A study of Cultural Wisdom in the Rice-Growing of Khamu Ethnic Group: A Case Study of Bon Khao Kaengriang Village, Thakradan Subdistrict, Si Sawat District, Kanchanaburi Province

Abstract

The conducted study of Cultural wisdom in the rice-growing of Khamu ethnic group: a case study of Bon Khao Kaengriang Village, Thakradan Subdistrict, Si Sawat District, Kanchanaburi Province aimed to 1) studying the rice-growing culture of Khamu people and  2) create conservation, succession guidelines in cultural inheritance of rice-growing. This qualitative study adopted an in-depth interview for individual participants in data collection. Based on the purposes of the study, a sample was selected by using Snowball Sampling gaining 14 key informants including Khamu rice-farmers, elderly people, academics, and local scholars. The key informants resided in Bon Khao Kaengriang Village and could provide data on the rice-growing traditions, worships, and beliefs significantly influencing the living lifestyles of Khamu people. Additionally, the data collection was used the observation and focus group.

The research findings showed that the rice-growing generally started after the Royal  Ploughing Ceremony by strictly seize the forecast sacred bulls each year. In 2019, the forecast mentioned that “The royal bulls eat rice meaning to abundant rice and fruits, and drink water and eat grass meaning to abundant water sources, rice, fruits, food, and meat”.   Besides, the Ploughing Lord picked up the cloth length 125 centimeters meaning to sufficient water, abundant rice sprouts, fruits, and meat."  The duration of rice-growing up to rice-harvesting normally took 5-6 months; Khamu people wisely called "Growing on Mother's Day and Harvesting on Father's Day". In 2019, Khamu people had started growing some rice during June - July, then harvested during November - December. There were 4 main steps  as follows: 1) rice-growing (Chamon Hoe), 2) rice-producing, 3) rice-threshing (Pu Ngo), and 4) opening rice barn (Peot Cha-o). Normally, the rice-growing of Khamu people in Bon Khao Kaengriang Village, Thakradan Subdistrict, Si Sawat District, Kanchanaburi Province was only for household consumption,  and currently, the rice-growing of Khamu people has fewer households who grow some rice because there are no descendants and they change their living lifestyles. This was probably caused by the lack of cultural inheritance and conceptual changes in the living lifestyles. By this limitation, some steps and traditions had been reduced for more convenience.

By taking the conservative and heritable guidelines of the rice-growing using the field surveys revealed that Ban Bon Khao Kaengriang School had the educational curriculum in conservative guideline in rice-growing culture. The curriculum emphasized on the importance and understanding of rice-growing methods, and the living lifestyles of Khamu people. Moreover, the knowledge of rice-growing, living lifestyles, and traditions had been disseminated to the young generations by Prani Bunthong, the head of Bon Khao Kaengriang Village Club.