside, an appropriate, selective viewpoint is necessary. Also required is a knowledge basis and certain habits and way of life of an industrial society, which has not been present in the traditional society of upland inhabitants. They need their own "passport" for integration into the new era. There should be extensive advice and opinions from many sciences on the basis of studies of the general development of upland areas. First and foremost, ethnic groups themselves should be aware of their arising issues, including improvement of people's economic life, escape from hunger, poverty and illiteracy, raising of people's awareness; and take specific solutions for their problems. The cultural development of a nation and an ethnic group, from a diachronic angle, means combination of the unity and contradiction between the tradionality and innovativeness, and from a contemporary angle, the combination between the nationality and modernity. In order to protect and develop culture, in addition to improving the material and spiritual life of people, the following should be done in the cultural aspect: educating on national pride and people's awareness; collecting, studying and introducing the cultural history of ethnic groups; educating on the necessity of integration into the modern world; providing cultural staff working in ethnic minority regions with deep knowledge of the history and culture of related ethnic groups, etc.