Sherpa people
| Total population |
|---|
| 150,000 |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Nepal, China (Tibet), Bhutan, India |
| Languages |
| Religion |
|
Predominantly Tibetan Buddhism – 93% Minority Hinduism, Bön, Christianity |
| Related ethnic groups |
The Sherpa (Tibetan:ཤར་པ། "eastern people", from shar "east" + pa "people") are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalayas. Sherpas migrated from the Kham region in eastern Tibet to Nepal within the last 300–400 years.[1]
The initial mountainous migration from Tibet was a search for beyul (Shangri-La). They primarily settled in the Solukhumbu district and then gradually moved further westward.[2]
The term Sherpa is also used to refer to local people, typically men, who are employed as guides for mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas, particularly Mt. Everest. They are highly regarded as elite mountaineers and experts in their local terrain. Most Sherpa people live in the eastern regions; however, some live farther west in the Rolwaling valley and in the Helambu region north of Kathmandu. Pangboche is the Sherpas' oldest village in Nepal. The Sherpa language belongs to the south branch of the Tibetan language family. This language is however not intelligible for Lhasa Tibetan speakers.[3] The number of Sherpas immigrating to the West has also significantly increased in recent years, especially to the United States. With a population of about 2500 Sherpas, New York City has the largest Sherpa Community in the U.S.A. The 2001 Nepal Census recorded 154,622 Sherpas in that country, of which 92.83% were Buddhists, 6.26% were Hindus, 0.63% were Christians and 0.20% were Bön.
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[edit] Mountaineering
Sherpas were immeasurably valuable to early explorers of the Himalayan region, serving as guides at the extreme altitudes of the peaks and passes in the region. Today, the term is used casually to refer to almost any guide or porter hired for mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas. Sherpas are renowned in the international climbing and mountaineering community for their hardiness, expertise, and experience at high altitudes. It has been speculated that a portion of the Sherpas' climbing ability is the result of a genetic adaptation to living in high altitudes. Some of these adaptations include unique hemoglobin-binding enzymes, doubled nitric oxide production, hearts that can utilize glucose, and lungs with an increased efficiency in low oxygen conditions.[4]
[edit] Religion
The Sherpas belong to the Nyingmapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Allegedly the oldest Buddhist sect in Tibet, it emphasizes mysticism and incorporates shamanistic practices and local deities shared by the pre-Buddhist Bon religion. Thus, in addition to Buddha and the great Buddhist divinities, the Sherpa also believe in numerous gods and demons who are believed to inhabit every mountain, cave, and forest. These have to be worshiped or appeased through ancient practices that have been woven into the fabric of Buddhist ritual life.
Many of the great Himalayan mountains are worshiped as gods. The Sherpas call Mount Everest Chomolungma and worship it as the "Mother of the World." Mount Makalu is worshiped as the deity Shankar (Shiva). Each clan recognizes mountain gods identified with certain peaks that are their protective deities.
The day-to-day religious affairs of the Sherpas are dealt with by lamas (Buddhist spiritual leaders) and other religious practitioners living in the villages. It is the village lama who can be married, is often a householder and who presides over ceremonies and rituals. In addition, shamans (lhawa) and soothsayers (mindung) deal with the supernatural and the spirit world. They identify witches (pem), act as the mouthpiece of gods and spirits, and diagnose illnesses.
An important aspect of Sherpa religion is the monastery or gompa. There are some two dozen of these institutions scattered through the Solu-Khumbu region. They are communities of lamas or monks (sometimes of nuns) who take a vow of celibacy and lead a life in isolation searching for truth and religious enlightenment. They are respected by and supported by the community at large. Their contact with the outside world is limited to the annual festivals to which the public is invited, and the reading of sacred texts at funerals.
Minority religions for Sherpas include Hinduism and Roman Catholicism.
[edit] Traditional costume
Sherpa dress is similar to that worn by Tibetans. Many younger men who have worked for mountaineering expeditions wear Western-style high-altitude clothing.
[edit] Notable Sherpas
One of the most well known Sherpas is Tenzing Norgay. In 1953, he and Sir Edmund Hillary became the first people known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest.[5][6][7] Norgay's son Jamling Tenzing Norgay also climbed Everest in honor of his father with the famous Ed Viesturs and Araceli Segarra during the disastrous year of 1996.
Two Sherpas, Pemba Dorjie and Lhakpa Gelu, recently competed to see who could climb Everest from base camp the fastest. On May 23, 2003, Dorjie summited in 12 hours and 46 minutes. Three days later, Gelu beat his record by two hours, summiting in 10 hours 46 minutes. On May 21, 2004, Dorjie again improved the record by more than two hours with a total time of 8 hours and 10 minutes.[8]
On 11 May 2011, Apa Sherpa successfully reached the summit of Everest for the twenty-first time, breaking his own record for the most successful ascents.[9] He first climbed Mount Everest in 1989 at the age of 29.[10] Perhaps the most famous Nepalese female mountaineer is Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, the first Nepalese female climber to reach the summit of Everest, but who died during the descent. Another woman Sherpa who is well known is the two-time Everest summiteer Pemba Doma Sherpa, who died after falling from Lhotse on May 22, 2007.[11]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Notes
- ^ Oppitz, Michael (1968) (in German). Geschichte furu und Sozialordnung der Sherpa, Teil 1. Innsbrück and Munich, Germany: Universitäts-Verlag Wagner. ISBN 978-3703010392. http://sherwa.de/background/oppitz.pdf.
- ^ Rinji Sherpa, Lhakpa (2008). Through a Sherpa Window (Illustrated Guide to Sherpa Culture. Kathmandu, Nepal: Vajra Publications. ISBN 978-9937-506-20-5. http://www.wisdom-books.com/ProductDetail.asp?PID=19080.
- ^ http://lacito.vjf.cnrs.fr/colloque/deserts/videos_gestion/nt.htm
- ^ Kamler, K. (2004). Surviving the extremes: What happens to the body and mind at the limits of human endurance. New York: Penguin.
- ^ Christchurch City Libraries, Famous New Zealanders. Retrieved 23 January 2007.
- ^ Everest not as tall as thought Agençe France-Presse (on abc.net.au), 10 October 2005
- ^ PBS, NOVA, First to Summit, Updated November 2000. Retrieved March 31, 2007
- ^ "New Everest Speed Record upheld". EverestNews.com. http://www.everestnews2004.com/4002expcoverage/newseverestspeedrecord05202004-09162004.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-04.
- ^ "Apa Sherpa summits Everest for the 21st time'". Salt Lake Tribune. May 11, 2011. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51789082-78/apa-sherpa-everest-pool.html.csp. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
- ^ Since The Age of 12
- ^ "Famous female Nepal climber dead", BBC News, 23 May 2007
[edit] External links
- Himali sherpa information about sherpa Sherpa Cultures and History, Buddhism Culture,Buddhism, Religion, Culture, Himalayan People of Nepal& more.http://www.himalisherpa.com
- Tapting Sherpa Kyidug - a Sherpa community group in Kathmandu
- Sherpa dictionary
- Gaiety of Spirit: The Sherpas of Khumbu
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www.tsheringdorje.com
www.tgan.org.np
