Introduce : Akha in

This article comes from the book- “study and the culture of Akha in Chiangrai: 8 groups of Akha tribe – 2003. Akha is the name of the people of a hilltribe that have their own language, beliefs, clothes and way of living. The 8 groups have basic similarities but some even have a different language; like the Ulow Akha and the Aker Akha, who do not understand each other. The 8 Akha groups of Thailand are:

1.Uloh Akha The Uloh Akha is a Thai Akha. This group was the first to move to the north of Thailand and stay, moving to DoiTung, Maefahluang. This group is very big and is mostly in Chiangrai, also moving to Chiangmai. The government gives 2 Thai Akhas the opportunity to develop their village; the Akha village at DoiSanjai, Maefahluang and the Akha village at Doisangow Chinagsan district. Chiangrai. 'Uloh' means a sharp hat, with the 'U' from Udoo meaning a sharp, high circle. The name is given to the Akha by the hat that they wear and this is a prominent group for their hats. The Thai Akha are a large number in Thailand with around 32,500 people spreading around the 5 provinces of Chiangrai, Chiangmai,Lamphang, Prae and Tak in the north of Thailand. Some of these people retain

their traditional beliefs, respecting their ancestor spirits and others changed to buddism, and Islam. Sanjaroengao has the largest population of . The Uloh has become the standard between Akha people and is used to communicate between different groups. 2.LorMee Akha The LorMee Akha is a Burmese Akha. Their population is smaller than the Uloh Akha but this group is known to be energetic. These groups moved from Burma and live in Chiangrai and Chiangmai in Thailand. They moved to Thailand after Uloh Akha, and abundantly, to Maefahluang and the Maesuay district, Chinagrai. The name LorMee comes from DoiMee- the hill in Burma where they originated. They didn't stay in Burma and so their name changed to be different from the original DoiMee. These groups have a population of around 19, 000 people throughout Chiangrai, Chiangmai and the Tak

province. Around 55 % keep to the old traditional beliefs, respecting their ancestor spirits with the same ceremony as the Uloh Akha, though some groups changed to and Christianity. The language is the same as the Uloh Akha but uses a higher and is spoken faster.

3.Phamee Akha. Phamee Akha is a Chinese Akha. These groups have lived in and had an exchange of culture with the Chinese people and are therefore called merchant. With lineage from Sibsongpanna, , they mostly live in China, but a few groups live in Thailand in places such as Maesai, Maejan, Maesuay in the Chinagrai province and the . The village Phamee is called so because this is where bears are found living in the cliffs around the Maesai area. The Akha people moved to live in this area and so call the village DoiPhamee, calling themselves the Phamee Akha. These groups have 2 communities in Thailand; Phamee village in Maesai and Maejantai village in Maesuay, later moving to Giwsadai village, Maejan. When a ceremony takes place, these groups will come

together to meet. They have a few different names given from people outside the group, such as Lahbour Akha which means China Akha or Ubya Akha. The population of this group is around 5,200 and they are spread across Tak and Chinagrai. They have old traditional beliefs, respecting the ancestor's spirit and also, similarly to the other groups, they converted to Christianity.

4.Pear Akha. This group is migrant from Burma because of the conflict in their country and they are living in Maefahluang. 'Pear Akha' comes from the leader of their country since they originate in Burma. The population of this group is around 4,500 and they live around Chiangrai and Lamphang. Around 10% retain their old traditional beliefs but most of them converted to Christianity. The language is similar to Uloh Akha, but they speak much louder-almost like shouting- so much that people from outside their group

may think they are fighting! 5.NahKha Akha The Nahkha Akha moved from the border between China and Burma. They moved to Thailand after experiencing conflict living on the border, and not having security of the Chinese government from pirates. 'NahKha' is simply the name of the village where they lived in China. They have a population of around 1,900 living in Chinagrai in the Maesuay District. They changed their religion to that of the city they moved to and they are Christian, using the same language as the Phamee Akha. A big NahKha Akha

group in Thailand is in Pattana Seri, Maesuay district Chiangrai. 6.Arkher Akha The Akher Akha moved from China close to . Firstly they moved to Burma, but the government did nothing to protect them from pirates and so they moved again to Thailand. Arkher Akha is the name given by the other Akha groups because they are so different in ways such as language and clothing. The names they use themselves are Kohkuer or Onjeyor. The population is around 650 and they live in Chiangrai at Maesuay. They believe and

practice the old traditions but some groups did change and became christian. The language is absolutely different to the other Akha, but when communicating between other Akha groups they use the Uloh language.

7.UPhee Akha This group moved from Burma because of the pirates and conflict in Burma and UPhee Akha moved to ChiangTung. UPhee Akha are named by the type of hat they wear. They have a population of around 650 and live in at Maefahluang. Their beliefs changed to conform to those of the city and now they are Christian. They use the same language as the Uloh Akha.

8.ArJoh Akha The ArJoh Akha are migrants from Burma because the conflict in that country and they moved to stay at Mae-seay, . They are named 'ArJoh' because they changed from their old traditions to new ways. The population of this group is around 650 and they live in the PongPom village. Most of the population changed to be a Christian and they use a language similar to Uloh Akha.

Information from the research of Patiphan Ayi. http://akha.hilltribe.org

Introduce : the Akha

The Akha, also known to the Thai as the Gaw or the E-gaw (names that the Akha do not like), are located primarily with Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai provinces. The Akha are closely related with the Hani of Yunnan province, China, the Akha-Hani complex numbers about two to three million people, but with just over 70,000 members in Thai territory. The Akha speak a language in the Lolo/Yi branch of the Tibeto-Burman language group, but have no traditional written language. There are a variety of schemes for writing Akha developed by or linguists which employ Roman, Thai or Burmese characters, but literacy in Akha is still virtually nil. The Akha are traditionally subsistence farmers, growing a variety of crops including rice and corn. Though many Akha, especially younger people, profess Christianity, Akha Zang (The Akha Way), a total lifestyle perscribed in the oral literature of the Akhas, still runs deep in the consciousness of older generations. The Akha Way combines , ancestor worship and their deep relationship with the land.. For an Akha, the Akha Way is a way of life which extends beyond simple religious practice and infuses every aspect of their existence. The Akha Way emphasizes rituals in everyday life and stresses strong family ties; every Akha male can recount his geneology back over fifty generations to the first Akha, Sm Mi O. But the chain of continuity so important for Akha people is being broken. A combination of Thai schooling, land restrictions, some activities, technology and a feeling of social inferiority to lowland Thais is making the once essential Akha Way less attractive and relevant for younger generations who are rapidly integrating into Thai society.

http://akha.hilltribe.org

introduce : Legend of Akha

The Akha people believe that before they have Sumio (Recite the lineage), everything in the world such as the wind, sky and the air can speak. After Sumio, both human and spirit can speak. In the past they believed that humans had a wrest 7 cubits and speaking ever since they were born. As the story goes, a man goes to the forest to find wood to make a mortar. While he was out, his wife gave birth to their newborn child and the son went to the forest to find his father after asking his mother about his father’s whereabouts. The man chopped a tree which fell on top of his son. A twig stabbed into his son’s shoulder. The man chopped the twig from his son’s shoulder, and from that time on, humans have a small body. After Sumio, there are many more lineages and the last one is JeTherPer and TherPerMor. TherPerMor is the first person of Akha and JeTherPer is the mother of human and spirit also gives the religion birth to the world. Akha calls this person “Ama Mata”. Ama means Mother and Mata means together. The meaning of “AMa Mata” is the mother of human and spirit. The character of this person has 9 breasts at the back for the spirit and 2 in front for the human. That is why humans have 2 breasts now. At that time, the human and the spirit were family. The spirit worked in the night while the human worked in the day. The tiger and buffalo also lived together, as well as the eagle and the chicken also.

