THE Ơ ĐU PEOPLE IN VIETNAM
In the two countries Laos and Vietnam, the Ơ Đu aboriginal ethnic group reside. The Ơ Đu are also known by other names, such as O’Du, O Du, Iduh, Tay Hat, Hat, and Haat.
In Vietnam, the Ơ Đu ethnic group are, by standards, has a very small population, with approximately 1000 people, at the very most. At one point, the Ơ Đu village in Vietnam was situated in a remote area of the country. However, in , in 2006, the Ơ Đu then migrated to the Văng Môn village, in the Nga My commune, Tuong Duong district, owing to the fact that the country developed the Van Be hydropower dam.
At present, the Ơ Đu ethnic group houses skilled artisans and laborers. The roles of the sexes are quite articulately separated, in that women work largely within the household, and me work outside of the home. Despite this separation, one category of work is shared by both sexes, and that is the art of weaving. Farming has also allowed for a source of sustenance for the community, where the Ơ Đu subsist on slash-and-burn agriculture and cattle.
However, the Ơ Đu now mostly employ Vietnamese or the language of the Thái or the Khơ Mú.
The focus by both men and women in the Ơ Đu ethnic group on weaving has infuenced the preservation of the thnic group’s heritage, which is largely unaffected by modern society.
Owing to the tensioned dynamics throughout the ancient and modern histories of the Ơ Đu community, the ethnic group has sustained damage to the longevity of its language, culture, and customs, which have become endangered. Its language, also known as O’du, is a Khmuic language (Austro-Asiatic family) and has a possible connection to Khmuic languages.