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Sherpa

ཤར་པ། shar pa
Young Sherpas in traditional attire at West Bengal Sherpa Cultural Board
Regions with significant populations
Nepal	250,637
India	65,000 (above)
Bhutan	10,700
United States	16,800
China	2,000
Languages
Sherpa, Tibetan, Nepali
Religion
Predominantly Buddhism (93%) and minority: Christianity Bön
Related ethnic groups
Tibetans, Tamang, Hyolmo, Jirels, Rai and other Tibeto-Burman groups

The Sherpa people (Standard Tibetan: ཤར་པ།, romanized: shar pa) are one of the Tibetan ethnic groups native to the most mountainous regions of Nepal and Tibetan Autonomous Region of China.

The majority of Sherpas live in the eastern regions of Nepal, namely in Solukhumba, Khatra, Kama, Rolwaling, Barun and Pharak valleys; though some live farther West in the Bigu and in the Helambu region north of Kathmandu, Nepal. Sherpas establish gompas where they practice their religious traditions. Tengboche was the first celibate monastery in Solu-Khumbu. Sherpa people also live in Tingri County, Bhutan, and the Indian states of Sikkim and the northern portion of West Bengal, specifically the district of Darjeeling.

The Sherpa language belongs to the southern branch of the Tibeto-Burman languages, mixed with Eastern Tibetan (Khams Tibetan) and central Tibetan dialects. However, this language is separate from Lhasa Tibetan and unintelligible to Lhasa speakers.

The number of Sherpas migrating to Western countries has significantly increased in recent years, especially to the United States. New York City has the largest Sherpa community in the United States, with approximately 16,000 people. The 2011 Nepal census recorded 512,946 Sherpas within its borders. Members of the Sherpa nation are known for their skills in mountaineering as a livelihood.

History

The Sherpa people descend from historically nomadic progenitors who first settled the Khumbu and Solu regions of the Mahālangūr Himāl section of the Himalayan range in the Tibetan Plateau. This area is situated along the modern border dividing the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal from the People's Republic of China within Solukhumbu District in Koshi, the easternmost Nepali province, to the south of the Tibet Autonomous Region in China.

According to Sherpa oral history, four groups migrated from Kham in Tibet to Solukhumbu at different times, giving rise to the four fundamental Sherpa clans: Minyakpa, Thimmi, Lamasherwa, and Chawa. These four groups gradually split into the more than 20 different clans that exist today. Mahayana Buddhism religious conflict may have contributed to the migration out of Tibet in the 13th and 14th centuries and its arrival in the Khumbu regions of Nepal. Sherpa migrants travelled through Ü and Tsang, before crossing the Himalaya.

By the 1400s, the Khumbu Sherpa people had attained autonomy within the newly formed Nepali state. In the 1960s, as tension with China increased, the Nepali government influence on the Sherpa people grew. In 1976, Khumbu became a national park, and tourism became a major economic force.

The term sherpa derives from the Tibetan words shar (ཤར, 'east') and pa (པ, 'people'). The reasons for adoption of this term are unclear; one common explanation describes origins in eastern Tibet but the community is based in the Nepalese highlands which is to Tibet's south.

Genetics

Genetic studies show that much of the Sherpa population has allele frequencies that are often found in other Tibeto-Burman regions. In tested genes, the strongest affinity was for Tibetan population sample studies done in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Genetically, the Sherpa cluster is closest to the sample Tibetan and Han populations.

Additionally, the Sherpa had exhibited an affinity for several Nepalese populations, with the strongest for the Rai people, followed by the Magars and the Tamang.

A 2010 study identified more than 30 genetic factors that make Tibetan bodies well-suited for high altitudes, including EPAS1, referred to as the "super-athlete gene," that regulates the body's production of hemoglobin, allowing for greater efficiency in the use of oxygen.

A 2016 study of Sherpas in Tibet suggested that a small portion of Sherpas' and Tibetans' allele frequencies originated from separate ancient populations, which were estimated to have remained somewhat distributed for 11,000 to 7,000 years.