When Ama Mata died, the human and the spirit started fighting. The eagle and chicken also went separate ways while conflict arose between the tiger and buffalo. The human and the spirit cannot be family because they can not run the ceremony together – the human and the spirit are absolutely different as the spirit sleeps in the day, which is opposite from the human. Ama Mata died in the day time and would like to give 9 breasts to the human. However the human rejected the offer and the 9 breasts were then turned to the spirit. The spirit raised the ceremony for Ama Mata by inviting the religion spirit leader (Phima) to find pregnant animals as offerings in the ceremony. However, all of the animals escaped except a bear and a squirrel. Hence now if the Akha people go hunting and end up with two animals, it would mean that the animals cannot be eaten as the Akha believe that the animals signify offerings in the Ama Mata ceremony. During the ceremony, the religion leader, or Phima, prayed for the Ama Mata to be taken to heaven, but Ama Mata stood up and said “I cannot go because the way is difficult.” Phima prayed 3 days and 3 nights but Ama Mata still could not go to heaven. The spirit then invited the human religion leader (the first religion leader of Akha people) to come to pray for Ama Mata. The religion leader also prayed for 3 days and 3 nights. Finally, the Ama Mata died and went to heaven. This was how the ceremony originated and this ceremony is still being practiced now. After Ama Mata died, the human and the spirit lived in the same house but they started to have fights because they had differing preferences. When one of them went to work, they would accuse each other of stealing their things but in reality no one saw each other do it. Finally, both of them swore that they will live separately, have their own personal area, and stop seeing each other by letting the human close his eyes and turn his back against the spirit. However, the spirit is still able to see the human. They also separated their respective ceremony times. The humans held theirs in the day while the spirits held theirs at night. They closed the dog’s eye by threshing the basket. This is why if the dog howls or barks at night, it means that it has seen the spirit. The Akha believe that the spirit sees the human while the human cannot see the spirit and the human is fearful of the spirit. Usually, Akha people use swear words between humans and spirits and they do not cross the line each other at each other’s incantation. Also, the Akha believe that the spirit is afraid of saliva because when the spirit touches saliva, they will have leprosy. When the Akha are in danger, they will spit saliva to protect themselves from the spirits. http://akha.hilltribe.org

Lifestyle Birth The new born Akha baby will be watched by the parents that will be a boy or a girl. If the new born baby is a boy, there will be a pride of the father according to the Akha's belief that a boy will be the only one who descends. If we talk about the giving birth of Akha tribe or others hill tribes, we are not talking about giving birth at the hospital which will receive good care from a nurse. They do not receive a convenient thing such as declaring the birth, adding name in the census record or the right that a baby should receive. In the opposite way, giving birth, in the past, will do in the community that has a midwife of Akha called “Ya Chi A Ma” using their wit and local equipment i.e. using a clean sharp “Heir” wood instead of scissor to cut the umbilical cord and a mother takes a rest for a few days and get back to work. When a baby born in the community that is situated far away from civilization, a baby will not receive the right according to the law because the tribe do not know about the declaring the birth which is the problem until now. At present Akha has more knowledge in management because the new generation goes to school and has been educated and bring back the knowledge to use with the community. Birth In the past, the daughter-in-law could not give birth in her own house, she had to give birth at the other house where especially build for her unlikely the daughter of the owner of the house. For the people who will be making the birth is the third-aged person who has knowledge in making birth or a midwife in the village which Akha called “Ya Chi A Ma”. Ya Chi A Ma use a sharp “Heir” wood to cut the umbilical cord and tie it with string. Ya Chi A Ma brings a baby to a mother and buries a placenta at the basement near the main column of the house. The placenta has fork out by wood and is bury by placing the top over and closing the hole by the wood then the next day before dawn, covers up the hole by the ashes. After Ya Chi A Ma brings a baby to a mother, a mother has to bring a baby sits on the chair at the main column of the house then Ya Chi A Ma gives a boiled egg to a mother to eat according to Akha's belief that boiled egg can reduce pain and reduce bleeding. Moreover, Akha tights a gold or silver plate like Eve's fig leaf called “Jey Jong” at the stomach believes that is the one way to cure the disease. To tighten the stomach helps the symptom of a dizzy or a stroke of a newly given baby mother. A mother will

wear Akha hat to a baby after that will bring a baby to do the naming ceremony and performing rites welcoming. Within 9-10 days after giving birth, a mother and a baby must stay inside the house to lie near an open fire for warmth as well as sanitation (called Ya Seu Long Aeo). When the umbilical cord comes off and finds it, Akha brings it to bury with the placenta.

A mother takes her baby to visit relative within the village, this counts as the first time to take baby to greet villagers. Ten days later, a mother has to take her baby travel outside the village and on the way back, if her baby is a girl, she has to bring a leaf back to home and if a baby is a boy, she has to bring a treetop. This tells a sex of her baby. To name a baby:

When a baby born in the first day, a midwife will give name to a baby and make the spiritual ceremony. Giving name to a baby does according to the Akha tradition that is using the last word of a father's name to be a first character of a baby when the ceremony done a parent can not tell a baby name for nine to ten days. http://akha.hilltribe.org

Lifestyle : Culture land

The word “Akha” means people from afar. The name aptly explains this community that live in hills far from civilization.

The Akha are fun-loving, enjoying dance and song even as they travel to and from their farms. The Akha like to blow sideways through a plucked leaf to produce sweet-sounding music and it is common for young Akha men and women to sing while planting crops in the valley. Akha couples part with song when the sun sets before retreating home also. Every night, Akha teenagers gather at the community grounds or “Dae-Khong” or “Ga-Ba” and often linger until the following morning. This is where teenagers, housewives, elderly and children gather at the end of every day, often in traditional dress. It is here that Akha culture is passed from one generation to the next as elder Akha members spend the most time with Akha youth here. Further, these gatherings provide the only opportunity for Akha teenagers to meet each other since male and female teenagers work separately during the day. The civilization of city and the expansion serves the electricity from the big community reaches to Akha communities that still have take respect the original. This issue will may not directly but consider carefully, it will be the importance on other hand that make Akha grounds culture abandoned people fungus has in during nighttime that everybody gets back from the field, become the period time that don't be lonely again because there is the television programmed, many interesting list, to follow and give the data, the information in time that worldly progress more than standing besieges to a circle, sing the song that never end and it like as have the a lot of detail, exceedingly tradition. The grounds culture (Dae-Khong ) in today vanish from the memory of the young generation. The Akha village during nighttime do not be lonely because the song of Loso (the famous band) resound throughout both of the valley and that be the way has that us has chosen already?

Lifestyle : Death

The death in Akha belief is the change from human world to the hereafter where is the place for their ancestors spirits. If they do the right ceremony after death; it is said that the spirits won't be in dangers. In contrast, they will protect the following generations for eternally remaining their clans. As soon as there is somebody died, the members in the family will take a bath for the corpses and dress them the new clothes. They will put the silver coin in the dead body's mouth and tell them to spend that money for whatever he/she wants. Then, they will tie the dead body with the black fabric and cover it again with the red fabric. Afterward, the corpses is ready to prepare the ceremony, his/her son will call all the names of his/her ancestors who are in the same race. In case of the son has no ability about that;" Pima" a religion leader of Akha will perform the ceremony instead. He will pray for funerals every nights until the corpses is taken to bury. Some of the relatives who come to the funeral may gambling, some are crying with sorrow or mourning for a death and also do the black magic as their belief. The Funeral The ceremony before burying, the shaman will be invited to pay in the funeral in Akha style for 3 days and 2 nights without any mistake. The sorcery is about the way for the spirit of the death to reach to the peaceful place at the hereafter. If the person who died was the important aged, at least one buffalo will be killed for the scarification. The only expert shaman (Pima) who can call all spirit to help stabbing the buffalo in the right way. There are many brave men had to hold the buffalo's head and open its mouth while others are stabbing. The water will be poured into the buffalo's mouth in order to stop the roar and it's' head will be drown out with the chaff after the slaughter is done.

The Interment Many strong men will carry the coffin which is tied with the 2 long beams from the house to the cemetery. There will be the hold for bury the corpse which is digging in a line shape from East to West. One of the coffin carriers will grab a handful of grass (The grasses are the material to make the roof) and he will stick it with a robe for closing the coffin. It indicates as the symbol that the alive people will share a place to stay for the dead body. Next, the small area of rice field will be given to him/her as well and the ceremony will be held at the cemetery. On the hole with the corpse in while which is already drown out, there are the personal stuffs of the dead body such as a pipe, a teacup, a gourd, the equipments for living and the prong will be put over the beginning of the hole as the symbol of the satchel for containing food for him/her. When the ceremony is done, the members in the same family of the dead body back to their house, they will have a sending spirit meal together for emphasizing the dead person about the boundary of alive people and the death. He/she should not disturb the alive people. Afterward, there will be the ceremony which is held for inviting the spirit of the dead person to protect their relatives a year after the death as same as other ancestors.

