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** Kam Agroforestry in a 300 Year Old Village ** a UNESCO/UNDESA funded project. China

Caiyuan Village of Jinping County, Autonomous Minority Prefecture in Southeastern Guizhou Province, China.

Multiple interviews were conducted with the Kam inhabitants of Caiyuan Village. The focus was the sustainable use of trees within the study area that has been practiced for at least 200 years and possibly more since the village is 300 years old. Many other factors came up due to the impending dam, which will forever change the village life due to loss of land and the ability to float logs to market. The practice of using vines to tie logs together forming a raft for the trip down river was normally done once a month during summer and fall. September 2006 was the last time logs were floated down river due to the construction process of the dam. With the construction of the dam, this study has become not only an investigation into agroforestry but also an impact assesment due to the social and environmental changes that have occurred and will present within the foreseeable future.

The following images are a sampling of the visual anthropological study done with the Kam people with the focus on their income generating practice of agroforestry and impacts of an impending down river dam.
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made possible by grants from:

UNESCO-LINKS
UNDESA, through the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, New York

and contributions from:
Irene and Edwin Schaeffer
Randi and Fred Hirschmann, Hirschmann Photography
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*
*
Primary investigator: Dr. Amy Eisenberg

all images photographed by John Amato
jamato8@yahoo.com
*
Copyright. Use of any image is strictly forbidden without my explicit written permission.
*

