In deep mountains on both banks of the Jinshajiang River at the Sichuan-Tibet border, there live some Tibetans of patriarchal clan. Given this situation, such primitive form of social organization is still full of life even today. They worship the Nyingma Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Statistics show they have a population of some 10,000 today.

During our recent visit to Baiyu County, Garze Tibetan Ethnic Group Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, we found Gorba organizations are formed according to surnames or occupations. Most of them are located in the Gaiyu, Shama and Shanyan townships of Baiyu County. Some others are found in Gongjor County in eastern Tibet, which faces Baiyu County across the Jinshajiang River.

When a child aged under 12 dies, his/her body is buried in a tree.

Gaiyu had 89 Gorba groups in 1974. They were distributed in 22 economic accounting units. Each production team boasted four Gorba groups. Larger ones included eight or nine ones. A total of 841 households (with 3,370 people) or 75.08 percent of the total joined Gorba groups. In Shama, however, Gorba member households made up 98.8 percent of the total.

CHARACTERISTICS. Gorba means a group of fathers. Varied in size, all Gorba groups are equal and mind their own business. Also as an economic entity, Gorba may have dozens of households. Their characteristics are as the follows:

Each man is a Gorba member as soon as he was born. He attends Gorba meetings when he can understand, to discuss matters concerning negotiations and fighting with other Gorba groups; distribution of booties; inheritance of properties of families which do not include men; and disputes within the Gorba.

Women are attached to men, and are not counted as Gorba members. They enjoy no right to inherit properties. They are not allowed to decide to marry or not.

When it is time for a woman to marry, a Gorba meeting will be held to make the decision.

When a woman fails to give birth to a boy, her husband will be arranged through Gorba meeting to marry another woman.

When the husband of a woman dies, Gorba meeting will be held to arrange a man to take over her and her belongings.

When a woman flees with a man and thus gives birth to a boy, Gorba enjoys the right to take back the boy and demand the husband’s Gorba pay all the losses thus incurred.

Each Gorba makes decision through Gorba meetings. It is free from a permanent leader. There is a chieftain to head the organization. He is not elected. He wins the leadership through hard work. During meetings, the minority will respect the decision made by the majority when differences occur.

Each Gorba member must keep secret in the interest of Gorba. Otherwise, he will be dispelled from the organization. In some cases, compensation needed to cover losses resulting from infighting or fighting with non-Gorba members come from all Gorba members. One-third of the compensation goes to families which suffer during the fighting.

No man and woman within the same Gorba group are allowed to marry or have sexes.

Gorba has the obligation to revenge its members. When one is killed, his belongings will be preserved by the old and shown from time to time to educate the young.

Internal differences are settled through Gorba meetings. Each Gorba member has the obligation to show love for the young and support the old.

Each woman may have more than one husband. Generally, brothers share one wife.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES. In addition to holding meetings, Gorba organizes fighting and hunting. During fighting, women continued to work in the fields. Such fighting often occurred until now.

Organized hunting takes place after the spring sowing. Old and young, Gorba members go up into mountains for the purpose. They live in mountain caves for months until they have gathered enough games. The end of the hunting season is highlighted with dining and wining.

LIVING HABITS. Gorba members live in pillboxes, each measuring over 10 meters high. Very often, dozens of such pillboxes are built together into a row to hug the mountain. And the row begins with the lowest pillbox. Generally, a pillbox contains three floors, with the top serving as warehouses and toilets, middle part being kitchens and living chambers and the bottom part used to house animals.

Gorba people eat raw food. Zanba (roasted highland barley flour) is the staple food, and pea powder is often added with tea to make paste.

Gorba people love to eat the mixture of blood, meat and intestines, plus zanba, which is flavored with salt. When there are friends to visit, such mixture is baked to entertain guests.

Gorba people wear simply. In Shanyan and Shama, some men and women wear nothing for the upper part, and have animal hide to serve as fig leaves.

During spring ploughing and autumn harvest, some men are in the nude, and only have a red thread to tie up their penises. They are often seen doing labor in the fields together with women.

*Gorba people eat raw food.

Gorba people love to eat the mixture of blood, meat and intestines, plus zanba, which is flavored with salt.

Gorba people wear simply. Some men and women wear nothing for the upper part, and have animal hide to serve as fig leaves.

While doing labor in the fields together with women, some men are in the nude, and only have a red thread to tie up their penises.