The GIA RAI Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam
Hits: 791
With a 350,766 population, the GIA-RAI live in concentration in Gia Lai Province1, a part in Kon Turn Province2 and northern Dak Lak Province3. The GIA RAI community conslts of some local subgroups: To Buan, Mthur, Hdrung, Chor and Arap. Their language, close to that of the E De, Cham, Ra Giai and Chu Ru, belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian group.
The GIA RAI believe in the existence of Giang (genies) and hold many rituals relating to genies in daily life and production. They chiefly live on slash-and-bum cultivation. Ordinary rice is the staple food. Farming tools are simple, including machetes, cleavers, hoes, and digging sticks. Husbandry develops. Formerly, the GIA RAI tamed elephants and possessed a large herd of horses. Men are skilful in basketry, and women in cloth weaving. Hunting, gathering and fishing are sideline economic activities.
The GIA RAI live in villages (plot or bon). There are elongated and small houses, but all are built on stilts with the entrance door facing the north. The village chief and the elders have great prestige and play an important role In running collective activities. Each village has a communal house called rang located to the north.
The matnarchal system is adopted. Females are free to choose their life partners and decide their marriage. After the wedding, the husband lives in his wife’s family and inherit no property from his parents. On the contrary, daughters, after marriage, no longer lives with their parents and enjoy the right of inheritance. Children take the family name of their mother. In the society, men play a more important role but in the family, women enjoy more priorities. In the old days, a deceased was burled at the same grave with the relatives his or her maternal lineage. Today, this habit is not popular.
The GIA RAI have well-known long epics such as Dam Di di san (Dam Di goes hunting) and Xinh Nha. Remarkable musical instruments Include gongs, T’rung tung-nung and Klong-put. These traditional instruments are closely associated with the people’s spititual life. Songs and dances have been performed at the family or village-scale festivals and ceremonies since childhood and till the old age.

SEE MORE:
◊ The COMMUNITY of 54 ETHNIC GROUPS in Vietnam – Section 1.
◊ The BA NA Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊ The BO Y Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊ The BRAU Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊ The BRU-VAN KIEU Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊ The CHO RO Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊ The CO HO Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊ The CONG Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊ The CHUT Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊ The CHU RU Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊ The CHAM Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊ The DAO Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊ The GIAY Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊ Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo): CONG DONG 54 Dan toc Viet Nam – Phan 1.
◊ Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio): Nguoi BA NA trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊ Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio): Nguoi BO Y trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊ Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio): Nguoi BRAU trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊ Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio): Nguoi BRU-VAN KIEU trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊ Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio): Nguoi CHO RO trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊ Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio): Nguoi CHAM trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊ Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio): Nguoi CHU RU trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊ Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio): Nguoi CHUT trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊ Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio): Nguoi CONG trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊ Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio): Nguoi DAO trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊ Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio): Nguoi GIAY trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊ Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio): Nguoi GIA RAI trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊ etc.
BAN TU THU
07 /2020
NOTES:
1 : … updating…
NOTE:
◊ Source & Images: 54 Ethnic Groups in Vietnam, Thong Tan Publishers, 2008.
◊ All citations and italic textes has been set by Ban Tu Thu – thanhdiavietnamhoc.com