We have arrived in a place called Mahiyangana in anticipation of an audience with the Veddah chief. Unfortunately, he has gone walkabout and we are only able to visit with his son and others of this tribe.
The Veddah’s are the last descendents of the 
original inhabitants of Sri Lanka. The chronicle of Sri Lankan history, the Mahavansa records that Prince Vijaya, the founding father of the Sinhalese married Kuveni a woman of the Yakkha clan from whom we are all descendent. Can u spot a resemblance?
Veddahs were once hunters and gatherers but 
they also practiced slash and burn agriculture. Today, like most aboriginal populations, their way of life is at threat because Sri Lankan law prohibits hunting in National Parks. This issue is still being debated and the official position on this may soften in the future.
They have preserved their own language but many today speak Sinhalese
as well. During our visit, most of the Veddahs we met only spoke in their own language and we were only able to communicate through a translator. I think this is partly to preserve a bit of the mystery even today.
They gave us a demonstration of how they might stalk and hunt 
their prey and also sang a Veddah lullaby and performed a dance for us.
It was certainly an interesting visit and enabled us to get a better understanding of their way of life and how modernisation is threatening their lifestyle.
The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning. Mitch Albom
No comments:
Post a Comment