Raglai

The Raglai are an ethnic minority religious community in Vietnam. In the 20th century, many Raglai converted to Christianity. This entry focuses on traditional Raglai Religion. They live in Lam Dong, Ninh Thuận, Binh Thuan , Ninh Thuan (57.442 people), and Khanh Hoa Provinces of the South Central Vietnam. Similar to the Cham, Churu, Rade and Jarai languages, Raglai is classified as a Chamic language in the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family. The traditional life of the Raglai people is mostly concentrated in a small village (puk) or a village (palei) on high, flat land and near sources of fresh water. Each village usually consists of several dozen roofs/small houses. The members of Raglai family usually include a father, mother and unmarried children. A head of the village is called a "Po Palei," usually the one who first developed the land or their descendent. Village chiefs are responsible for making offerings to heaven and earth during severe drought. The most prestigious person in the family are called "Ong Kei Palei" (village elders). The village elders run all activities, preside over festivals, and organize a teams to prevent wild beasts as well as invading forces.