Customary Law, Community Institutions, and the Protection of Sacred Forests of the Pu Peo Ethnic Group: A Border Region’s Distinctive Ecological and Cultural Model
18/03/2026
This article explores the practices of sacred forest protection among the Pu Peo ethnic minority group with an extremely small population residing in Pho La commune, Dong Van commune, Tuyen Quang province (formerly Dong Van district, Ha Giang province). The study focuses on the Pu Peo’s forest preservation mechanisms through customary laws and communal institutions. The sacred forests of the Pu Peo people, regarded as the sacred abode of the forest deity and ancestral spirits, are strictly protected by traditional conventions, and maintained by local authorities, including the village head and the shaman. The annual forest worship ceremony functions not only as a religious ritual but also a mechanism to reinforce community order and promote sustainable ecological conservation. This forest management model, based on their beliefs and customary laws, is a vivid example of their ability to manage resources from within the community.
Nguồn bài viết: Social Sciences Information Review, Volume 2, 2026
Vu Thi Ha