The Terribly Death The death which is Akhas believes that are bad: died in a violent death and died without the person who can continue their clans. For the first kind of death, there will be the ceremony to wash away their sins or make the apologize deities and ghosts before taking him/her to bury at the cemetery in the village. There are 3 other different deaths which are forbidden to bury at the cemetery but those corpses have to take to bury at the special place. There are the death that causes by the tiger, the death which cause by drown and the death from smallpox. The hole will have to be especially deep because the dog will be buried over the dead body in order to block the ghost to disturb the alive people. For the death without a person who can continue their clans: the ceremony will almost be held as same as normal but there is one difference that the wall will be punctured for taking the dead body that way. It can not be taken by the door because there is no more someone to worship the ancestor and the shelter will be dismantled and take it to the forest while the corpse is buried.

The person who throws away the shelter has to say out loud to the ancestors that as the result of the inability of protecting the grandchildren, then, nobody will worship him/her. It extremely shows that Akahs have a strong idea about the family duty tradition. In general, Akahs will not talk about death or do something that can invite the spirits back to their bodies again such as knock the coffin next to the corpses, whistle in a room or wife/husband calls the black magic of the dead bodies. It is believed that when they are alive, they should not be worried about the death and when they left the world, it is not their business to interfere with the world once again.

Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest Lifestyle : Entertainment The Akha is the people who have the simple lifestyle, living from hand to mouth. They will sing a song after they left the village gate while they are out for farming. Men sing when they crop or do something which cause them the loneliness. They want someone to be with for comforting them from it. They respond the song with women when they got to their farms. The women may work in the different fields with the men. They sing a song as saying goodbye and making an appointment in night time at the cultural field. It was a very colorful life but it is quite difficult to be seen at present because there are the developments which influence their lifestyle. There are almost all forgotten

from the reality and the remained things are only the stories told by the old people in the society.

The Akha's entertainments can be named into 2 groups: The entertainments played in the ceremonies:

The top (Chong) is the Akha recreation which only played one time a year when there is the ceremony or tradition. Playing top is the entertainment that brings them joy and it is the male amusement. The day that ceremony is held, men leave their houses since early morning for cutting the hardwood to make the tops, sharping the top of the wood. Somebody may put the sharp iron at the tip. This tip can make the tops spin for long time. After the tops are done, they are playing those tops by dividing into 2 groups and play a game together. The Akha Swing (Loa Cher Bee Err), this tradition is annually held at late of August untill the beginning of September after the rice and corn planting are done. There are 3 different kinds of swings: • The giant swing which is built by the cooperation of villagers (Laa Cher) • The Spinned Swing (Kam Laa La Cher) • The Small Swing which is built at the front of each house (Err Ler). The Akha Swing Ceremony makes a great fun and wonderful time to people and it means to • fertilise their plants as well. The Dancing (Bor Chong Too Err) is held only during the ceremony. Both men and women are wearing thier beautiful tribal dresses and they come to the field of village or the wide place. There are the equipments for dancing: • The wood drum • Cow-dear skin (Tong) • Gong (Bo Lo) • Small up-shaped cymbals (Jair Lair) • Wood tube (Bor Chong) There are different kinds of dancing: • Dancing in a circle, they dance by following the rhythm of the drum and move from left to right all together. • The bamboos hitting style, women have to have the bamboo tube to hit one another for making a noise and men may dance in circle with women as well.

A pitch-and-toss game (Ar Ber Chor Err) is played during the ceremony or The Yoor Kam Day because they are having free time. This is regarded as a female game. They keep the snuffbox bean for making toys. This game is usually played in

team. The General Entertainments The Three-wheels is a game which is not able to find the its background but it is the popular game for the Akha children. They get a big piece of wood to make 3 wheels. Next, these woods will be tightly hammered or tied all together. There is only one wheel at the front and 2 wheels on the back. Moving to the speed tips; the rinds are hammered or pounded into tiny pieces and stick it on the wheels. This kind of rinds are sticky and slippery. It makes a great speed for 3 wheels. The children will preserve it for using in the future. The Akha kids like to bite the rinds and chew them into the small pieces and when

they are ready to use, they stick it on the wheel. Three wheels is a dangerous game. It may cause dangers in the case that children did not make it well enough.

The BamBoo Longed Legs (Mor Nor) is the adventurous game for people who have never played before because the player have to make balance and it is quite tall. There is the background of The Akha Bamboo Longed Legs:

long time ago Akha had settled down together with Thai Lier but they could not get along with each other. Thai Lier had set many sport competitions such as the archery, running and so on. The Akha were almost the losers in every game. After the defeat, they gathered together and discussed about the way to beat Thai Lier up. They had the idea to create The Bamboo Longed Legs in roder to win Thai Lier. Then, the Akha set a team for the game and seriously practise by cutting the bamboo which was as long as they could find.

The Akha went to Thai Lier village by walking on The Bamboo Longed Legs at night and dropped the goat's shits around the field in the village. The following day, they crowded around and looked at the goat's shits. They were antonished by the goat's shits without their footmarks. Another night, the Akha went to Thai Lier village by walking on The Bamboo Longed Legs once again. This time they fooled dogs to bark. The Thai Lier went out to find the reason that made the dogs bark but they found nothing because the bamboos were very tall and it was also dark. When the time passed by, the Thai Lier felt uncomfortable with the situations. They thought that they were teasing by ghosts. Then, they moved out from the village. Then, the Akha had conquered Thai Lier's place and this is the backgroud of the Akha Bamboo Longed Legs. The Akha went to Thai Lier village by walking on The Bamboo Longed Legs at night and dropped the goat's shits around the field in the village. The following day, they crowded around and looked at the goat's shits. They were antonished by the goat's shits without their footmarks. Another night, the Akha went to Thai Lier village by walking on The Bamboo Longed Legs once again. This time they fooled dogs to bark. The Thai Lier went out to find the reason that made the dogs bark but they found nothing because the bamboos were very tall and it was also dark. When the time passed by, the Thai Lier felt uncomfortable with the situations. They thought that they were teasing by ghosts. Then, they moved out from the village. Then, the Akha had conquered Thai Lier's place and this is the backgroud of the Akha Bamboo Longed Legs. The Cultural Yard / The Community Yard ( Dae Khong / Kar Par) The entertainments which were played at The Cultural Yard were the night entertainments under the bright moonlight. After the returning from the fileds, both men and women were preparing themselves to go there ( Dae Khong). They wore their traditional hill tribe dresses for dancing and singing the songs and they might chat with the old generation about the traditions and cultures. Turning to the men, they had to collect the firewood for lighting. Besides, they also danced and it was a great chance for them to choose their mates for the rest of their whole lives. After the entertainment was done, those youngers would return their homes for taking a rest because they had to work in the fields the next day. The Akha lifestyle at that time was just like mentioned before because they did not have the great education. Then, they were on the disadvantage about that. However, they were really smart about the folk knowledge that they should reserve and passes it through generations.

The smoking competition (Hor Chee Hor Tha Err) It is the entertainment for the old people who smoke the tobacco. They will gather together and make a competition by smoking the tobacco until it turns red as much as possible. After that, they are playing the games, questioning things. When the games are over, they will have to smoke again and whose pipes have no more fire. That means, the people are loser and the people who still can smoke are the winner. This entertainment is the game for the old people when they have free time.

The cup moulding (Orr Mar Tae Err), children are digging clay for prick in the middle of the clay by their elbows and make a whole which is similar to the cups. Then, they pour water in that hole. It is the entertainment for kids played in the ceremony; they have to pray the incantation when the old people are died. Therefore, it is one of the important entertainments for the Akha.

History of

Originally, the Hmong people were immigrants from Tibet, Siberia and Mongolia, before migrating to China 3,000 years ago where they settled down in areas around the Yellow (Huang Ho) River, Kwaijoa, Hunnam, Kwangsi and Yunnan. During the 17th century, the Manju Dynasty (Hmeng) wielded power in China. The King changed policy to suppress Hmong people who refused to practice and believe in the Chinese culture and tradition, because Hmong men have a similar character to Russians which led the Chinese to believe that they were Russian. Another reason was that the Hmong was a barbarian race, and constantly fought each other.

Eventually, the Hmong people were defeated and moved to the south of China, separating into small groups. Most of these groups lived on the hills in Sibsongpanna, while another set of immigrants lived on the northeast of the Lao republic around Haihin Dianbianfu. The Leader, named ‘General Wungpor’ collected Hmong immigrants, and moved to Thailand around 2400 in Buddhism era (c. 1857).

Now, Hmong people in Thailand have set up villages on the hills, or the lowlands, around Chiang Rai, Payao, Chiang Mai, Prae, Lampang, Khampang Phet, , Phisanulok, Phetchabun, Tak and Mae Hong Son. The current population of Hmong people stands around 151,080.