July and September, 2006
2091 Looking east across the river toward Caiyuan Village.
2091 Looking east across the river toward Caiyuan Village.		 1710 Arriving in Caiyuan Village after crossing the Qingshuijiang River.
1710 Arriving in Caiyuan Village after crossing the Qingshuijiang River.		 1712 Looking to the west.
1712 Looking to the west.		 1917 Store owner.
1917 Store owner.		 0007 Historically important stone tablets.
0007 Historically important stone tablets.		 1922 Bamboo leaves hanging from the second floor window.
1922 Bamboo leaves hanging from the second floor window.
1934 Relaxing in doorway by the river.
1934 Relaxing in doorway by the river.		 1717 Historical bridge north of boat landing site.
1717 Historical bridge north of boat landing site.		 1721 Earth shrine at southern end of bridge from preceding image number 1717.
1721 Earth shrine at southern end of bridge from preceding image number 1717.		 9838 A view of the bridge looking north to south.
9838 A view of the bridge looking north to south.		 1732 Looking at the northern section of Caiyuan Village.
1732 Looking at the northern section of Caiyuan Village.		 9942 Intercropping in the forest area.
9942 Intercropping in the forest area.
9840 This is a common frog found in the rice paddies.
9840 This is a common frog found in the rice paddies.		 9847 A lizard commonly found in and around the rice paddies.
9847 A lizard commonly found in and around the rice paddies.		 9950 Order Hemiptera. ***Explanation***
9950 Order Hemiptera. ***Explanation***		 0087 Looking northeast.
0087 Looking northeast.		 1761 An interview of a Caiyaun Village member.
1761 An interview of a Caiyaun Village member.		 1764 Interview of a Caiyuan Village member.
1764 Interview of a Caiyuan Village member.
1715 Collecting a blood sample at the village infirmary.
1715 Collecting a blood sample at the village infirmary.		 1714 Receiving IV antibiotics.
1714 Receiving IV antibiotics.		 1876 Village elder. Father of one of the village leaders.
1876 Village elder. Father of one of the village leaders.		 0063 Tying lose logs into a raft.
0063 Tying lose logs into a raft.		 1884 Relaxing near boat landing.
1884 Relaxing near boat landing.		 1800 River boat.
1800 River boat.
2022 Looking north.
2022 Looking north.		 9982 Walking north from the boat landing.
9982 Walking north from the boat landing.		 9985 Dump site.
9985 Dump site.		 0004 Long Xian Qian showing a Malvaceae flower.
0004 Long Xian Qian showing a Malvaceae flower.		 9999 Long Xian Qian
9999 Long Xian Qian		 9849 Rubiaceae
9849 Rubiaceae
0019 Long Xian Qian discussing a medicinal plant.
0019 Long Xian Qian discussing a medicinal plant.		 1781 Bauhinia leaf used in medicine and the stems are used to make rope.
1781 Bauhinia leaf used in medicine and the stems are used to make rope.		 9990 Historical inscribed tablet.
9990 Historical inscribed tablet.		 1830 Historical inscribed tablet.
1830 Historical inscribed tablet.		 0021 Historical stone tablet and stone pole.
0021 Historical stone tablet and stone pole.		 1752 Historical stone tablets at the base of a sacred tree.
1752 Historical stone tablets at the base of a sacred tree.
9991 Uncovering old stone tablets.
9991 Uncovering old stone tablets.		 1754 Historical ceremonial pole.
1754 Historical ceremonial pole.		 1828 Long Xian Qian explaining the use of local medicinal plants.
1828 Long Xian Qian explaining the use of local medicinal plants.		 7231 A 300 year old historical stone tablet.
7231 A 300 year old historical stone tablet.		 0012 Northeast Caiyuan Village.
0012 Northeast Caiyuan Village.		 0013 Northeast Caiyuan Village.
0013 Northeast Caiyuan Village.
1743 Informal interview.
1743 Informal interview.		 9857 participant-1.jpg
9857 participant-1.jpg		 9891 Kam plant expert.
9891 Kam plant expert.		 9853 Kam interviewee.
9853 Kam interviewee.		 9858 Village tailor.
9858 Village tailor.		 0051 Infirmary mid July 2006.
0051 Infirmary mid July 2006.
0045 Village tailor.
0045 Village tailor.		 1820 Caiyuan village tailor.
1820 Caiyuan village tailor.		 9906 Carrying a log.
9906 Carrying a log.		 9908 On the small foot paths the only practical way to transport logs is to carry them.
9908 On the small foot paths the only practical way to transport logs is to carry them.		 1731 This is a recently harvested area.
1731 This is a recently harvested area. 		0100 Logged hillside. ***Explanation***
0100 Logged hillside. ***Explanation***
0061 Moving logs down a small stream to the river.
0061 Moving logs down a small stream to the river.		 1946 Gathering the logs.
1946 Gathering the logs.		 1935 Tying the logs together with vines.
1935 Tying the logs together with vines.		 1943 Once a month from spring to fall logs are gathered to be floated to Jinping, which is 15 km's distant.
1943 Once a month from spring to fall logs are gathered to be floated to Jinping, which is 15 km's distant. 		1950 Local residents sitting on the porch of the store looking out at the river and enjoying each other's company.
1950 Local residents sitting on the porch of the store looking out at the river and enjoying each other's company.		 1937 Pulling the logs together and tying them with vines.
1937 Pulling the logs together and tying them with vines.
0067 Logs gathered and made ready to be floated down river.
0067 Logs gathered and made ready to be floated down river.		 0049 The mouth of the small stream that the logs are floated down after being cut.
0049 The mouth of the small stream that the logs are floated down after being cut. 		1986 Agroforester ***Explanation***
1986 Agroforester ***Explanation***		 2030 The start of the day's journey down river.
2030 The start of the day's journey down river.		 0070 Watching the men and logs as they floated down river.
0070 Watching the men and logs as they floated down river.		 2039 The journey down river.
2039 The journey down river.
9860 Agroforester before floating logs down the river.
