Nepal

The Sherpa People

The Sherpa people migrated from eastern Tibet to Nepal many centuries ago. Before the Western intrusion in the twentieth century, the Sherpa people did not climb mountains; they reverently passed by the high peaks of the Himalayas, believing them to be the homes of the gods. The Sherpa people eked out their livelihood from high-altitude farming, raising cattle, wool spinning, and weaving.

It was not before the 1920s that the Sherpa people became involved in climbing. The British, who controlled the Indian subcontinent at that time, planned mountain climbing expeditions and hired Sherpas as porters. From that time on, due to their willingness to work and ability to climb the world's tallest peaks, mountaineering became an integral part of Sherpa culture.

Although numerous expeditions attempted it, it was in 1953 that Edmund Hillary and the Sherpa named Tenzing Norgay managed to reach the 8,848 meters (29,028 feet) of Mount Everest. After 1953, countless teams of climbers invaded the Sherpas' homeland, making Western snacks more familiar than traditional Sherpa food. In 1976, the Sherpa region and Mount Everest were protected as part of Sagarmatha National Park. The park was created through the efforts of not only the government of Nepal but also the work of the Himalayan Trust, a foundation established by Sir Edmund Hillary.

The transformation of the Sherpa's culture and way of life increases their income. The Sherpa people, who work as guides, cooks, or part of the Base Camp staff on an expedition, have an income far exceeding that of the average Nepalese. For the most part, the Sherpa people no longer serve as porters; they contract that job out to other ethnicities, but retain positions such as head porters. Through the Sherpa's experience with westernization, their income from climbers has helped them preserve their society. They have managed to preserve most of the crucial aspects of their culture.