Black Hmong or Green Daw Hmong or White Trait Hmong or Guamaba Hmong or Blue Hmong. Hmong. Hmong. http://hmong.hilltribe.org

Life style : Birth

In the past Hmong believed that a pregnancy was an act of the will of the Mother's and Father's ghost. Hmong women are careful to make sure that as they approach the final stages of their pregnancy they don't go anywhere alone. Wherever a pregnant woman goes she has to have at least one friend go with her. Delivery is done naturally, with the woman in labor sitting on top of a small stool in front of the bedroom. The woman will lean against her husband for support and the door of the house will be closed. Children are prohibited from entering the house during this time. After the baby has been delivered, it will be cleaned up and the umbilical cord cut with scissors. If the baby is a boy, the afterbirth will be buried at the central pillar of the house, which is where, it is believed, a spirit resides. This is because boys should understand about ghosts and spirits. If the baby is a girl, the afterbirth will be buried under the mother's cot, because girls should understand the value of chastity and understand the affairs of running a household. Three days after a new child is born the father will conduct a ceremony to give a name to the child. Two chickens will be offered as a to please the spirits of the ancient ancestors and to thank the spirits of the mother and father for sending the child to be born. The spirits will be asked to watch over and protect the child and to accept the child as a member of the family lineage. As the Hmong believe that a child does not yet become human until it is a full three days old, a baby that dies during this period can be buried immediately, without having to perform the various customary ceremonies. It is believed the newborn is still the child of ghosts. Nowadays it is mostly the middle-aged and elderly Hmong who still hold these beliefs. Educated Hmong will tend not to retain these beliefs, but their children will still go through all the prescribed ceremonies of a Hmong. Deliveries are now mostly done at the hospital as it is feared that danger may arise to the woman if a natural birth is attempted at home. http://hmong.hilltribe.org

Life style : Dead

Hmong people believe that the dead person’s spirit is sent to heaven when the ceremony is completed. They believe that the dead person has merit because that person can meet their ancestors and dead relatives. When a person dies, a member in family will shoot a gun into the sky three times to tell other people in the village. The body is washed. The men wear women’s clothes and a belt, and the women change to wear men’s clothing. The face is covered by a red cloth to hide it from people who come to the ceremony. The body is laid out opposite the door, and the wrists are tied by red strings until the funeral ceremony is finished. The Chinese Hmong believe that when someone falls down near the house, the dead body must have a reassurance ceremony because they think the spirit of the dead body will take the spirit of the fallen person.

Hmong people believe that when the spirit goes to hell, it peels onions and cannot go to heaven. So they will bind the dead body’s fingers by the red strings to tell that the spirit has wound in the body, and put shoes on it because the spirit must ford the caterpillar river and cross the green worm mountain.

The dead body is put on a table, close to the shrine of the house. They will give three separate food offerings to the body. Afterwards, they will shoot a gun three times and light a lamp on the dead body, when the relatives are gathered together.

The relatives will repay the dead person’s debts before burial to free them, give them wealth, and also happiness in the future life. When the relatives come together, a chicken is killed as an offering and black magic prayers are said, to direct the body to the next world. The relatives who attend the ceremony make a boat from silver and gold paper which the spirit uses along the journey to next world.

If the dead person is elderly, the relatives make their respects (‘Xyom’) each morning and evening. A ceremony which dresses the body in embroidered clothes is performed in order to give a farm to all the spirits, making them rich in the next world.

Before burial, the ceremony leader teaches to any visitors from 8pm until 2am. On burial day many neighbors come to attend the ceremony. The lineage will clean the body before burial and they have to kill a cow to worship the dead person. Some families will do the ceremony again outside, before taking the body to the graveyard to bury around 4pm.

In the procession, a woman will take a torch to give direction to the dead body. When the procession has passed through the village she will throw the torch away and run back, because the Hmong believe that then the spirit cannot find its way back home. The procession finally arrives at the graveyard, where a black magic prayer is performed, and the body is put in a well-placed grave that gives a blessing and beneficial effects for the descendents. After the funeral has finished, they family members put stones and twigs on the grave, and burn the silver and gold papers (or anything else they have offered) given to the dead body. The table that takes the dead body to the graveyard is sawn up, as the Hmong believe that then it cannot take life from the people in the village.

During the funeral ceremony, to let the spirit reach heaven, no-one can pick any flowers or leaves. Also the entire lineage may not cry on the way to the graveyard because the spirit would be concerned, and unable to go to the next world. The older dead around hillside are buried thus: those on the left will have a female ancestor and on the right a male ancestor. Hmong do not bury children on the same day as their parents because they will not prosper; and they won’t bury other dead bodies in the same row because that dead body will snatch the place to make a farm and come to

interfere with any family member that has an illness. A child’s body can be buried in the same row because the children can play together.

The family makes a fence to protect the grave from animals or insects, and relatives may not visit the grave until 13 days after burial. On that day they have to free the spirit, so it can go to the next world.Hmong people believe that the grave or graveyard which has overgrown grass, like spinach, means that the family has peace. A person who dies from the result of an accident or killed by violence is not taken to the house or buried the same way.

The Hmong will be in mourning for 13 days, and during that time, they cannot wash their clothes or brush their hair, because the dirt drops in the body’s food. They don’t draw strings because it snuggles up to the legs of the body, or sew clothes because the needle stabs the body. The husband or wife of the dead person cannot marry until 13 days have passed because it makes the dead concerned about their welfare. Hmong people then converse and cover the coffin

with earth, stones and branches. http://hmong.hilltribe.org

Life style : Courtship

Hmong people cannot be in love with people of the same lineage because they are regarded as relatives. During the New Year celebration, Hmong will don colorful clothes which they have prepared the whole year. The women will throw the kato (a ball made from cloth) to the man that she likes, and if the man does not like the woman, he will slip away. Kato is a ball made from black clothes and is as large as a tennis ball.. While playing the game, the match will talk to each other or play games and those who did not receive a kato must pay a fine in terms of items or decorations for the winner. This festive practice provides an opportunity for the match to meet each other at night. The courtship takes place around the woman’s house with the man outside the house and the woman in her bedroom. The man does not enter the house directly as it is against the Hmong’s traditions and disturb the woman’s parents as well as dishonoring the woman’s family. When the man is sure that the woman’s parents are asleep, the man will get to the wall of the woman’s bedroom and whisper to her or play the Jang (Hmong musical instrument made from brass)

If the woman recognizes that the voice belongs to the man she loves, she will respond and talk to each other. She can also come out to chat with him in front of her house. However, if they make noise, the woman’s parents will be upset and will fine when a man argue. The woman’s parents usually will be understanding and give freedom to the couple.

The Hmongs still practice this tradition even until today http://hmong.hilltribe.org

Life style : Hmong engagement

Historically, the Hmong have married within their clan but outside their family name. They have a custom of engagement where the child is engaged from one month of age. The boy’s parents will go to ask the girl’s parents for an engagement by bringing the things for the engagement ceremony to give to the girl’s parents. Both sides will then conclude an agreement that their children will marry when they grow up and that whoever goes back on the agreement will pay reparations to the other side. Hmong still practice this tradition today, but not as commonly as in the past.

Make a marriage proposal. Traditionally, Hmong parents would find a wife for their son when he is 14-16 years old. If they know that their son already has a lover, they will make an offering of boiled chicken and seven joss sticks to an ancestor spirit and pray for guidance from it. They will know the response from the tongue of a chicken and the chicken leg that they gave in offering. If the sign is inauspicious, the would-be groom’s parents tell their son to break up with the woman and offer another boiled chicken to the spirit. Another way is to arrange for two matchmakers to make a marriage proposal.

If, on the way to the woman’s house to deliver a marriage proposal, a wild animal like a snake or a deer were to pass in front of the line or a dead body were to be in a village that the group walked past, Hmong would interpret it as a bad omen and would cancel the marriage proposal in the belief that the couple would be visited by ill fortune, separating or passing away in the future. Hmong go to the woman’s house in the evening, after they finish their day’s work. The man’s matchmaker will give tobacco to the woman’s parents and tell them the name of the man who

wishes to marry their daughter.

Hmong will call their relatives over to decide whether to accept. The woman will have two matchmakers working to reach an agreement with the man’s matchmakers about the dowry. To that end, the woman’s matchmakers will put one bottle of alcohol and four glasses on the table near the door; they will come to drink together and after reaching an agreement to marry move the table inside the house and discuss the dowry and the date of the wedding.

