The Ede people keep the wharf like a village lifeline

For the Ede people in Dak Lak province, since ancient times, the watershed has always been considered the lifeline of the village. Today, the wharfs of the Ede people are still maintained, which is a unique cultural feature preserved for future generations.
Every morning or late afternoon, Dam Yi Wharf in Sah A village, Ea Tul commune, Cu Mgar district, Dak Lak province is always bustling with young and old. The cool, clear water flows from the bamboo pipes and pours down the rocks and pieces of wood, creating a murmuring sound. Mixed with the sound of running water is the sound of the sisters carrying water to bring home to drink, or the laughter and play of children who follow their parents to bathe and wash clothes.

The wharf with green space is a favorite destination for the elderly and young people. Ms. H Ven Ayun, from Triă village, Ea Tul commune, Cu Mgar district, said that the Ede people have always chosen a place to set up their village where they must have a clean water source, the water source flows day and night, year round and never runs out. Water is the source of life, bringing people good crops, warmth; The forest is a sacred place to protect the village. In order to have a clean and clear water source, people in the village work together to preserve the trees in the watershed; Because people understand that when the forest is lost, the water dries up, and every big tree that is cut down is an underground water source. Losing the forest, losing the water wharf, the village will no longer exist. Therefore, the forest surrounding the wharf will be protected intact by the people. Ms. H Ven Ayun said, every week, people will clean themselves, clean the water wharf very clean: “The water wharf of the Ede people in the past was self-flowing from the source, where there are many old trees and very good water. When it rains, the rainwater will wash away dirt, rotten leaves and garbage, and people will clean it regularly or monthly to keep the water source clean.” Today, although each house has well water and tap water to use, many Ede people still keep the habit of 2 mornings and afternoons to go to the wharf to bring water back to their activities. When the water is filled, people meet, ask about each other, and chat happily. If in the past, the roads leading from the village to the wharf were trails and steep slopes, today, in many villages, the road to the wharf has been concreted and built into steps to prevent slipping. In some places, both the wall and water pipes are concreted, using metal pipes as gutters. Today, many wharfs have been repaired and restored with concrete and cement. According to Ms. H Djuon Niê, in Phuong village, Ea Tul commune, Cu Mgar district, this approach helps to make the wharfs cleaner. When the road is convenient, more and more people come to the wharf, including tourists from far away: “Since knowing how to build with concrete and cement, the water source is clean and free of dirty garbage. We hope to keep the old trees at the wharf intact; trees must be protected, not cut down. Only trees can retain water; with moisture, water will remain and not run dry. there’s always water flowing over the years”. Along with urbanization, many wharves in Ede villages gradually disappeared or were abandoned. The reason is that the old trees were cut down, the watershed forest area was narrowed, drying out the groundwater, leaving the wharf without water, or the water was no longer clean. Facing this situation, the authorities of some localities in Dak Lak have solutions to recover the parts around the wharf to expand the watershed forest area, invest and restore the water wharves for the community. As in Dat Hieu ward, Buon Ho town, currently, the watershed forest area in Kli A village is only about 1,000 m2. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Truc, Secretary of the Party Committee of Dat Hieu ward, the locality is speeding up progress to recover 0.8 hectares of land around the Kli A wharf area: “The locality is very interested in protecting the wharf. water as well as environmental protection, directing aggressively in the planning of this wharf, putting that area into planning for management.For the people in this village, they are also very conscious in the process. The process of protecting the environment here and protecting the wharf; they also strictly implement it, do not discharge waste into the environment during their living. The trees in the wharf area they also protect, preserve, and do not cut down. “. In many places, trails down to the waterfront have been replaced by concrete roads. In Cu Mgar district, since 2011, Doan Cu Mgar district has organized to repair and restore a number of water wharfs by cleaning the environment, clearing the flow, raising awareness about using and protecting resources. water and protect watershed forests. The local cultural sector also implements conservation activities of traditional culture, including the wharf and wharf worshiping ceremonies. Mr. Y Mang, Deputy Head of the Culture and Information Department of CuM’gar District, Dak Lak Province said: “In the past time, the Culture and Information Department has advised the District People’s Committee to repair and upgrade the water wharf for the district. In which, trees have been planted and a delegation has been established to zoning areas to protect and preserve the water wharves of the people. In addition, the cultural life, especially the culture of the people, must be preserved, and the wharf-worshipping ritual must be maintained. water, want the culture to be preserved and moreover that the water is clean”. From the sense of protecting the water wharf – the source of life, the Ede people in Dak Lak have a deeper sense of protecting the environment, protecting the watershed forests to preserve the village’s natural water flow. As a result, the wharfs of the Ede people are still maintained, which is a unique culture preserved for future generations.