Cơ-tu

Denomination: Cơ-tu.
Other names: Cà-tu, Cao, Hạ, Ca-tang, Mọi
Small local groups: Phương, Kan-tua
Population: 51,000
Language: Môn-Khmer
Area of habitation: Hiên and Giằng districts (Quảng Nam province), Phú Lộc and
A Lưới districts (Thừa Thiên- Huế province).

Material life
Cơ-tu villages are located generally quite far from one another. The residential area is surrounded by a hedge with two gates. Houses built on flat land are arranged in the form of an ellipse. In the middle of the village is the communal house. It is this large building, which towers over all the other dwellings, that reception of guests, meetings, cultural performances, sacrifice rites, and displays of hunting trophies are held. It is also the place where the elders spend most of their time recounting their memories and making plaited baskets and boxes. Cơ-tu houses are on stilts like those of other ethnic groups living in the Trường Sơn range and on high plateaux. They arc recognizable by the two lateral sides (out of four sides) that look like turtle carapaces.
Generally speaking, Cơ-tu attire is simple. Men wear loin-cloths and leave their upper torsos naked. But they are tending to adopt the Việt COStume. Women wear long tube-shaped skirts that reach up to cover their chests. Patterned bands woven with red-coloured threads decorate the hems and stand out against the dark indigo back-ground of the cloth. A close fitting sleeveless vest, with a V-shaped collar completes a woman's costume. The Cơ-tu file their teeth, partly for cosmetic purposes, but also as evidence of maturity. They like ornaments. Especially, women are fond of glass-bead necklaces, bracelets, earrings and so on.

The Cơ-tu practise slash-and-burn cultivation. Besides rice (the staple food) they grow corn, beans, sweet potatoes, cassava, melons, other vegetables and bananas. After a harvest, the plot of land is left fallow; rotation is also practised. The techniques of slash-and-burn fanning are virtually the same as those of the Cơ-tu's neighbouring ethnic groups. For years now, famine has constantly threatened the survival of these people who live on shifting, unstable agriculture. That is why the Cơ-tu are now tending to adopt a sedentary lifestyle. About 10,000 Cơ-tu have settled permanently in Hien district and 2,000 others in Giằng district. Here they have been acquainted with wet-rice cultivation using buffaloes, ploughs, new strains of seeds, fertilizers and small irrigational constructions. The per capita food production thereby can double that of slash-and-burn farming.
The Cơ-tu are also engaged in animal husbandry. The buffalo receives particular consideration; it is part of the heritage, the animal for the ritual of sacrifice, and the draught power in agriculture. Those who live on the Vietnam-Laos frontier grow jute and are skilled in weaving. The men are talented hunters, using crossbows (with poisoned arrows), spears and rifles. They show great skill in handling rudimentary weapons (traps, snares and poles). Food gathering and fishing are very common. Barter is the main form of goods exchange, but for some time now, the Cơ-tu have been accustomed to using money.

Social and family relationships
The Co-tu village has well-defined boundaries. It is a community of neighbours with an autonomous administrative unit operating in accordance with traditional institutions. The village chief is selected from among the elderly the most capable of managing the community. Differentiation between the rich and poor is becoming obvious.
The patrilineal nature of Co-tu society is manifested in the role of men in marriage and family life. As marriage by purchase is a common practice, the rich often take several wives and choose them from among the young and beautiful women. Unions between cross-cousins arc allowed. Levirate and sororate are compulsory. The exogamous union (ca bu) brings together people bound by common blood ties on the maternal side. Moreover, the choice of a husband or wife must be made only in one direction, in accordance with the principle of the tribal triple alliance.
The Ca-tu live in the nuclear family of five to seven members on average. The father or eldest son holds all rights, including the right to the ownership of the family heritage. In certain locatilites, especially in highland regions, families composed of several generations with 15 to 20 members are fairly common. In these large families, production is joint work. But each couple with their children have their own home.
The members of a ca bu descended from a common ancestor are tightly bound to one another, even if they do not live in the same village. Placed under the authority of a common family head, they have the same family name related to a myth or a taboo connected with an animal or plant totem.

Spiritual life
The Ca-tu are animists. The impact of animist concepts on their daily life is obvious, particularly in the rites relating to the "soul” of rice, which occupy an important place in their religious activities. Until the 1950s’ the Ca-tu had practised human sacrifice in the rites of praying to deities for a good harvest or for peace and happiness. The treasury of Ca-tu popular knowledge is fairly rich, including medicine, astronomy and other sciences. The Ca-tu agricultural calendar is based on the observations made over centuries in combination with the local climatic and soil conditions. This calendar built on the phases of the moon is very remarkable: the days when the moon has the same shape are given the same name. Folk art and literature is also abundant in genres. Many Co-tu tales have been collected and published. To express their feelings, young people sing the to-len (romance) while the ca-lau (marching song) is intended to encourage people in struggle against enemies. Co-tu dances have recorded great success on the stage. Musical instruments are numerous, including gongs, guitars and flutes. The Co-tu are skilfull builders, as evident from their communal houses, which are majestic and elegant structures, decorated in detail with animal motifs. Their talent is also manifested in the pikes used for the ritual of buffalo sacrificing, which can be seen in all villages. Their decorations reflect the bravery and sobriety of the Co-tu.
Also significant are Co-tu wood sculptures — lively figures which serve as ornaments for funeral houses.
A romanised script has been created recently for recording the co-tu language