If in some other way the woman denied, they will move the table outside and, after finishing the alcohol, everyone goes back home. The man really loves that particular woman, the man will try again. On the other hand, Hmong do not have to make the marriage proposal; instead, the man may elope with the woman and have a wedding ceremony when the couple has enough money.

http://hmong.hilltribe.org

Life style : Family life

In the past, Hmongs constitute of big families. Hmong women who has wedding, usually will prepare them self to give a birth. Hmong women wake up early in the morning at around 4.00 - 5.00 am. They undertake all the household chores including drawing water, cooking meals for the family and feeding the domestic animals. After sunrise, the women prepare for work in the field to gather leaves, cut the grasses or harvest the crops. When they are at home, they will weave and look after their children, and in the evening, the woman prepares opium for their husbands. Her work will finish when everyone in the house sleep. Hmong men have lesser workload than women as their daily routine includes sipping tea, smoking opium, taking care of the house, and entertaining their guests.

Hmong women work harder than men because Hmong perceive marriage as man buying woman to work for everyone in his house. Therefore, Hmong women who are married are like housemaids and work very hard but cannot support themselves. Also, Hmong men can marry many wives to take care of the house. Some people have up to 4 wives and the women usually can live together as relatives and do not fight. Nowadays, the Hmong people are more receptive to Thai cultures, and the men usually marry only

one woman. The Hmong men also take more initiative to help his wife as compared to the past. http://hmong.hilltribe.org

Life style : Bride Theft

In the past bride theft was a common practice. Bride theft was used in the event that the woman was unwilling to marry her suitor. Following the theft, a wedding ceremony would be held. The father of the groom would help his son conjure up a plan to capture his bride and find people to come and help in the act. The woman would be lured out of her house and then seized. Assaulting the woman while she was still in her house was considered foul play and a fine would have to be paid. The woman would find every possible way to resist her captors and try to get her relatives to help rescue her. During the scramble, the relatives of the man would plead with the woman's family to let their daughter go with them. After the woman had been hussled off to the man's family's house she would be forced to stay in the man's room with him. Two days later the man would send two representatives to the woman's family's house to inform them of what had happened to their daughter and gently ease all their concerns and fears regarding her plight. At the appropriate time, a formal request for marriage would be made and the wedding ceremony would be held soon after. The representatives sent to negotiate had to be masters in the art of speech and communication in order to convince the mother and father of the woman to approve of the theft. As the negotiations progressed, the representatives would try to offer tobacco to the mother and father of the woman. If they accepted the tobacco it was considered a sign they approved of the union. In the event that the man and his family did not go to the woman's family's house and inform them of the situation, it was considered to be a violation of Hmong custom and tradition, and a fine of approximately 12 maang would have to be paid (A maang is a large silver coin which the Hmong use amongst themselves). Along the same lines as this, if the woman is able to escape from her captors and return home within three days of her disappearance, the man would be fined. Sometimes, however, if the father of the woman does not wish to have his daughter marry the man who stole her away, the woman might simply be returned and no fine would be paid.

At present, bride theft has started to disappear resulting from the fact that some of the women who have been forced to marry have found themselves caught in bad marriages. Some have caused harm to themselves, but some couples have also been very successful in married life. With all the changes occurring in society, combined with Hmong now becoming more educated, it is not surprising that ways of thinking and living have begun to change accordingly. Although bride theft is becoming a thing of the past, there are some cases in which necessity causes it to still be practiced. One example might be when a father sees that a particular woman has caught his son's eye and he is unable to persuade his son to make up his mind to marry. In this case the father might steal the bride away. This would only be allowed if the woman hadn't yet set her heart on some other man. As money has become a strong driving force in the life of man, however, if the woman in question does not love the man as much as the man loves her, but the elders of the woman's family approve, the woman will not have any right to resist. Her older relatives will force her to marry the man without exception. Running off together In the past it was very common for a man and woman who were in love to run off together. This would occur when the man was unable to ask the woman's family for her hand in marriage. In this case the man would get his sweetheart to pack her

belongings up and run off to his house. A few days later a representative would be sent to inform the woman's mother and father of what had happened. The woman would help the family of the man with their work and when they had enough money, the man's family would go and ask for the woman's hand in marriage and would then hold a wedding ceremony in accordance with Hmong custom.

At present, Hmong seem to favor this as the best way to get married because it is inexpensive. Having two wives is not uncommon as the decision is made between two people, without the knowledge of the elders or one's relatives. In the event the relationship fails the man is able to go out and find himself another wife. http://hmong.hilltribe.org

The history of Dara-Ang

The Dara-Ang tribe usually live in the mountains. The Burmese call them Pa-Long but they call themselves Dara-Ang which they prefer because it is their own language, not . In there are three different groups of Dara-Ang: Dara-Ang-Won, better known as Black Dara-Ang whose dress resembles the Lahu tribe, Hleng-Dara-Ang or red Dara-Ang and Lui Dara-Ang or White Dara-Ang. There are many differences between these tribes such as the pronunciation of the language and the stress on high or low tones. But although these small differences in language and costume exist, these tribes can all communicate with each other. Now the Dara-Ang live in Burma (Naam-Sung, ChaingTung and Gueng city) China and Thailand. The main group living in Thailand is the Red Dara-Ang. The colours of the clothes and the women's skirts indicate which of the three groups that the person belongs to. Now, Dara-Ang stay in the following areas: 1. Baan Pang DangNai and Pang Dang Nok, ChiangDao, ChiangMai 2. Baan Maejorn, ChiangDao, ChiangMai 3. Baan Huay-Pong, ChiangDao, ChiangMai 4. Baan Nor-Lae, Fang, ChiangMai 5. Baan HuayMaakLeam, Fang, ChiangMai 6. Baan Huay-KaeNu, Fang, ChiangMai 7. Baan huayWai, Mae-Eye, ChiangMai 8. Baan HuaySaikaw, Mae-Eye, ChiangMai 9. Baan Suntonpui, MaeSai, ChiangRai The Dara-Ang population in Thailand is around 8,000 http://daraang.hilltribe.org/english/

Marriage

Tea plays a very important role in the marriage ceremony of the Dara-Ang people. In fact the wedding cannot take place without it. Following the beliefs of the Dara-Ang people tea symbolizes engagement and communicates to the society that the couple will be married. A Dara-Ang legend tells the story of two teenagers who fell in love. The man was very poor and didn’t have enough money for marriage. The couple used “Ya-Yer” or tea leaf as a symbol of their engagement and give it as an offering to announce their intentions to their ancestors. Throughout history the Dara-Ang people have used tea as an essential

element of the wedding ceremony.

Tea is used as a symbol to teach the couple about the nature of marriage. The leaves have qualities of bitterness and sweetness, alluding to the fact that living as a couple is both bitter and sweet. This shows that the pair must endeavor to endure through life like the tea leaves and the tea. When the bride moves to come and live with the bridegroom, a new room must be prepared to welcome the new daughter-in- law. As children are born and the family expands the older brother may move away to his own house with his new family. He must ensure that his younger brothers can take care of his parents. The Dara-Ang hold strongly to this tradition of obligation to their parents because they believe in expressing the gratitude towards their parents for bringing them up.

After a woman has agreed to marriage, the man will return home for an auspicious meeting with the village fortune teller. After that, the man will arrange the date of the wedding with the bride.

The Dara-Ang people use boiled eggs to show honor to the family of the bride. An egg is given to each relative who attends during the three days of the ceremony.

In a Dara-Ang wedding, a separate ceremony is arranged for both the man and the woman. Each of them invites friends and relatives to share a meal. The man will pay all expenses involved in the ceremony. If the man cannot afford this, the woman will pay and the man must stay with her family.

When the marriage ceremony reaches its last day, the bridegroom and the bride’s guide, “Por-Nang”, go to the bridegroom’s house. When the bridegroom and friends reach the bride’s house they must perform a ceremony called “Ga-Hmam” as they believe the ceremony ensures that they will live in the house for a long time and that bad spirits cannot separate the couple. Therefore, the “Ga- Hmam” ceremony shows that they are a complete couple and is an important part of the wedding. When the ceremony is finished, the bride is taken to the bridegroom’s house along with the couple’s friends. When they arrive at the bridegroom’s house, elders from the community come to hold a ceremony. The elders give blessings to the bridegroom using tea leaves and then boil the leaves and drink the tea all together

The day after the series of ceremonies has finished, the couple go to the temple to gain merit. From that time the couple will take a novitiate as their adopted child. For example, if the novice has the Buddhist name “Naam-Sang”, the wife will call her husband that Naam-Sang’s father and the husband will call his wife Naam-Sang’s mother. This shows respect to one another. The names that the couple call each other change again when the wife gives birth. They then use the name of the child they have given birth to to replace the name of the adopted child. For example if the mother and father are originally called “Naam-Sang” and they call their first child “Nim” then the mother and the father will use “Nim” to call each other.