Haplogroup distribution

A 2014 study observed that considerable genetic components from the Indian Subcontinent were found in Sherpa people living in Tibet. The western Y chromosomal haplogroups R1a1a-M17, J-M304, and F*-M89 comprise almost 17% of the paternal gene pool in tested individuals. In the maternal side, M5c2, M21d, and U from the west also count up to 8% of people in given Sherpa populations. However, a later study from 2015 did not support the results from the 2014 study; the 2015 study concluded that genetic sharing from the Indian subcontinent was highly limited; a 2017 study found the same.

In a 2015 study of 582 Sherpa individuals (277 males) from China and Nepal, haplogroup D-M174 was found most frequently, followed by Haplogroup O-M175, Haplogroup F-M89 and Haplogroup K-M9. The Y-chromosome haplogroup distribution for Sherpas follow a pattern similar to that for Tibetans.

Sherpa mtDNA distribution shows greater diversity, as Haplogroup A was found most frequently, followed by Haplogroup M9a, Haplogroup C4a, Haplogroup M70, and Haplogroup D. These haplogroups are also found in some Tibetan populations. However, two common mtDNA sub-haplogroups unique to Sherpas populations were identified: Haplogroup A15c1 and Haplogroup C4a3b1.

Mountaineering

Many Sherpas are highly regarded as elite mountaineers and experts in their local area. They were valuable to early explorers of the Himalayan region, serving as guides at the extreme altitudes of the peaks and passes in the region, particularly for expeditions to climb Mount Everest. Today, the term Sherpa is often used by foreigners to refer to almost any guide or climbing supporter hired for mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas, regardless of their ethnicity. Because of this usage, the term has become a slang byword for a guide or mentor in other situations. Sherpas are renowned in the international climbing and mountaineering community for their hardiness, expertise, and experience at very high altitudes. It has been speculated that part of the Sherpas' climbing ability is the result of a genetic adaptation to living in high altitudes. Some of these adaptations include unique hemoglobin-binding capacity and doubled nitric oxide production.

Deaths in 2014 Everest avalanche

On 18 April 2014, a serac collapsed above the Khumbu Icefall on Mount Everest, causing an avalanche of massive chunks of ice and snow which killed 16 Nepalese guides, mostly Sherpas. The 2014 avalanche is the second-deadliest disaster in Everest's history, only exceeded by avalanches in the Khumbu Icefall area a year later, on 25 April 2015, caused by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Nepal. In response to that tragedy and others involving deaths and injuries sustained by Sherpas hired by climbers, and the lack of government support for Sherpas injured or killed while providing their services, some Sherpa climbing guides resigned, and their respective climbing companies stopped providing guides and porters for Everest expeditions. The Khumbu Icefall is a waterfall of ice with continuous structural shifts, requiring continuous changes to the route through the area and making this is one of the most dangerous parts of climbing Mount Everest. Climbers have to walk on ladders over crevasses, while walking underneath large serac formations that could potentially fall at any moment. Oftentimes the journey through the Khumbu Icefall is in the pitch black. It is safer for climbers to go through the icefall at night because the temperatures at night drop. Therefore, the icefall is not melting as fast as it would during the day. These dangers have resulted in 66 deaths as of 2017, including 6 deaths from falling in a crevasse, 9 deaths from a collapse in a section of the icefall, and 29 deaths from avalanches onto the icefall. The families of those who died in the avalanche were offered 40,000 rupees, the equivalent of about $400 US dollars, from the Nepalese government. At the time of the disaster, the Sherpas were carrying loads of equipment for their clients, including many luxury items. There had been two broken ladders causing a traffic jam in the Khumbu Icefall. It is not uncommon for Sherpas to go through the Khumbu Icefall around 30 times each season; in comparison, foreigners only go through the icefall 2 or 3 times during the season. Sherpas are expected to haul the majority of their clients' gear to each of the five camps and to set up before their clients reach the camps. During each season, Sherpas typically make up to $5000 US dollars during their 2 or 3-month period of taking international clients to the summit of Everest. As of 2019, expeditions on Mt. Everest contributed $300 million. The economy of Nepal thrives off of tourism and adventure seekers.

