Nepal: Changing Communities - The Forbidden Kingdom of MustangMay 23- June 25, 2016

HST 095/ANTH 095/GEOG 095/GRS 095 - 6 creditsInstructors: Professor Abigail McGowan (History)

Robin Fitch-McCullough (History), Lisa Kumari Conlon (Above the Clouds)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In this off-campus program, we will explore the history of the Mustang region of Nepal to understand how global forces are affecting geographically isolated communities. Based in one of the most remote sections of Nepal on the border with Tibet, the program will introduce you to a community undergoing profound transitions—culturally, socially, politically, linguistically, and religiously. Through a ten-day initial orientation in Burlington, and then four weeks in Nepal, we will examine how this Tibetan Buddhist area has adapted to those changes, and what strategies have emerged for facing further changes in the future.

The course has three main thematic areas of focus. First, we will look at the various ways in which Mustang is and has been connected to the outside world historically through trade, migration, national policies, and more. To do this, we will visit families whose sons and daughters have migrated to the US and elsewhere for work, explore state education policies to see how the state is promoting a single Nepali identity among diverse linguistic and ethnic groups, and analyze the profound effect that took place when China took over Tibet and closed the previously open border to trade. Second, we will explore environmental changes in the region, where 2” of annual

rainfall leave very little margin for weather variations or human mistakes, analyzing how adaptations to landscape have changed over time. Third, and finally, we will assess cultural responses to change, from conservation efforts to preserve historic monuments led by groups like the American Himalayan Foundation, to educational initiatives to promote the use of dying languages, to the conflicts that arise when tradition and modernity compete for hearts and minds.

PROGRAM SCHEDULEMay 23-31: Burlington, VTDuring these ten days we will have class from 9-5 everyday, five days a week, with the weekend off. Functioning as a brief orientation both to the Mustang region of Nepal, and to the themes of the course, the orientation will offer a combination of lectures, discussions, readings, visiting speakers, films and some basic language instruction. Visitors include Nepalis living in the US who will help us understand migration within and outside Nepal, former Peace Corps volunteers who were stationed in Nepal, and Vermonters who have worked in various parts of the high Himalayas.June 1, Wednesday: Fly to KathmanduWednesday afternoon we fly together from Burlington to JFK airport in New York, where we will catch a flight in the evening on to Kathmandu. The trip is 18 hours long (plus stopovers); we arrive in the morning of Friday, June 3rd.June 3-5: Kathmandu, Pokhara, JomsonUpon arrival in Kathmandu we will then fly on to the smaller city of Pokhara for a day, before flying on to Jomsom which will be the starting point for our trek. In Pokhara will do a final review of our equipment and expectations, and visit Loba community institutions in the area; in Jomsom we will begin the adjustment to altitude, and make our final preparations to start trekking. June 6-19: Trekking in the Mustang districtThese 14 days trekking constitute the heart of our trip to Nepal, during which time we will leave behind roads and mechanized transport to walk through villages and towns only accessible on foot. Highlights of the trip include a visit to the holy pilgrimage site of Muktinath, tours of local monasteries, a day spent assisting in cultural conservation projects of the American Himalayan Foundation, a chance to explore the cave residences of Buddhist ascetics near Lo Manthang, visits with local youth groups involved in regional development, interviews with local residents about their connections to other parts of Nepal, and daily opportunities to see how change is occurring in these remote areas.June 20-23: Pokhara-KathmanduDuring these last few days in Nepal we have a little bit of time off and then a chance to explore the area around Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. We will

visit some of the main historical sites in the valley, but also visit Loba community members in their schools, temples, and homes, to see how people from the Mustang region have made their homes in the heart of the nation’s capital. June 24 th : Fly home

COST/FEESProgram fee (approximately $5120) + airfare ($1350) + tuition for six credit (offered at 30% discount for 6 credits)

MORE INFORMATIONFor more information on the program, including the syllabus for the 2014 course, videos from made by former students, and more, please see the course website:

http://learn.uvm.edu/study-abroad/study-abroad-programs/nepal/Or, please contact: Professor Abby McGowan at amcgowan@uvm.edu or 802-656-3532, or

TA and co-instructor Robin Fitch-McCullough at rfitchmc@uvm.edu, or TA and travel coordinator Lisa Kumari Conlon at lisa@aboveclouds.com

or 802-355-6468.