Tourism and Western Influence on the Sherpa Culture in Nepal. A brief Research Paper

Tourism and Western Influence on the Sherpa Culture in Nepal. A brief history of Sherpa society and how today's tourism to Mount Everest affects and influences their culture - Research Paper Example They practiced high attitude farming in a region known as Khumbu. This was home for the Sherpa who practiced subsistence farming and animal herding in high attitude, for example, raising yak for their products such as hides, dairy and wool. The children would be sent to collects yak dung that would be used as a source of fuel. Women dug potatoes in the snow and this could be due to peaks could not be of interest to them apart from the few sacred mountains (Furze 24). The Sherpa became involved in climbing at around 1020s. This could be due to the mountain climbing expeditions planned by the British. This led to the involvement of the Sherpa in mountain climbing as they would be hired as porters. Mountaineering became the Sherpa’s culture around 1950 during the time Nepal could be exposed. Countless climbers began flocking at the Khumbu Village which was the Sherpa home and together with Mount Everest; it later became the Sagarmatha National Park (Haimendorf 72). Mountaineering and trekking business became the cultural phenomena of the Sherpa community. The Sherpa themselves acted as a tourist guide for Westerners and also as cooks and base camp staff. They would be referred to as porters which resulted from their ability to climb and assist the westerner in climbing the tallest peaks in the world (Furze 68). This became part of their culture as many of them welcomed the changes as it provided employment opportunities, which led to the increased standards of living and comfortable lifestyles. The transformation of Sherpa’s culture led to the development of the region such that they shifted from the previous harsh life to the prosperous one. This could be brought by the establishment of trekking and mountain climbing. Trekkers brought steady income, which could sustain shops and guesthouses owned by the Sherpa along the route, the porters, guides and cooks who assisted