As a result of the 2014 disaster, the remaining Sherpas went on strike. They were angry at the government, lack of compensation, and their working conditions. Sherpas came together in the days after the disaster to make a list of demands for the government. The documentary Sherpa contains footage of one of their meetings. Sherpas wanted to cancel the climbing season that year out of respect for those who lost their lives. They argued that "This route has become a graveyard," and asked "How could we walk over their bodies?". Their clients were debating whether or not to continue to try to reach the summit of Everest because they had paid tens of thousands of dollars to be there. However, international clients were fearful of this strike and how it would affect themselves and had their bags packed in case of a need for a swift escape. On top of this, rumors spread among the Sherpa community that others would hurt them if they were to continue to take foreigners on their expeditions (Peedom, 2016). The 2014 event killed 16 Sherpas and, in 2015, 10 Sherpas died at the Everest Base Camp after the earthquake. In total, 118 Sherpas have died on Mount Everest between 1921 and 2018. An April 2018 report by NPR stated that Sherpas account for one-third of Everest deaths.

Religion

According to oral Buddhist traditions, the initial Tibetan migration was a search for a beyul (Buddhist pure-lands). Sherpa practised the Nyingma ("Ancient") school of Buddhism. Allegedly the oldest Buddhist sect in Tibet, founded by Padmasambhava (commonly known as Guru Rinpoche) during the 8th century, it emphasizes mysticism and the incorporation of local deities shared by the pre-Buddhist Bön religion, which has shamanic elements. Sherpa particularly believe in hidden treasures and valleys. Traditionally, Nyingmapa practice was passed down orally through a loose network of lay practitioners. Monasteries with celibate monks and nuns, along with the belief in reincarnated spiritual leaders, are later adaptations.

In addition to Buddha and the great Buddhist divinities, the Sherpa also believe in numerous deities and demons who inhabit every mountain, cave, and forest. These have to be respected or appeased through ancient practices woven into the fabric of Buddhist ritual life. Many of the great Himalayan mountains are considered sacred. The Sherpa call Mount Everest Chomolungma and respect it as the "Mother of the World." Mount Makalu is respected as the deity Shankar (Shiva). Each clan reveres certain mountain peaks and their protective deities.

Today, the day-to-day Sherpa religious affairs are presided over by lamas (Buddhist spiritual leaders) and other religious practitioners living in the villages. The village lama who presides over ceremonies and rituals can be a celibate monk or a married householder. In addition, shamans (lhawa) and soothsayers (mindung) deal with the supernatural and the spirit world. Lamas identify witches (pem), act as the mouthpiece of deities and spirits, and diagnose spiritual illnesses.

An important aspect of Sherpa religion is the temple or gompa. A gompa is the prayer hall for either villages or monasteries. There are numerous gompas and about two dozen monasteries scattered throughout the Solukhumbu region. The monasteries are communities of lamas or monks (sometimes of nuns) who take a vow of celibacy and lead a life of isolation searching for truth and religious enlightenment. They are respected by and supported by the community at large. Their contact with the outside world is focused on monastery practices and annual festivals to which the public is invited, as well as the reading of sacred texts at funerals.

Sacred land in Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal

Mt. Everest is located within the Sagarmatha National Park, which is a sacred landscape for local Sherpas. The region is considered the dwelling of supernatural beings. Sherpas value life and the beauty it provides, meaning they avoid killing living creatures. Furthermore, Mt. Everest has attracted many tourists who unknowingly or knowingly are disrupting the sacred land of the park. For example, finding firewood has been deemed problematic. Many tourists stick with the methods they know how to do, which is oftentimes cutting down trees or taking branches off trees to make a fire. This practice is against Sherpas' spiritual law of the land. Moreover, the Sherpas do a spiritual ritual before climbing the mountain to ask the mountain for permission to climb. This ritual seems to have become a spectacle for foreign climbers.