Generally, Dara-Ang people will marry between the age of 16 and 20 years old, as this is the period of time is when the woman is at reproductive age. A woman younger than this age is called “-Pea” in Dara-Ang language, and a man is called “Ga-Yom”. However, in Dara-Ang marriages there is often an age gap as womens marry earlier than men. The Dara-Ang tribe divides into the following age groups: Women: - birth to 3 years old - “Gong-Da” - 4-8 years old - “Gro-Roy” - 9-15 years old - “Gro-Ra” - 16-20 years old -“ Di-Pea” - 21-30 years old - Ya-Ba-Nueb” (meaning housewife). - 31-45 years old - “Ya-Ba-Nueb-Kae” - Over 46 years old - “Ya-Gud” Old women who have not married are called “Di-Pea”Brui”, meaning spinster. Men: Age groups are divided similarly to women - birth - 3 years old - “God’Nga” - 4-8 years old -“Gro’Roy” - 9-15 years old - “Gro-Ra” - 16-20 years old - “Ga-Yom” -21-30 years old - “Da-Ba-Nueb” (meaning Husband) - 31-45 years old - “Da-Ba-Nueb-Ga” - Over 46 years old - “Da-Gued” Old men who have not married are called “Ga-Yom-Brui” http://daraang.hilltribe.org

Beliefe In March as the harvest season finishes, the Dara – Ang people often give offerings in order to earn merit. They go to famous temples such as Doi Suthep or or discuss the dharma (Buddhist teachings) with famous monks. During April temples are decorated with banana leaves and local objects that can be found in the village for the Sonkran festival. The people pour water on the hands of revered elders and ask for blessing from monks and an elder in the community. In May some families send male children to be ordained as monks (this is called “Boad Look- Kaew” in ). This way the children can learn and experience more about Buddhism. In June the shrine in the center of the city and the city gate are closed. This time is around the 8th of July in the Buddhist calendar which is calculated according to the waxing and waning moon. When the shrine has been closed, there is a strict rule that the people in the community can't marry. In July, everybody prepares to go the temple to practice Buddhist teachings during Buddhist Lent. The older people go to the temple to practice Buddhist teachings, listen to sermons, observe religious precepts and pray. They practice the dharma until the end of Buddhist lent in October. At the end of October the city gate and the shrine in the center of the city are opened. This is at the waxing of the moon on around the 3rd of December by the Buddhist Calendar. A ceremony is performed at the city gate to bring good to the community. The Dara-Ang believe that if the community, family and people in the village have been peaceful they will be rewarded. But if there is disobedience, the people will be punished. For example if a woman falls pregnant during the time that the city gate is closed, the penalty is that she will be driven out of the community by gossip. This is why the Dara-Ang people usually keep strictly to these beliefs during the three and a half months when the city gate is closed

In November and December communities with Buddha relics or pagodas perform a Poy ceremony, praying and then resting as they are exhausted after the harvest season http://daraang.hilltribe.org

Emigration to Thailand

The first group of Dara-Ang who came to live in Thailand settled at Baan Nor-Lae, Thambon MonPin, Fang District, Chiang Mai around 1984. The group consisted of around 2,000 people. They immigrated from Baan Doilai, MuangNai, and ChiangTung in Burma because of the war between Wa, Shan and Burma, when Wa and Shan soldiers were in the Dara-Ang area. Wa and Shan soldiers forced the villagers to give them food and other goods which made the Burmese soldiers distrust the Dara-Ang and consider them as loyal to the enemy. They then rejected the Dara-Ang people and forced them to leave. The Dara-Ang were flogged and forced to work for the army carrying weapons. This caused the Dar-Ang to flee to the border between Thailand and Burma, close to Baan Norlae which is now a village called HuayNamrin. They lived in this village for one year before fleeing across the border into Thailand at Baan Norlae. In 1985, the Dara-Ang tribe separated and built villages in other place such as Baan Maejorn, ChiangDao district, ChiangMai, Baan HuayHmaak Leam, Fang district, ChiangMai, Baan HuayWai, Baan HuaySaikaw, Mae-Eye district, Chiang Mai

Wa and Shan soldiers forced the villagers to give them food and other goods which made the Burmese soldiers distrust the Dara-Ang and consider them as loyal to the enemy. They then rejected the Dara-Ang people and forced them to leave. The Dara-Ang were flogged and forced to work for the army carrying weapons. This caused the Dar-Ang to flee to the border between Thailand and Burma, close to Baan Norlae which is now a village called HuayNamrin. They lived in this village for one year before fleeing across the border into Thailand at Baan Norlae. In 1985, the Dara-Ang tribe separated and built villages in other place such as Baan Maejorn, ChiangDao district, ChiangMai, Baan HuayHmaak Leam, Fang district, ChiangMai, Baan HuayWai, Baan HuaySaikaw, Mae-Eye district, Chiang Mai When the villagers came to Thailand they did not have occupations because they had only just arrived. They moved to find work, then settled in these places and formed villages. Now the Dara-Ang people have identity cards like the majority of . However there are still people without citizenship. This often happens because population surveys were done while people are working outside their communities. This causes many problems for them http://daraang.hilltribe.org

Courtship

Following the custom of the Dara-Ang tribe, a potential suitor who wants to approach a young woman must wait until the work is finished. When he has entered into the woman’s house he cannot go out again until the pair have finished courting. This shows respect to the woman’s parents as he is not disturbing them by entering many separate times. The man plays a musical instrument to signal to the woman that he is coming. When inside a woman’s house, the woman and the man sit opposite each other and use eloquent and proverbial language to communicate. The rules of courting according to Dara-Ang customs are as follows: 1) When the man enters the woman’s house he must stay in the house for an extended time. 2) The man and woman cannot touch each other. 3) The couple cannot court outside the house. If a young man disobeys these rules, for example by touching a young woman, the parents of the young woman will call an elder from the community to decide on the consequences. They agree on the amount of damage and an appropriate fine which is usually paid in money. However it sometimes occurs that Dara-Ang teenagers run away to be together because they cannot endure the strict customs of their community.

Dresses

The traditional dress of the Dara-Ang tribe is remarkable, just like other tribes who live in the mountains as it emphasizes color and design. The dress of this group emphasizes three colors which correspond to the three sub-groups. These are red or “Hreng” in Dara-Ang language, white or “Lui” and black or “Wong”

Usually men's clothing is fairly simple. They wear a long sleeved shirt and pants and show decorations on their head. The colors of the shirts are varied. Men's dress becomes more elaborate as they get oder, beginning at “Gro-Ra” when they are between 9 and 15 years old. If a man remains unmarried he must show this by keeping his hair long and tying it on the side. When a man marries he cuts his hair and leaves it untied. However it is now scarce for men to wear the costume of the Dara-Ang tribe. In some communities traditional dress has almost disappeared. This may be because the men depend on the women to make their clothes, and it is difficult to get the materials and a lot of work to produce the garments. Therefore traditional dress may disappear in the future.

Government

The Dara-Ang people hold firm to the principle that respect must be shown to elders. Those seen as inferior must obey, follow and show respect to their elders. In Dara-Ang culture, young people are taught to show respect to their elders and follow traditional ceremonies and way of life. The Dara-Ang mix Buddhist teachings with their own traditions. These philosophies are used to create the rules that the community must live by.

According to the power structure of Dara-Ang communities, changes must pass a group of community representatives or elders whose position is accepted in the society. This is called “Kun” in Dara-Ang language, meaning committee. These people have an influential position in administration and manage the community. The committee is made up of: 1) Ja-Kung, the community leader. 2) Ja-Rae, the secretary 3) Da-Ra, managing public relations

When a situation arises and it is necessary to reach an agreement, the committee sets the regulations for the community. “Rae” acts as the announcer for the committee and they meet at “Ja-Kung”, the community leader's house. There they brainstorm and exchange information. The Dara-Ang tribe aims for a balance of power in the community. Although “Ja-King”, the community leader, holds power, the committee and community elders share this power and can oppose decisions. This means that many points of view are heard.

