Orogen

I liked the article entitled “Postcard: Inner Mongolia”. It makes me think about what our Native Americans must have felt like when the early explorers and settlers started taking over their land and changing their lifestyle. The Oroqen people of northern China are losing their ancient way of life just as our Native Americans lost theirs. The Oroqen of the past have led lives of hunting and gathering. They would roam the forests of China’s Greater and Lesser Xing’an Mountains. They would live in hide-covered dwellings like teepees. Now the land they live on is being overrun by many people and the animals they hunt are gone. The traditions of the Oroqen people are having to change. The Chinese keep expanding and there is no room. The life of the Oroqen is based on hunting. The deer they need to hunt is disappearing. This is like taking a truck from a truck driver. Some Oroqen still hunt illegally. That is cool how they are sticking it to the man. China needs to chill out and just let people be who they want to be. The Chinese are trying to help in a small way with giving the Oroqen free housing and teaching them how to farm.