In addition, the entirety of the national park is not governed by the Sherpas but rather foreigners to the land. Park managers have made an effort to try to include Sherpas' voices by creating buffer-zone user groups. These groups are made up of political leaders from the surrounding villages, and serve as a platform for Sherpa demands. However, these groups do not have any official status and the government can decide whether or not to hear these demands or make the desired changes.

Sherpa clothing

Men wear long-sleeved robes called chuba, which fall to slightly below the knee. The chuba is tied at the waist with a cloth sash called kara, creating a pouch-like space called namdok which can be used for storing and carrying small items. Traditionally, chuba were made from thick home-spun wool, or a variant called lokpa made from sheepskin. Chuba are worn over raatuk, a blouse (traditionally made out of bure, white raw silk), trousers called kanam, and a stiff collared shirt called tetung.

Women traditionally wear long-sleeved floor-length dresses called tongkok. A sleeveless variation called aangi is worn over a full sleeved shirt called honju and with a raatuk (blouse) underneath the shirt. These are worn with colourful striped aprons; pangden (or metil) aprons are worn in front, and gewe (or gyabtil) in back, and are held together by an embossed silver buckle called kyetig and a kara

Sherpa clothing resembles Tibetan clothing. Increasingly, home-spun wool and silk is being replaced by factory-made material. Many Sherpa people also now wear ready-made western clothing.

Traditional housing

When a son marries and has children, the community may help to construct a new house, as the extended family becomes too large for a single home. The neighbours often contribute food, drinks and labour to help the family. Houses are typically spaced to allow fields in between. A spiritual ceremony may be conducted at every building stage as the house must have space for deities, humans and animals. Once constructed, the house is often handed down within a family and not sold. The house style depends on the lay of the land: old river terraces, former lake beds or mountain slopes. There are stone single-story, 1+1⁄2-story (on a slope), and the two-story houses, with ample room for animals. Many well-to-do families will have an annex shrine room for sacred statues, scriptures and ritual objects. The roof is sloping and is made from local natural materials, or imported metal. There's space in the roof to allow for fire smoke to escape. There may be an internal or external outhouse for making compost.

Social gatherings

"A Sherpa community will most commonly get together for a party, which is held by the host with the purpose of gaining favour with the community and neighbours". Guests are invited hours before the party will start by the host's children to reduce the chance of rejection. In all social gatherings the men are seated by order of status, with those of lesser status sitting closer to the door and men of higher status sitting by the fireplace, while the women sit in the center with no ordering. It is polite to sit in a space lower than one's proper place so one may be invited by the host to their proper place. The first several hours of the party will have only beer served, followed by the serving of food, and then several more hours of singing and dancing before people start to drift out. The act of manipulating one's neighbours into cooperation by hosting a party is known as Yangdzi, and works by expecting the hospitality done by the host with the serving of food and alcohol to be repaid.

Notable people

• Tenzing Norgay — in 1953, he and Edmund Hillary became the first people known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest
• Jamling Tenzing Norgay — mountain climber
• Temba Tsheri — mountain climber
• Pemba Dorje — mountain climber
• Apa Sherpa — mountain climber
• Pasang Lhamu Sherpa — mountain climber
• Pemba Doma Sherpa — mountain climber
• Mingma Sherpa — mountain climber
• Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa — mountain climber
• Nimdoma Sherpa — mountain climber
• Chhurim Sherpa — mountain climber
• Chhang Dawa Sherpa — mountain climber
• Pratima Sherpa — amateur female golfer
• Dawa Yangzum Sherpa — mountain climber
• Maya Sherpa — mountain climber
• Dachhiri Sherpa — Olympic athlete, represented Nepal in the Winter Olympics
• Kripasur Sherpa — Nepalese ambassador
• Lucky Sherpa — Australian politician
• Kami Rita — mountain climber
• Lhakpa Sherpa — mountain climber
• Nima Rinji — mountain climber

