::..The Kalasha Times..::

Hello

I am writing from Australia. I want to thank you for this Kalash news site. There is some information on sites such as Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalash) but little written by the Kalash themselves.

I want to say that the world is fast become too much the same – the same hamburgers from New York to Bejing, from Russia to Argentina – the same music, the same clothes, even the same attitudes.

The Kalash represent difference, a people unique and individual, in a world dominated by the USA, or by religion, or by the military.

I would suggest that you record the voices of the Kalash, in digital format as mp3, or on video, or in writing. Take photographs, record people speaking, film and video crafts, cooking, get recipies, video anything and everything – the world will not stay as it is, and will not let the Kalash stay as they are.

And yes, it is essential to record the oral traditions in written form. In Australia the voices of many of the Aboriginal people, an ancient culture over 50,000 years old, have been lost forever, gone before anyone thought that cultures may be the most valuable element humans have.

So good luck, and well done. I am happy to stumble across this site. If you wish, I can asist in cleaning up the English of your site. For example, this is a correction of your latest entry:

Yesterday, a young man named Jamal Din S/O Nowrus Khan, who came from Rumboor in the Kalash valley, died while trying to transport local wood for construction through river. His foot may have slipped and he fell into the river. His body was found near the Dupash Check point. According to local people, two boys were with them but were unable do any thing due to fast flow of the river. After a kilometer there were a few boys who were fishing near the river. They saw him and he was calling them to save him, but he was in the middle of the river therefore they can not rescue him due to the fast flow of the water. His funeral festival is underway in the Rumber Village of Battaat and the body will be taken to the Kalasha Graveyard in Rumber on the 24th of June.

We could communicate by email.

Let me know what you think, or send me something to edit and we will see how it goes?

Best wishes

Chris Smith
Melbourne, Australia
csmith49@gmail.com

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