Published:  10:44 Saturday - December 10, 2011

O Du in the Thai language means "very pitiful" (or another name is Tay Hat, which means "the hung, torn people"). How to be not pitiful when this ethnic group has only 69 household, 317 inhabitants and is ranked 54/54 in Vietnamese ethnic community.

Name of ethnic group: O Du (Tay Hat)

Population: 301 people (Year 1999)

Locality: The O Du live in the villages of Kim Hoa and Xop Pot in Kim Da Commune, and the rest live in nearby villages in Tuong Duong District, Nghe An Province.

Customs and habits: The O Du live in small families. After marriage, the bridegroom lives at his wife's house for some time before returning to his house with his children and his wife. For the O Du, the New Year begins on the day when the thunder rolls for the first time in early spring. They believe that people have souls which, after death, become the soul of the house, watching over every activity of the living.

Culture: O Du language belongs to the Mon-Khmer Group and is now no longer used. They do use the Thai and Kho Mu languages, however. As a result, their cultural identity is obscured by the influences of the Thai and the Kho Mu.

Economy: The O Du live off of farming on slash-and-burnt plots, rearing animals, gathering, and hunting.

Weaving is also a sideline family occupation.