Demographics

The Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Sherpa as a subgroup within the broader social group of Mountain/Hill Janajati. At the time of the 2023 Nepal census, 250,637 people (1.1% of the population of Nepal) were Sherpa. Just 9,435 of them speak second language. The frequency of Sherpa people by province was as follows:

• Koshi Province (6%)
• Bagmati Province (0.80%)
• Gandaki Province (0.0%)
• Karnali Province (0.0%)
• Lumbini Province (0.0%)
• Madhesh Province (0.0%)
• Sudurpashchim Province (0.0%)

The frequency of Sherpa people was higher than national average (0.4%) in the following districts:

• Solukhumbu (19.6%)
• Taplejung (19.5%)
• Okhaldhunga (9.0%)
• Sankhuwasabha (8.8%)
• Dolakha (4.8%)
• Sindhupalchowk (2.6%)
• Ramechhap (2.0%)
• Bhojpur (1.7%)
• Kathmandu (1.3%)
• Ilam (1.2%)
• Tehrathum (1.1%)
• Mustang (0.8%)
• Khotang (0.7%)
• Dhankuta (0.5%)

See also

• Demographics of Nepal
• List of monasteries in Nepal
• Tengboche
• Sherpa (emissary)

References

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External links

• Everything about himali Sherpa Culture
• Tapting Sherpa Kyidug – a Sherpa community group in Kathmandu
• Sherpa in Nepal: History, Culture, Religion, Language
• Sherpa dictionary Archived 2 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
• Gaiety of Spirit: The Sherpas of Khumbu
• Beyul Khumbu: The Sherpa and Sagarmatha (Mount Everest National Park and Buffer Zone, Nepal)
• Everest region trek – trekking experts in Nepal
• – travel in Nepal

v t e Ethnic groups in Nepal by language family
Sino-Tibetan (Trans-Himalayan)	Tibetic Darchula Bhotiya Bhotiya Sherpa Hyolmo Jirel Nepalese Central Tibetic Central Tibetans Kachee Kiranti Western Rai Bahing Sunuwar Koich Central Rai Khambu Rai Kulung Bantawa Eastern Rai Lohorung Yakkha Limbu (Yakthung) Tamangic Chhantyal Gurung Tamu Manange Ghale Tamang Lama clan (Tamang) Thakali Kaike Magar Newaric Newar Newar Muslim Thangmi Kham Baram Magar Dhut Kham/Pang Chepang Bhujel Raji–Raute Raji Raute Rawat Dura Lepcha (Rong) Dhimal
Indo-Aryan	Pahari Khas Jumli-speakers Palpali-speakers Gorkhali-speakers (standard Nepali dialect) Kumaunis Kashmiris Madheshi Maithil Maithil Brahmin Yadav Kayastha Dhanuk Eastern Majhi Bajji Malla Anga Newars Over 25 distinct castes, major being Shresthas, Chathariya, Jyapu, Vajracharya, Rajopadhyaya Brahmins, Chitrakar, Khadgi, Manandhar, Dhobi, Pode, Ranjitkar, Mali, etc. Newar Muslim Indian Madheshi Indian Maithil Bihari Bhojpuri Bajjika etc. Awadhi other Madheshi H U Kumal Kushbadiya (Guhari) Miyan
Indo-Aryan of a distinct origin	Danuar Rai Bote Western Majhi Darai Tharu Hill Khadiya/Bankariya Rajbanshi Kisan of Oraon Sadri Kushbadiya (Guhari)
Other peoples (M, D, i) of Indus-Ganga	Kusunda Munda Satar Dudh and Dhelki Khadiya/Bankariya Jangad/Dhangad/Uraun Kisan
Immigrants and expatriates	v t e Immigration to Nepal Filipinos Indians Japanese Jews / Israelis Koreans Pakistanis Russians
Other basis	By geography Mountain people (Buddhist/Animism) Hill people (Eastern Paharis and Newars, Buddhist Kirati (East, mostly Mundhum) Terai (Madheshi, Tharu, Danuwar and Dhimal) (Lowland) Western Nepal (Hindu dominant) Nepali Muslim (South) By law Janajati Madheshi Janajati Misc Adivasi Simantakrit By caste Kshetri Bahun Thakuri Rajopadhyaya Shresthas Jyapu Vajracharya Pulami Kami Damai/Dholi Rajdhoves Sarki Unspecified Dalit Kalwar Dhobi Mali Gaine/Gandarbha
Nepal portal

