Planting rice paddies in Mazhing

Residents of Rolam village are cultivating this paddy in Mazhing, near Rolam village after a long absence of rain during the peak season of monsoon. Water for irrigation is allocated based on a lottery system. Conversations among the villagers and children can be heard in the background.
Date: June 1, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Video
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of ponpo curry, part 2

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes how to prepare ponpo curry using lichen and demonstrates how to thoroughly wash the dirt from the lichen. She also shares memories of eating ponpo curry and collecting dry lichen while gathering firewood during childhood. Time-aligned translation into English.
Date: 2022-06/2023-06
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Dataset
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of ponpo curry, part 2

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes how to prepare ponpo curry using lichen and demonstrates how to thoroughly wash the dirt from the lichen. She also shares memories of eating ponpo curry and collecting dry lichen while gathering firewood during childhood.
Date: June 16, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of ponpo curry, part 2

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes how to prepare ponpo curry using lichen and demonstrates how to thoroughly wash the dirt from the lichen. She also shares memories of eating ponpo curry and collecting dry lichen while gathering firewood during childhood.
Date: June 16, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Video
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of ponpo curry, part 1

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes how to prepare ponpo curry using lichen, demonstrating the process of steaming the lichen with ash before cooking. She explains that people in Thragom village consume ponpo curry once a year to wash away any dirt or hair inside the body. Time-aligned translation into English.
Date: 2022-06/2023-06
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Dataset
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of ponpo curry, part 1

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes how to prepare ponpo curry using lichen, demonstrating the process of steaming the lichen with ash before cooking. She explains that people in Thragom village consume ponpo curry once a year to wash away any dirt or hair inside the body.
Date: June 16, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of ponpo curry, part 3

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes how to prepare ponpo curry with lichen, chili powder, garlic, black pepper, oil, and salt. After the lichen is thoroughly steamed and washed, the curry is ready in 5 minutes. She says the lichen can be directly consumed with chili paste (without steaming). Time-aligned translation into English.
Date: 2022-06/2023-06
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Dataset
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of ponpo curry, part 3

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes how to prepare ponpo curry with lichen, chili powder, garlic, black pepper, oil, and salt. After the lichen is thoroughly steamed and washed, the curry is ready in 5 minutes. She says the lichen can be directly consumed with chili paste (without steaming).
Date: June 16, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of ponpo curry, part 3

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes how to prepare ponpo curry with lichen, chili powder, garlic, black pepper, oil, and salt. After the lichen is thoroughly steamed and washed, the curry is ready in 5 minutes. She says the lichen can be directly consumed with chili paste (without steaming).
Date: June 16, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Video
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of ponpo curry, part 1

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes how to prepare ponpo curry using lichen, demonstrating the process of steaming the lichen with ash before cooking. She explains that people in Thragom village consume ponpo curry once a year to wash away any dirt or hair inside the body.
Date: June 16, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Video
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of traditional bamboo roofing

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes bamboo roofing, a common feature for all the houses in Thragom before people started having CGI roofing. In the past, youths would have to walk for around 5 hours to Yabrangtot where they get bamboo, and then travel back to Thragom. They would take a packed lunch for their trip, usually in winter.
Date: June 8, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of crops in Thragom village

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes growing corn and other crops in Thragom village, explaining that corn was the staple diet in Thragom historically. In the past, they would plant during the month of April and harvest during late October to early November. They also plant soybeans, pumpkin, and cucumbers in the maize field. She says that monkeys are the main animals that destroy corn and other crops.
Date: June 8, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of farming practices in Thragom village

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes farming practices used for staple crops, such as corn, wheat, and buckwheat. She says the community would work on each other's farm on rotational bases, using manure made from a mixture of dry oak leaf and cow dung on the farmland to increase the yield.
Date: June 8, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of ritual cakes

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes ritual cakes. She says pond earth was used to make the wrathful ritual cake. Wheat flour was used to make a personal Yidam ritual cake. Only in rare cases was rice flour used. A helper of the Lama will come one day ahead of the ritual ceremony to make the cakes.
Date: June 8, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of millet in Thragom village

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She says that, of all the farming works, the plantation of millet was most sought after. Millet seeds were planted before the arrival of the magpie in the village, and planting millet after the arrival of the magpie was considered late and generally wouldn’t have a good yield. During millet plantation, the workers would share fermented wine using a big ox horn.
Date: June 8, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of Nak Chö rituals and animal sacrifice

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes Nak Chö rituals, explaining that all the ritual cakes were prepared, and only then a pig was killed. This was followed by encircling of ritual cakes with the intestines of the pig. The ritual was performed only once in Thragom. During other early ritual celebrations, it was done in the maternal home of the grandmother.
Date: June 8, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of Dakpa riddles

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She says riddles were part of every mother's teaching to support children's thought processes and to teach them about common mistakes.
Date: June 8, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Personal narrative about visiting the Dalai Lama

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes a visit to the Dalai Lama. She says the first visit to see His Holiness in Tawang was quite long. They stayed around a month and a half in Tawang at a relative's house. While waiting for His Holiness, they helped in their fields, took care of house chores, and got wood from the forest.
Date: June 8, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description and demonstration of Kharam rituals

Lama Tshering and Chote Tshering discuss Kharam, a curse associated with gossip, and rituals performed to ward off the curse. It is considered dangerous to one's health. In Bönism, a lead master will mold a ritual cake and perform a ritual ceremony to ward off these spirits. He will slice the cake and foretell the ritual ceremonies that need to be performed.
Date: June 10, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Description of Bön rituals and foods

Lama Tshering and Chote Tshering discuss how eggs are offered in the Bön ritual to symbolize the heart of a head of the family (usually the mother). In the Bön ritual, garlic, pork, and spring onion are forbidden. They say Shergain Mewang is the wrathful form, whereas Sherab Mebar is the peaceful form. If the people practicing Bön have a sudden sickness, then they offer a butter lamp and cash as an offering to him to recover instantly.
Date: June 10, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Conversation about Bön and Buddhism

Cheten Tshering and Lama Tshering discuss how Bön considers Guru Rinpoche, using informal language when talking about him. They discuss why eggs are offered in Bön, why pork is forbidden, and the instruments used in Bön traditions. They say that, to fulfill wishes, it is best to pay homage, but for ultimate enlightenment, one must practice Buddhism.
Date: June 10, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Conversation about Kha Bön rituals

Lama Tshering and Chote Tshering discuss the recent increase in the practice of Kha Bön, where people are appeasing the malicious spirit without formal training. They are seen offering flour mixed with meat, fermented sometimes without meat, and fermented wine to appease spirits that affect us. They say some even perform Bön Nag, where animal sacrifices are required.
Date: June 10, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Conversation about Kharam rituals

Chote Tshering and Lama Tshering, two respected lay monks, discuss Kharam, a curse associated with gossip, and rituals performed to ward off the curse. They say the Kharam ritual in Bön is quite amazing. They build a Kharam Shang (a wooden target made of Rhus Chinensis). They will place that target inside the house and shoot the arrow into it.
Date: June 10, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Performance of annual Hunchung rituals

Mr. Lama Tshering is an annual ritual performer of Hunchung and other households in Thragom, Rinzentangpang, Bamchang, and Ranjung. He has been performing the ritual for past several years. The religious text that they are reciting is the appeasement of the main deities of the Gelugpa sects of Buddhism. Some of the deities they appease are Damchen Dorji Legpa and his retinue.
Date: June 11, 2022
Creator: Tshewang, Tashi
Object Type: Video
System: The UNT Digital Library