Northern Traditional Knowledge Fair
Northern exhibition-fair of traditional knowledge and practices of nomadic animal husbandry and culture of the Kyrgyz, organized by Rural Development Fund, was held on June 5, 2009 at the jailoo "Zhashyl Kol" person.
The exhibition-fair of traditional knowledge was aimed at familiarization and discussion of the results of the first study of traditional knowledge, skills and technologies in animal husbandry and pasture use within the framework of the project "Revival and dissemination of Kyrgyz pastoral knowledge and practices", as well as presentation of the developments of the project experts, identification of topics for further research during the 2nd stage of the study.
The exhibition was attended by livestock farmers, custodians and practitioners of traditional knowledge from the northern regions of the country. Residents of the south, from Jalalabad, Batken and Osh regions, also came to exchange and discuss the secrets of traditional knowledge in the field of animal husbandry, nomadic culture and life. Jamaat "Kok Oyrok" rendered great assistance in the preparation and holding of the exhibition.
Information about the results of the research was posted by topic in 4 yurts
- Information about the project's activities, goals and objectives of the project, the main beneficiaries, the results achieved. This yurt also contained materials on the upcoming school for young livestock breeders "Pastoralist-Patoralist".
- Use of pasture resources: farmer assessment of the state of pastures, traditional methods of using pastures, folk methods of preserving and improving the condition of pastures. Presentations were held in the yurts, a focus group "on shyrdaks" to identify additional topics for research.
- Livestock (care and education of horses, especially nomadic camel breeding, yak breeding).
- Traditional way of life and culture of nomadic animal husbandry (nomadic clothing, lost dishes, ancestral rites, nomadic practices).
The guests of the fair were the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzpatent, KSAP, Rural Advisory Service (RAS), ARIS and local NGOs.
The exhibition was attended by representatives of the Christensen Foundation from the USA and Kyrgyzstan, which are the main donor of this project. A team of Christensen Foundation grantees from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan also came to get acquainted with the results of the project. The guests from Tajikistan were interested in the methods of research and collection of traditional knowledge, the specifics of the project, the possibility of exchanging experience.
RDF partners in the exhibition
- Tatiana Vorotnikova's studio held a show of traditional clothes of nomadic Kyrgyz;
- Mars Kendirbaev with his pets taigans represented the Khan-Taigan public foundation;
- Association "Toguz korgool", headed by Kiyizbayev Muratbek, taught children and adults the rules of this traditional Kyrgyz game;
- Bishkek Academy of Physical Culture presented the games "Kuresh" and "Ordo";
- Workshop of national souvenirs "Ak Shoola" from the local village of Tegirmenti and the workshop for making a bride's dowry NGO "Onor Bulagy" from the neighboring village of Shabdan organized an exhibition selling their products;
- Firm "Artezian" presented its national drinks.
Exhibitors
The winners of the competition among students of vocational-technical lyceums, agricultural colleges and universities of the country to identify experienced pastoralists were invited to the exhibition-fair. Students were awarded with certificates of honor and prizes, actively participated in presentations and discussions together with the youth wing of the local Jamaat "Kok-Oyrok".
The most important participants in the exhibition were wise "aksakals" and "baibiche", who came from different parts of the country to pass on their knowledge and discuss in discussions at the "shyrdaks" the problems of loss of national knowledge and skills of ancestors, lack of succession mechanisms. Explore opportunities for the secrets of folk knowledge and methods came to young farmers and breeders, among whom were experienced "practitioners" of traditional methods of treating animals and improving the health of pastures.
During the northern trade fair, traditional pastoral food was prepared, fair participants and students demonstrated pastoral games and theatrical performances about the traditional lifestyle of livestock breeders. Residents of the Kok-Oyrok community held a fair-sale of national dishes and drinks, medicinal herbs.
The masters of industrial training and teachers of agricultural colleges and vocational schools were interested in folk knowledge. A “corner” of enrollment in the “Pastoralist-Pastoralist” school, which was organized within the framework of the project in the summer of 2010, is open for them.