A Precious Collection of a K’ho Woman
Having lived her whole life in a traditional stilt house, Roda Nai Linh, a K’ho Sre woman, takes great pride in preserving her family’s way of life and its valuable collection of traditional items. For her, the cultural flow of the K’ho people continues to run gently, like the warm fire burning in every house.
The Last Stilt House in M’lon Hamlet
“Up to now, M’lon hamlet has only this one stilt house left,” said Nai Linh, a woman nearly 70 years old. She recalled that the house was built by her father, a K’ho teacher, before she was born. Since her first days of life, she and her family have been closely attached to every wooden wall, decorative detail, and worn footsteps inside the familiar house.
M’lon Hamlet, in Don Duong Commune, is home to a large K’ho Sre community, set amid lush green rice fields. Born into a traditional K’ho family, Nai Linh, the youngest daughter, inherited her parents’ property, most notably the stilt house. She said her sisters fully supported her decision to preserve their parents’ legacy.
“The house is made of oil wood and still holds all the memories of our family. No matter how difficult life becomes, we will always keep the home our ancestors left to us,” the humble K’ho woman said.
Ha Xuyen, Vice Chairwoman of the Women’s Union of Don Duong Commune and a relative of the family, said Nai Linh’s efforts to preserve the stilt house are deeply meaningful. Traditional K’ho stilt houses are gradually disappearing amid the pace of urbanization. Those that remain preserved in their original form, like Nai Linh’s house, have become meaningful places for K’ho children and for people interested in traditional culture.
Besides preserving the stilt house, Nai Linh is also a respected woman in the local ethnic minority community. She has spent decades participating in social activities, working together with residents of M’lon to build a peaceful, united village filled with a strong sense of community.
A Valuable Collection of the K’ho Sre People
“I wouldn’t really call it a collection. I simply keep and display the traditional household items of K’ho Sre families,” Nai Linh said as she introduced the objects arranged carefully in the main space of the stilt house.
Among them are woven bamboo baskets, carrying baskets, fish traps used in rice fields, and a machete used for farming. Her family also preserved valuable jars used for fermenting traditional rice wine and sets of gongs played during festivals. Some items were inherited from her ancestors, while others she collected herself over the years.
“These ‘go’ (pots) include some from the Churu people in Don Duong and others brought from Cham communities along the coast. The ‘ca bit’ (fish traps) are traditional woven tools used by the Sre people who cultivate wet rice,” Nai Linh explained.
For her, each object carries stories and memories of the traditional life of the K’ho Sre people. One large jar was once exchanged for 35 buffaloes, while an ancient knobbed gong passed down from her great-grandfather is displayed proudly for visitors to see. Every item reflects an aspect of old K’ho life – a custom, a memory, and a mark of the past.
Today, the stilt house and Nai Linh’s personal collection have become a familiar place for local students. They come to learn about their ancestors’ traditional culture, listen to stories from the past, and gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for preserving the valuable heritage of their homeland.