There are other skilled and important members of the community apart from the committee. These include the village blacksmith or “Dara-Rae” and fortune-tellers or “Sa-Ra”. These people look after the community and treat sickness. They are as follows: 1) “Sa-Ra-Snueb” - The person who has knowledge about herbs and treats muscle ailments. 2) A man who uses prayer and white magic to heal. 3) Ya-Bu-Mi - the midwife who delivers babies. 4) Da-Boo – The person with the knowledge to arrange ceremonies at the city shrine. 5) Da-Ya – The person who cares for the temple.

http://daraang.hilltribe.org

Kachin Tribe

The Kachin or they call themselves is “Kim-Phor” migrate to Thailand from the in Burma, some groups migrated from Yunnan the People's Republic of China together with the Lisu and Lahu. They live together with that tribe that immigrated from the same time around 50 - 60 year ago. They immigrated only they group in 1974 at DoiLand, Mae-eye District, ChiangMai province and move to live in DoiVawee, Maesuay district, ChiangRai province, then migrate come to live at Pangmayao, Maimokjam, Mae-eye district, ChiangMai province before move come to stay at Baan NongKeaw when 25 ago. Kachin is closeness with Shan, Lisu, Lahu and Akha people because of are the same species language as Tibet – Burma

Information from: Baan Mai patthana “Kachin” Moo 12 Thambon Muangna, Chiangdao district, Chiangmai Inmormant: 1. Boonchoo TuaMo 2. Kaew (Ka-Kom) 3. Pan- Pan (The villager leader) and 4. Mrs. Anun Chimrang.

http://kachin.hilltribe.org

Kachin song

The history of Kachin tribe.

From the hearsay of the old man name “Boon-Choo” in Baan Nong-Keaw, ChiangDao, ChiangMai province. Around 200 more year, the Kachin tribe live in China . Then, the soldier of Mao Tse-tung have to revolution the Chiang Kai-Shek government cause the battle between the soldier of both side and the Kachin tribe spread in the group of Chiang-Kai-Shek soldier.

When the soldier of Chiang- Kai- Shek lose then, they flee to Thailand in the river, Chiang-Khong district Chiangrai province. The soldier of Chiag- Kai-Shek group that flees to Thailand has Kachin tribe too.

When they come to stay in Thailand , the separate, scattered stay with Haw Chinese, Lahu and when the time passes, the Kachin people have to combination and come together to live in the public house at Baan Nong-Keaw project, Moo 14 Thambon MuangNa, ChiangDao district, Chiangmai province. Baan Maiphattana establishes 25 years ago but they come to stay in Thailand around 200 years. These villages have 60 household, 700-800 persons.

Information from: Baan Mai patthana “Kachin” Moo 12 Thambon Muangna, Chiangdao district, Chiangmai

Inmormant: 1. Boonchoo TuaMo 2. Kaew (Ka-Kom) 3. Pan- Pan (The villager leader) and 4. Mrs. Anun Chimrang. http://kachin.hilltribe.org The believe after death

The Kachin people there have believe after death that if die already will have sending soul of the dead person by “Tuem-Sa” go to reach nine crosses then “Tuem-Sa” direct the way go to. They believe in that if die already must go to stay in a city where that god prepare by have three city as a city for a person who dies usual, the second is a city for person who not good dead, die a violent death, die unusual etc. and the last one city is fire city or the hell, it is a city for the person who do evil when alive.

They will have an agent of a god for choose and examine each person that how much that they have the goodness comes to, if do evil will send to the hell, no go to born, will burn out at the hell.

Information from: Baan Mai patthana “Kachin” Moo 12 Thambon Muangna, Chiangdao district, Chiangmai

Inmormant: 1. Boonchoo TuaMo 2. Kaew (Ka-Kom) 3. Pan- Pan (The villager leader) and 4. Mrs. Anun Chimrang. http://kachin.hilltribe.org

The belief about the occurrence.

When in the village has the new born, the midwife in a village comes to help in delivering a baby when deliver then must cut the umbilical cord immediately and a midwife will give the naming immediately because they believe in that must hasten name before a ghost because the ghost give naming a child before a person that will make a child have a short-live.

After naming finished they will have wrist tying gives a child, pound the “Ja-Tong-Tuay” by have the ginger, egg fish as pound and blessing to a child together. When finished give to the person who tastes and give blessing to a child too.

Information from: Baan Mai patthana “Kachin” Moo 12 Thambon Muangna, Chiangdao district, Chiangmai

Inmormant: 1. Boonchoo TuaMo 2. Kaew (Ka-Kom) 3. Pan- Pan (The villager leader) and 4. Mrs. Anun Chimrang. http://kachin.hilltribe.org

Belief about the water

When they still respect in the original, there performing a ceremony is offer to a spirit as water ghost for their have the water to uses all year, then have performing a ceremony “Sung-Hwa-Ka” that have the equipment to use in performing a ceremony is pig or sometimes also a chicken, but can not use black chicken must is red chicken and a male only the reason that be red because a god of kachin tell that. The god is a god who is the Kachin respect, as a topmost god of Kachin. The person who perform a ceremony is “Tum-Sa” and “Tum-Jong”, the villagers come to participates in performing a ceremony. They have the story about the water that “formerly, the god of Kachin order that do not cut the wood in 50 meter distances around a river area by have the order a dragon to takes care a river if have the person who go to cut the wood near a river will get into trouble about the natural disaster such as flood, the storm, born the disaster with the community or lack of the water, have no the water uses, that mean disparage or do not give honor to the river”

Information from: Baan Mai patthana “Kachin” Moo 12 Thambon Muangna, Chiangdao district, Chiangmai Inmormant: 1. Boonchoo TuaMo 2. Kaew (Ka-Kom) 3. Pan- Pan (The villager leader) and 4. Mrs. Anun Chimrang.

The believe after death

The Kachin people there have believe after death that if die already will have sending soul of the dead person by “Tuem-Sa” go to reach nine crosses then “Tuem-Sa” direct the way go to. They believe in that if die already must go to stay in a city where that god prepare by have three city as a city for a person who dies usual, the second is a city for person who not good dead, die a violent death, die unusual etc. and the last one city is fire city or the hell, it is a city for the person who do evil when alive. They will have an agent of a god for choose and examine each person that how much that they have the goodness comes to, if do evil will send to the hell, no go to born, will burn out at the hell.

Information from: Baan Mai patthana “Kachin” Moo 12 Thambon Muangna, Chiangdao district, Chiangmai

Inmormant: 1. Boonchoo TuaMo 2. Kaew (Ka-Kom) 3. Pan- Pan (The villager leader) and 4. Mrs. Anun Chimrang.

Karen Hilltribe

The Karen, who call themselves Pwakin-nyaw and who are known as Kariang to ethnic Thais, are one of the largest hilltribes in with a total population of about three million spread throughout Burma, and Thailand. There are an estimated 320,000 Karen in Thailand alone, which makes up half of the total hilltribe population in Thai territory. Traditionally the Karen live at lower elevations than the other hilltribes and although they still practice slash and burn, unlike many hilltribes they live in permanent villages and have been aggressive in developing environmentally sustainable terraced rice fields. These factors have allowed the Karen to become much more integrated members of Thai society. The Karens living at lower elevations almost universally have Thai citizenship which has allowed them to buy land and to have access to free secondary education, luxuries other hilltribes do not yet have. Much of the Karen population in Thailand and Burma is Christian and has been for multiple generations. Christian Karens are very strong in their beliefs. Among hilltribes in Thailand, the Karen have a distinct advantage. The size of the Karen population and their unification in their religion allow them to adapt while still retaining their cultural identity. http://akha.hilltribe.org

Farming

The Karen agriculture is a cycle, they take a time around 7-10 years for the dwelling system to recover the land. In that farm have many plants like 2-3 rice’s breeds, 2-3 beans breeds, cucumber, Pumpkin, the wax gourd and many spices. The believe that agriculture is standing on the bamboo lumber, means the product not certainly, depend on the soil quality and the weather in each year.

1.The process and the cycle of Agriculture • Choose the place for agriculture Around February, Karen people will choose the place for their farm, meaning the product and the cycle of the news years start again. When they have the place for a farm, they will mark a cross on the tree to let all the people around know. The process for choose the area to have agriculture. • Without the forbidden forest in the tradition. • Without restrain of choose the place for a farm in tradition. • Do not have an omen. When they choose the place for a farm already, around one week later, the head family prays before they have to mow a grasses “The spirit please go out, a god please go out, the problem please go out from this place because I would like to mow the grasses and grow up the vegetables in this place, I fear that all of you do not have the place to live. If the plan it died, it can reborn, the bamboo died, it can reborn because this place is the ancestor used to live” after they praying, the villager will mow some grasses before go back home. This is the ceremonial for a .

