first impressions

I first learned of Ladakh through the 2010 documentary, Schooling the World. The film shines a light on the imperialist incentives of European settlers in their quest to destroy indigenous cultures and their connection to the land. Helena Norberg-Hodge, a linguist, author and activist that lived in Ladakh over a forty year span, speaks in this film and further shares her perspective of the transformation she witnessed in her book titled, Ancient Futures; Learning from Ladakh. She writes,

One of the most striking lessons that changing Ladakh has taught me is that while the tools and machines of the modern world in themselves save time, the new way of life as a whole has the effect of taking time away. As a result of development, Ladakhis in the modern sector have become part of an economic system in which people have to compete at the speed of available technologies.(1)

Ladakh and the local way of life is special for many reasons, but a main one is a closeness to nature and a simple way of living, that in the industrial world has evaporated from our understanding. There are still nomadic communities that exist, and through an apprenticeship with the social enterprise, we are KAL, I have the privilege of connecting with them.  

We are KAL works closely with the Changpa or Karnak people, a nomadic community who inhabits the Changthang plateau, on the border between India and Tibet in high Himalayas at about 5,000m. The community used to be comprised of nearly 100 families, but has now shrunk down to only 14, living in rebo tents traditionally made of yak hair. Each family owns several hundred animals;  sheep, goats and yak, that are taken up into the mountains each day by a shepherd.  

A few days after arriving in Ladakh, we packed the truck with tents, warm clothing, fresh vegetables and baked goods and drove up to spend a few days in Karnak. From the truck bed, I watched the landscape transform. The colours were breathtaking ~ bright purple wildflowers dotted red rock mountains and along the roadside wound an ice blue river. We drove higher and the greenery disappeared and the temperature dropped. The jagged rock softened and the mountains opened into barren hillsides, as we reached the Changthang plateau. 

1. Ancient Futures by Helena Norberg-Hodge, page 106. Also a documentary.