Name of Ethnic Group: Ro Mam.
Population: About 230
people.
Locality: The Ro Mam
live in Le Village in Mo Rai Commune, Sa Thay District of Kon Tum Province.
Customs and Habits: The village
of the Ro Mam is called a "de". It is headed by an old chief.
Each family is comprised of 10-20 people of various generations who
have blood ties and who live under the same roof. Each nuclear family
forms its own economic unit. The Ro Mam's matrimonial rites are performed
in two steps, the engagement phase and wedding phase. Several days after
the wedding, a young couple may divorce. However, once they have lived
together for a long time they are not allowed to divorce. When a person
dies, their body is placed in the cemetery. The cemetery is always located
at the west end of the village.
Culture: The Ro Mam language belongs
to the Mon-Khmer Group
Rituals and ceremonies are usually held during the production cycle
from the start of the slashing of the field until the land is set on
fire, and eventually when the rice is brought to the house. These communal
village activities have been preserved to the present day.
Costumes: Women wear
skirts and short sleeved shirts. The skirts are made from coarse cloth
without decorations, and they fall down below their knees. Men wear
loincloths, where the front flap hangs over their knees and the back
flap falls below their shins. Women like to wear earrings, bracelets,
and necklaces made from glass beads.
Economy: The Ro Mam
survive mainly from slash-and-burn cultivation, hunting, and gathering.
Sticky rice is their staple food.