9860 Agroforester before floating logs down the river.		 2048 A heavy rain fell for much of this day.
2048 A heavy rain fell for much of this day. 		2052 Passing by with their logs.
2052 Passing by with their logs.		 2044 Floating logs down the river to the mill.
2044 Floating logs down the river to the mill.		 2053 A few more hours are ahead of these men before Jinping will be reached and they can sell their raft of logs.
2053 A few more hours are ahead of these men before Jinping will be reached and they can sell their raft of logs.		 0084 The last logs floating to market.
0084 The last logs floating to market.
1712 Looking west from the village.
1712 Looking west from the village.		 1823 Rock and cement banking in preparation of the rising water from the dam.
1823 Rock and cement banking in preparation of the rising water from the dam.		 1757 A new road will connect the village with the main road to Jinping. ***Explanation***
1757 A new road will connect the village with the main road to Jinping. ***Explanation***		 1866 Interview participant.
1866 Interview participant.		 2015 An earth mover used in the construction of the dirt road.
2015 An earth mover used in the construction of the dirt road.		 9901 Destruction of land and rice paddies due to road construction.
9901 Destruction of land and rice paddies due to road construction.
9898 Road construction.
9898 Road construction. 		Village elder.
Village elder.		 9912 Southeast of the boat landing. This is the home of the village leader.
9912 Southeast of the boat landing. This is the home of the village leader. 		9913 Typical Kam construction. This is the home of the village leader.
9913 Typical Kam construction. This is the home of the village leader. 		9928 Storage area.
9928 Storage area. 		9933 Storage area under the house.
9933 Storage area under the house.
9922 Rope made of palm fiber and the wood is from the tea tree.
9922 Rope made of palm fiber and the wood is from the tea tree.		 9923 Twisted vine. In use for 9 years, twisted vines are very strong, durable and rot resistant.
9923 Twisted vine. In use for 9 years, twisted vines are very strong, durable and rot resistant.		 9939 Wood mallet used in construction.
9939 Wood mallet used in construction.		 9932 Chicken coop.
9932 Chicken coop. 		9938 Hand forged cutting tool.
9938 Hand forged cutting tool.		 2015 Earth mover used for the construction of the new road to the village.
2015 Earth mover used for the construction of the new road to the village.
2020 The ending of an era.
2020 The ending of an era. 		2148 Kam painting of past logging when large numbers of logs where floated down river.
2148 Kam painting of past logging when large numbers of logs where floated down river.		 2099 Kam painting of logging operations from their historical past.
2099 Kam painting of logging operations from their historical past.		 2111 Kam painting of field work.
2111 Kam painting of field work.		 2113 Kam painting of rice planting.
2113 Kam painting of rice planting.		 2125 Kam painting of log rafts being floated to market.
2125 Kam painting of log rafts being floated to market.
2127 Kam painting of
2127 Kam painting of		 2130 Kam painting of the river that runs in the area.
2130 Kam painting of the river that runs in the area.		 2152 Kam painting of logs being rafted to market.
2152 Kam painting of logs being rafted to market.		 7186 Looking northeast. This and the following images are from the second visit to Caiyuan Village.
7186 Looking northeast. This and the following images are from the second visit to Caiyuan Village.		 7191 Dam construction 2km downriver.
7191 Dam construction 2km downriver.		 7207 Destruction after recent road construction.
7207 Destruction after recent road construction.
6056 Hauling logs.
6056 Hauling logs.		 6058 Handoff of log.
6058 Handoff of log.		 6059 Balancing his cargo with leverage using a stick as he walks up the hill to deposit this log and repeat the process.
6059 Balancing his cargo with leverage using a stick as he walks up the hill to deposit this log and repeat the process. 		6055 Another view showing the stick used to balance his heavy cargo.
6055 Another view showing the stick used to balance his heavy cargo. 		7244 Southern bridge.
7244 Southern bridge.		 6066 Destruction of the only path to the main part of the village.
6066 Destruction of the only path to the main part of the village.
6076 Path to the main village after the recent road construction.
6076 Path to the main village after the recent road construction.		 6082 Agroforestry continues as road construction continues.
6082 Agroforestry continues as road construction continues.		 7240 Felling a tree.
7240 Felling a tree.		 7243 Using a rope to pull the tree in the direction needed after being cut.
7243 Using a rope to pull the tree in the direction needed after being cut.		 Fish pond.
Fish pond.		 Large fish pond that will be flooded with the completion of the dam.
Large fish pond that will be flooded with the completion of the dam.
Village view looking north.
Village view looking north.		 6117 Sacred tree and stone tablets.
6117 Sacred tree and stone tablets.		 Paddy field and grazing area.
Paddy field and grazing area.		 7258 East side of the dam.
7258 East side of the dam.		 7259 Looking from the east to construction of the dam.
7259 Looking from the east to construction of the dam.		 2091 This and the next image should be viewed to understand the change.
2091 This and the next image should be viewed to understand the change.
7207 after
7207 after

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Dr. Amy Eisenberg 17-Mar-2018 22:30
End of an era - a 300 year old sustainable agroforestry tradition
anuschka25-Apr-2007 10:01
Thank you for sharing this most interesting documentary.
I feel sorry for those people who have to endure this upheaval in their lives.
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