Nepal

The Sherpa People

The Sherpa people migrated from eastern Tibet to Nepal hundreds of years ago. Before the Western intrusion in the twentieth century, the Sherpa people did not climb mountains, they reverently passed by the high paks 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 Sherpa as porters. From that time on, due to their willingness to work and ability to climb the world's tallest peaks, mouintaineering became part of the Sherpa culture.

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

The transformation of the Sherpa's culture and way of living make their income increase. The Sherpa people who work as guides, cooks or part of the Base Camp staff of 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 ethnicity but retain positions such as head porters. Through the Sherpa have experienced westernization, their income from climbers has helped them to preserve their society. They have managed to keep alive most of the important parts of their culture.