Ancient Futures: Part 1

Where in the world is Ladakh?

Ladakh is located in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, squeezed between Pakistan and Tibet..  It is so high in the Himalayas that it is snowed under for eight months of the year.  In face, it's the highest place in the world where people live year-round.  It's roughly the size of England, but is home to only 130,000 people.

What To Watch For

As you watch the 2 film clips below, you're going to want to take notes* on as many aspects of Ladakhi culture as you can (download the Ancient Futures form from Jupiter grades).  Before you begin, ask yourself the question: What is culture?

Try to understand culture as a totality, it's everything human that is not strictly biological: habits, patterns and ways of thinking and behaving. It's what we can see, like clothing; what we can hear, like language and music; what we can taste, like food; but it's also the values and attitudes that give meaning to any particular cultural artifact.

In your notes, write about what you see, as well as what you learn from the film's narrator.

* notes and reaction essay will need to be turned in to get credit

Reaction Essay

Now, look back over your notes. What do you see as the key cultural elements that have sustained Ladakh for over 1,000 years.  Are there particular pieces of the culture that, if taken away, would make Ladakh stop being Ladakh, that would begin to erode the culture?

Would you call Ladakh a developed society, an underdeveloped society, a developing society? is it primitive, backward, advanced?  Support your assertions with specific evidence from the film.