Karibu na kijiji cha Gureombi kwenye kisiwa cha Kusini-Kikorea cha Jeju, Shamans huomba bahari kwa wingi na kufanikiwa. Wao hufanya sherehe ya Chogamje ambapo wanawakaribisha 18.000 Miungu na miungu kutoka bahari kwenda mahali patakatifu. Kabla ya miungu kuingia kwenye wavuti lazima kwanza itakaswa. For thousands of years these religious and spiritual rituals have provided prosperity for the villagers.

"(…) Baada ya Seating yao, the Shimbang Shaman prays to them for the well being of the villagers and for saving Ganjeong.”

Picha: Bass Verschuuren, 2012

– Hong Sunyoung, expert and researcher

The Gureombi’s sacred sites, and with it the traditional rituals, are directly threatened by the construction of a navy base near Gangjeong village. Development of the base conflicts with the original lifestyle of the villagers and the fear is that presence of the base will permanently change the unique lifestyle of the villagers. This is both a danger for the environment and for the socio-cultural life of the villagers as the two are closely connected.

A difficulty in protecting Gureombi sacred site, and many others, ni kwamba hawajasajiliwa na mara nyingi hutembelewa na kizazi cha zamani. Kuharibu tovuti hizi takatifu za asili kutakomesha maisha ya zamani na inaweza kuiharibu milele. Jeju salama sasa ni sehemu ya kampeni ya maandamano ya kimataifa inayolenga kukomesha maendeleo ya kituo cha jeshi la wanamaji. Kwa habari zaidi juu ya maandamano au vitisho kwa wavuti tazama ‘Okoa Jeju sasa’ tovuti au soma mkondoni kesi utafiti hiyo ilitengenezwa baada ya mpango wa SNS kutembelea wavuti hiyo na kurekodi sherehe ya jadi huko 2012 kama sehemu ya kikundi cha watunzaji wa tovuti takatifu za kimataifa.

 

Kwa: Rianne Doller