New SoundMinds Radio Episode on Doing Ethnographic Research In The Himalayas When An Earthquake Strikes (listen here)

Hayley Saul and Emma Waterton were doing ethnographic and anthropological fieldwork in the Langtang valley in Nepal when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit in 2015. The earthquake killed more than 9,000 people.

At the time of the quake, they were with several local guides from the village of Langtang, one of the worst affected areas in Nepal. Emma and Hayley were recording local oral histories. Their ethnographic research was recording how local stories are written into the Himalayan landscape.

Little do they know that their guides’ knowledge of the landscape would save their lives many times over, and enabled them to reach safety after the quake.

Saul and Waterton have been fundraising to assist the displaced villagers of Langtang in collaboration with Community Action Nepal. You can read about their story and find out more about their relief efforts here: Langtang Survivors.