Amidst the modern pace of life, in Ea Sup town (Ea Sup district), there are still J'rai women silently working at their weaving looms, but behind that there are also many concerns as the traditional profession is facing the risk of fading away.
Late afternoon, in the stilt house in Hamlet A1 (Ea Sup town), the sound of the loom clattering resounds regularly. Next to the loom, Mrs. H'Rek Hra (75 years old) diligently threaded each thread, through each slow weaving stroke, the patterns gradually appeared, clearly.
As one of the few J'rai artisans in Ea Sup town who are still proficient in brocade weaving techniques, despite her advanced age, Ms. H'Rek Hra is still diligent in her traditional craft. Behind her skillful hands, which have been marked by the passage of time, lies her passion and desire to preserve the traditional craft.
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| Despite her advanced age, Ms. H'Rek Hra is still attached to the loom. (In photo: Leaders of Ea Sup town (Ea Sup district) visit and learn about the traditional weaving craft of the J'rai people at Ms. H'Rek Hra's house). |
Mrs. H'Rek started learning weaving from her grandmothers and mothers when she was a young girl. Over time, with her passion for practice, she gradually weaved beautiful fabrics and learned the technique of decorating patterns on brocade. But then, because of her livelihood and economic development, there was a period of time when she had to temporarily put the loom in a corner of the house and not weave as often as before. Until about 10 years ago, not wanting the traditional craft to be forgotten, she continued to stick with the loom. Taking advantage of her free time, Mrs. H'Rek was absorbed in weaving, and from those brocades, she personally sewed clothes and daily necessities for family members and children such as: shirts, scarves, baby carriers, skirts, bags, loincloths, etc.
Also one of the elderly artisans still attached to the traditional profession in A1 village, Mrs. H Sun Siu (71 years old) confided that brocade weaving plays a very important role in the life of the J'rai people, from daily life to traditional ceremonies. It is also a measure of the skill and diligence of women. In the past, the J'rai people grew cotton to weave fabric, and they also found natural materials to dye the fabric. To weave a piece of fabric requires a lot of time and effort, the woven brocades are not only simple handmade products but also carry cultural values and the feelings of the weaver.
According to Ms. H'Sun, in the past, in Ea Sup town, there were many J'rai women who knew how to weave, but over time, the elderly followed their ancestors. Up to now, the number of people who know how to weave skillfully here can be counted on the fingers of one hand, most of them are elderly women.
Ea Sup town has 19 villages, hamlets, and residential groups, including 5 hamlets of local ethnic minorities, mainly J'rai people. In order to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values of the nation, in recent times, with the attention of Party committees and authorities at all levels, Ea Sup town has implemented a number of models to preserve the national cultural identity, including brocade weaving.
To stick with the profession and be able to weave beautiful fabrics, women not only need passion but also talent and skill, especially love for the traditional craft. Brocade weaving is a national cultural identity, we must try to preserve it, not let it be lost over time. Mrs. H'Sun Siu , Hamlet A1, Ea Sup Town, Ea Sup District |
Mr. Y Bong Lao, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ea Sup town, said that along with maintaining some traditional rituals, the town has established a gong club, regularly serving rituals, festivals and local events. At the end of 2024, a brocade weaving training course was organized in Ea Sup town. The local government has made efforts to mobilize ethnic minority women to participate, thereby gradually preserving and passing on traditional crafts to the younger generation in the area.
As a class participant, Ms. H'Bônh Siu (born in 1983) expressed her joy that the weaving profession here is gradually reviving. She confided that every evening, after working in the fields, the women gather at the town's cultural house. Under the lights, the elderly artisans patiently teach the students. Like that, many months passed, some of the women knew how to weave basically, had products, and earned more income.
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| Amidst the modern pace of life, in Ea Sup town (Ea Sup district), there are still silent J'rai women working at their weaving looms. |
Although there have been initial positive signs, according to Mr. Y Bong Lao, the biggest difficulty in maintaining and developing the traditional weaving profession in the locality is still the funding problem. Because people still have to worry about their family economy, while the weaving profession here does not bring high income to the people, brocade products do not have a stable output. Not to mention, with the modern lifestyle with many concerns, especially the pressure to make a living, the current young generation is no longer interested in the traditional profession. This is a barrier to passing the profession from the previous generation to the next generation. According to the plan, in the near future, there will be more brocade weaving classes opened here, hoping to contribute significantly to preserving the cultural identity in the area.
In my opinion, preserving the brocade weaving craft is not only preserving the traditional craft but also preserving a part of the cultural soul of the Central Highlands people. Therefore, along with propaganda work, it is necessary to have specific policies and support resources: from investing, organizing free vocational training classes, to supporting funding for people to participate, as well as supporting raw materials, output, connecting the consumption of brocade products associated with tourism ... In order to preserve the culture associated with developing sustainable livelihoods for the people.
Source: https://baodaklak.vn/van-hoa-du-lich-van-hoc-nghe-thuat/202506/giu-nghe-det-tho-cam-noi-vung-bien-d8c1255/
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