Pham Thi To Thy received an MA in Vietnamese Literature from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh. She is a Lecturer at the School of Southern Khmer Language, Culture, Arts and Humanity, Tra Vinh University, Vietnam. Her research interests include southern Vietnamese literature, southern Khmer folklore, and heritage studies. She has participated in several research projects and has co-authored various books and published scientific articles. E-mail: pttothy@tvu.edu.vn
Indigenous Knowledge in Khmer Folk Literary Works of Southern Vietnam
Abstract: The Khmer ethnic group is the most populous among the minority ethnic groups of southern Vietnam. Through long-term and stable settlement alongside other Vietnamese ethnic groups, the Khmer people of southern Vietnam have established a unique and diverse folk culture and art. One of the areas that contribute to this cultural heritage is Khmer folk literature. The folk literature of the Khmer people of southern Vietnam encompasses various genres, containing rich cultural values and traditional knowledge, intricately linked to the processes of production, adaptation, and transformation of the natural environment in the rivers and water regions of this region. Through the analysis of legends, proverbs, and folk songs, as well as in-depth interviews conducted with participants from the local Khmer communities of southern Vietnam, this paper aims to achieve two objectives: (1) identify the indigenous knowledge system of the Khmer of southern Vietnam, as expressed in folk literary works, and (2) recognize changes and innovations in the inherited indigenous knowledge system of the Khmer people of southern Vietnam in response to climate change affecting the Mekong Delta region.
Keywords: indigenous knowledge, Khmer people, Khmer folk literature, climate change, Mekong Delta