v t e Hill tribes of Northeast India
Mizoram	Chakma Dimasa (Kachari) Garo Hajong Hmar Khasi and Jaintia (inc. Khasi Synteng or Pnar, War, Bhoi or Lyngngam) Kuki Tribes (see below) Mara Man (Tai speaking) Mizo (Lushai) tribes Mikir (Karbi) Naga tribes Pawi (Lai) Synteng (Pnar)
Nagaland	Garo Bodo-Kachari Kuki Mikir (Karbi) Naga
Meghalaya	Bodo-Kachari Chakma Dimasa (Kachari) Garo Hajong Hmar Khasi and Jaintia (inc. Khasi Synteng or Pnar, War, Bhoi or Lyngngam) Koch Kuki Tribes (see below) Lakher (Mara) Man (Tai speaking) Mizo (Lushai) tribes Mikir (Karbi) Naga tribes Pawi (Lai) Raba, Rava Synteng (Pnar)
Arunachal Pradesh	Abor (Galo) Aka (Hruso) Apatani Dafla (Nyishi) Galong Khowa (Bugun) Mishmi (inc. Miju Mishmi) Momba (inc. Chugpa, Lishipa, Takpa) Naga tribes (inc. Nocte, Tangsa, Tutsa, Wancho) Sherdukpen Singpho (Jingpo) Tai peoples (inc. Khampti, Khamyang, Phake) Adi (inc. Bori, Padam) Deori Khamba Lisu Memba Miji Mikir (Karbi) Minyong Mishing (Miri) Nga Puroik Zekhring
Manipur	Aimol Anal Chiru Chothe Gangte Hmar Inpui Koirao (Thangal) Koireng Kom Lamkang Liangmai Mao Maram Maring Mizo (Lushai) tribes Monsang Moyon Paite Purum Ralte Rongmei Simte Suhte (Paite) Tangkhul Thadou Vaiphei Zeme Zou
Tripura	Bhil Bhutia Chaimal Chakma Garoo Halam Jamatia Khasia Kuki Lepcha Lushai (Mizo) Mag Munda, Kaur Noatia Riang Santal Tripuri Uchoi
Assam	Chakma Dimasa (Kachari) Garo Hajong Hmar Khasi and Jaintia (inc. Khasi Synteng or Pnar, War, Bhoi or Lyngngam) Kuki Tribes (see below) Lakher (Mara) Man (Tai speaking) Mizo (Lushai) tribes Mikir (Karbi) Naga tribes Pawi (Lai) Synteng (Pnar)
Sikkim	Bhutia (including Chumbipa, Dopthapa, Dukpa, Kagatey, Sherpa, Tibetan, Tromopa, Yolmo) Lepcha
Kuki tribes including:	Biate Changsan Chongloi Doungel Gamalhou Gangte Guite Hanneng Haokip, Haupit Haolai Hengna Hongsung Hrangkhwal, Rangkhol Jongbe Khawchung Khawathlang, Khothalong Khelma Kholhou Kipgen Kuki Lengthang Lhangum Lhoujem Lhouvun Lupheng Mangjel Misao Riang Sairhem Selnam Singson Sitlhou Sukte Thado Thangngeu Uibuh Vaiphei
Naga tribes including:	Anāl Angami Ao Chang Chakhesang Chirr Chiru Chothe Inpui Kharam Khiamniungan Konyak Lainong Lamkang Liangmai Lotha Makury Mao Maram Maring Monsang Moyon Nocte Para Pochury Phom Poumai Rengma Rongmei Sangtam Sumi Tangkhul Tangsa Tarao Thangal Tikhir Tutsa Wancho Yimkhiung Zeme
See also List of Scheduled Tribes in India

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