Who Are the M'nong?
The M'nong (also spelled Mnong) are an Austro-Asiatic ethnic group of Vietnam's Central Highlands and adjacent areas of Cambodia, numbering approximately 100,000-130,000 in Vietnam and smaller populations in Cambodia. They speak M'nong, a Mon-Khmer language of the Austroasiatic family. The M'nong inhabit Dak Nong, Lam Dong, and Dak Lak provinces. They are particularly famous for their tradition of elephant capture and taming, which made them renowned throughout the region. Elephants served for forest work, transportation, and war. The M'nong's animist religion centers on spirits (yang) of nature and ancestors, with elaborate rituals and gong ceremonies.
Elephant Capture and Training
The M'nong developed sophisticated techniques for capturing and training wild Asian elephants. Teams of hunters tracked wild herds, then used already-trained elephants and rope techniques to capture target animals. Training followed, with experienced mahouts gradually acclimating captured elephants to human commands. The M'nong maintained large elephant herds, with wealthy families owning multiple animals. Elephants served for logging, transportation, and historically for warfare. Village like Buon Don became famous as elephant-capturing centers. As forests shrink and wild elephants become rare, this tradition has declined; few wild captures occur today. Remaining elephants mostly serve tourism, and the knowledge of elephant capture risks being lost.
Gong Culture
The M'nong share in the Central Highlands gong culture, which UNESCO has recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Gong ensembles of various sizes produce complex rhythms for ceremonies, festivals, and community gatherings. Different gong pieces serve different occasions: funerals, agricultural celebrations, and buffalo sacrifice ceremonies. Sets of gongs constitute valuable family property, passed through generations. Gong music accompanies the rhythms of highland life, marking life transitions and seasonal cycles. The M'nong traditionally buried precious gong sets with prominent deceased. As traditional ceremonies decline and gongs acquire antique value, this musical tradition faces pressure, though cultural preservation efforts continue.
Contemporary M'nong
Modern M'nong face challenges common to Vietnam's highland minorities: land pressure from development and migration, cultural change, and economic marginalization. Coffee and pepper plantations have transformed the highlands, bringing Vietnamese settlers and changing land use patterns. Yok Don National Park encompasses traditional M'nong territory, creating conservation-livelihood tensions. Elephant tourism at Buon Don provides income but raises animal welfare concerns. Traditional swidden agriculture has declined. Protestant Christianity has gained adherents alongside traditional animism. The M'nong language faces pressure from Vietnamese. How the M'nong preserve their distinctive traditions—especially elephant-related knowledge—while adapting to rapid change shapes this highland people's future.
References
- Hickey, G. C. (1982). Sons of the Mountains
- Bui, T. C. (2001). "The Mnong People in Vietnam"
- Condominas, G. (1977). We Have Eaten the Forest