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- Convenors:
-
Byeibitgul Khaumyen
(Texas AM)
Colin Johnson (University of Pittsburgh)
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- Theme:
- ANT
- Location:
- Posvar 3431
Accepted papers
Session 1Paper long abstract
There is a large amount of debate about whether or not Pamiris are Tajiks or a separate people group. While Afghan Pamiris for the most part either actively embrace or passively accept the Tajik label, Tajikistani Pamiris under the age of forty frequently conceptualize themselves belonging to a collective Pamiri group apart from Tajiks despite the lack of mutual intelligibility between some Pamiri languages. Instead of trying to decide if Pamiris are Tajiks or not I explore why Pamiris in both Afghanistan and Tajikistan perceive their identities in the different ways they do. Just as the term 'Tajik' was unheard of in Central Asia before the coming of Islam in the 600s and 700s, the notion of Pamiris being separate from Tajiks was unheard of before the Bolshevik revolution. Instead of being primordially conceived, the notion of Pamiris being a unique ethno-national group apart from Tajiks was popularized in the 1960s and 70s and experienced increased crystallization after the Tajik Civil War and the 2012 Gorno-Badakhshan Clashes. While the history of conflict played an important role in Pamiris conceptualizing themselves as 'ethnically' distinct from Tajiks, this may have never happened if it were not for the sectarian divisions existing between Sunni Tajiks and Ismaili Pamiris to begin with. My research shows that in Tajikistan, Ismailism plays an important role in determining who is and who is not Pamiri on a regional and even village-to-village basis. Furthermore there is very strong evidence suggesting that the need to form a group of adequate size is instrumental in Pamiris conceptualizing themselves belonging to a common ethnicity despite the lack of mutual intelligibility between their languages. Furthermore like in other parts of Central Asia patriarchy and the rule of patrilineal descent play a role in defining who is Pamiri on an individual basis. Given that both the 'Pamiri' and 'Tajik' groups along with all other human groups are completely socially constructed entities, it is inappropriate to approach the issue from a primordialist perspective. Instead as this study of Pamiri identity illustrates, socioeconomic and sociocultural factors have been instrumental in determining the radically different ways Pamiris conceptualize their identities in Afghanistan and Tajikistan today.
Paper long abstract
The Roof of the World Festival (Bam-e Donya) is a small-scale, locally-organized international music festival that is held annually in Khorugh, the capital of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region in southern Tajikistan. Founded in 2008 by the Amesha Spenta organization, the festival’s primary aim is to safeguard and represent Pamiri customs and values. Over the years, the festival has been expanded to bring both regional and international artists, musicians, and dancers together. The festival’s mother organization is spearheaded by Samandar Pulatov, a locally known musician whose aspiration in initiating this festival surpasses the mere preservation of his cultural heritages. By raising awareness of the need to promote disappearing cultural traditions like Pamiri linguistic and traditional musical practices, Pulatov aspires not only to reinvigorate these traditions but also to gain global recognition. His aspirations and the festival’s mandates are clearly manifested in the titles of his organization and the festival. The founding organization’s name, Amesha Spenta, which means “beneficent immortal” in the Avestan language, is indicative of the organization’s commitment to preserve Pamiri cultural heritages for eternity. The festival’s title also refers allegorically to the mountainous regions of Badakhshan, which once brought the world together through the ancient routs of the Silk Road. My paper will demonstrate how Pulatov cultivates the important tenets of “intercultural hospitality” by fostering an intercultural environment, advancing intercultural dialogue, and promoting diversity within the context of the festival. These tenets underlie models of productive communication by embracing the ethical values of caring and trust and the ideals of connectivity and exchange in order to surmount cultural and religious antagonism. In the context of the Roof of the World Festival, intercultural hospitality promotes conditions for creative exchanges at the same time that it fosters the recognition of Pamiri cultural practices in opposition to the Tajik state’s oppressive policies toward minority groups of Badakhshan. Drawing upon ethnographic data collected during the 2017 Roof of the World festival, I will explain how the involvement of European NGOs as primary sponsors of the festival has affected the representation of traditional musical performances. Since the festival is entirely contingent upon the philanthropic support of these NGOs, its annual production requires meeting the demands of the patrons, which includes selling out tickets and attracting large numbers of audience members. This, I will argue, has led to significant changes in traditional musical practices.