2.To do a paddy farming When they have to scatter seeds, the people in the village come to help each other. The way to scatter seed is a man makes a hole and women put the seed inside the hole, all day they can not change their work. When they finish scattering seed and having some seed to be left, the woman who is the first one put some seeds in to the last hole, then all the people go to their several ways.

The ceremonial to be relate of the paddy farm.

1. Eat rice The seeds that remain from the scatter in the field, the owner will boil rice to be an alcohol. They asked the first couple who dig a hole and put a seed in the hole come to join and invite the elderly come to offering the alcohol to the spiritual and prays for their plant to thrive. They call this ceremonial is “Eat sprout seed”

2. Offering food for the spiritual Around 2 months, when rice grows up, the villager will have a ceremonial to take offering the foods and have many insignificant detail i.e. offering food and blessing, offering food to ward off molest, offering fire god etc. All of this offering usually used the same foods but different in the praying.

3. Offering food, ask blessing The objective of this ceremonial is to ask blessing from the god to come to help the rice grow up and have a good product. The food to offering the god is a chicken, 2 alcohol bottles, the areca nut, the cigarettes, chilly, salt and the lime neutralized by turmeric.

4. Offering food to ward off molest The word that the villager use to pray is “I use to work here and have some wild animal come a cross to you like a tiger, snake, a barking deer, a centipede and you suffering the trouble. Today I give offering the food to ward off molest to you and you will have a peaceful”

5. Offering food to the fire’s god The praying is “fire, I use you to burn the grasses, break a stump, break a bamboo. Today I will offering you to have a quiet and cool, don’t hot until burn all my paddy and all the vegetables that I plants in the field”

6. Offering food to the rice’s god The praying is “the mysterious principle, come back, 10 breeds rice, the breeds from the north, from the south please come back, come to live in the paddy field and to be rich in this place”

7. The ceremonial to let a bad thing out from the field The praying is “A paddy field, today I will give the food to you for chase a bad thing get out, ward off rat, ward off bird and ward off termite. If it has something come to eat you, a wilt go with them, you still alive also”

Nowadays The paddy field to be lost from the way of Karen living because the society change, the modern thing come to village, have a new trade instead of this old way of Karen living. http://akha.hilltribe.org

Clothing and Dresses

Young women Young men in red Members of Huay Elderly Sgaw wearing white shirts--the symbol of Kohm, a Sgaw Karen women costumes being a bachelor Karen village

The Karen residing in Thailand can be divided into two large groups: The Sgaw and the Po. In addition, there are also two smaller and lesser known groups: the Kaya (also known as the Baway), and the Dtawng Soo (also known as the Pa O). Although the customs and traditions of these four groups are quite similar to one another, their style of dress is definitely unique and distinct. Thus, the manner of dress is one tool for distinguishing between the groups and for observing the individual beauty which each group expresses.

These days, it is only the Po and Sgaw Karen groups which still wear their traditional outfits in daily life. The Kaya and Dtawng Soo have changed in their traditional outfits for more modern wear. The manner of dress not only differs between different groups of Karen, but also even within the same group when spread out over different regions. For example, the traditional dress of the Po Karen from Amphur Mae Sariang in is more colorful than that found in Chiang Mai. Sgaw women in Mae Hong Son and Amphur Mae Chaem () decorate their shirts with elegant patterns, which are much more detailed than those found in Tak. The patterns of the Po Karen located in Kanchanaburi province are quite different from those found in the North. Karen from the province of Chiang Rai have begun coming up with their own new patterns, adapting to the styles they see around them. They are totally different from anything found elsewhere in Karen tradition. The Karen in Chiang Rai have begun selling their cloth and have come up with little tricks to catch the eye of the buyer, taking advantage of new innovations in technology and drawing inspiration from the fashions of the times. They have created table cloths, for example, with all kinds of fresh new patterns based on those found in traditional Thai art and dress. One tradition in dress that will likely remain preserved amongst the Po and Sgaw Karen of Thailand is the distinction made between single and married women. A female who has not yet married must dress in a long white outfit which stretches down from the shoulders to the ankles. In Karen it is called the "Chay Kwa," Once a woman has married she must begin wearing a black shirt known as "Chay Mo Soo," accompanied by a single tube-shaped skirt. Once married, a woman is prohibited from wearing the long white Chay Kwa again. As for the Karen men, both Po and Sgaw living in the north of Thailand tend to wear black, or steel blue-colored pants. The Karen men in Tak province and Amphur Lee (Lamphun province), however, prefer to wear sarongs. Young men from all Karen groups wear red. They differ only in the size, shape and intricacy of the patterns on them. When dressing for special occasions such as New Year's, or a wedding, Karen will try to wear new clothes. If attending one of these special events it will be hard not to notice the obvious attempts made by both young men and women to prim and groom themselves into beautiful perfection, all done in the hopes of catching the eye of the other sex. http://akha.hilltribe.org

Study Karen language

Mark: This language in this page is Sakor Karen language that different from Pow Karen

Number Hand Writing Pronounce The meaning 1. O mue cho per. Hello 2. Ner O Choo Ar. How are you? 3. Na ner mee dee lor. What your name? 4. Ya jer mee ler/ Chi I’m Lek. 5. Ner oh pa lor Where do you live? 6. Ya jer oh ler/ Chiangrai. I’m live in chiangrai. 7. Na ner nee Paw lor. How old are you? 8. Sa kue ler ne si ya ba na. Nice to meet you. Kee ler na ner gor ba tar cho 9. Have a good luck. nge. 10. Tar bluer. Thank you. 11. Yer aer na. I love you. 12. Wee sa joo. I’m so sorry. 13. Dee lor e. How much is it? 14. Ma jer ya jeh. Help me please. 15. Tar nee ya e. Today. 16. Ngor kor. In the morning. 17. Mue too. In the afternoon. 18. Mue ha lor. In the everning. 19. Ner ja lae. Again please. 20. Or meh. Come to eat. 21. Or tee. Drinking water. 22. Pa lae tor lor. Where is it? 23. Yer sa ger yue ba na. I miss you. 24. Oh choo. I’m fine. 25. Chi lor. When? 26. La pa lor ge. Where are you been? 27. Ba lor. Why? 28. Ter ba ner mee bah. That all right. 29. Meu ha nee. Yesturday. Ter kee ser lui yae kue nuei 30. One/Ten/ memorize. koh kwee tersee.

New year

New Year's eve ceremony (Nee Saw Ko) "Nee Saw Ko," is Karen for "New Year's eve." This tradition is put on each year during the month of January, following the end of season harvest. New Year's is a very important event for the Karen, as it is the time of year when friends and relatives who have moved away, either for work or because of marriage, will all return home to celebrate. Essential items which should be prepared before the big day include: • All different kinds of desserts, such as sweet boiled sticky rice, sweet sticky rice in bamboo, rice mixed with sweets and fats, etc. These desserts will be used in a ceremony to pay homage and respect to the spirits. • Alcohol for use in the ceremonies and for drinking together afterwards. On the night of New Year's eve, the religious leader--which the Karen refer to as the "Hee Ko"- -will call the villagers to commune together. Each house is expected to send one representative to the event. The representative should be the head of the household and must be a man. Each head of household will be expected to bring a bottle of alcohol to the gathering at the religious leader's house (Hee Ko). Once everyone has arrived with the alcohol the religious leader will begin the ceremony. The ceremony is called, "consuming the first alcohol" (Aw see ko), and begins with gathering all of the bottles together before the Hee Ko. The Hee Ko will utter a petitionary prayer and then drizzle the alcohol into a glass, after which everyone will be invited to drink in procession. The bottles will be opened in accordance to the order in which they arrived. The Hee Ko will be the first one to take a sip and then the glass will be passed around, with each person taking a sip, until it has made its way around to everyone and returned to the Hee Ko. The Hee Ko will pour out any remaining alcohol in the glass while reciting a prayer of petition and asking for blessing for the host, the owner of the bottle of alcohol and his family. The process will be repeated with each successive bottle until everyone in attendance has been blessed. Sometimes, if the village is particularly large, the ceremony may go on into the morning.

New Year's morning Karen will wake up bright and early to begin making preparations for all the ceremonies to be held the next day. Chickens and pigs will be killed for use as sacrificial offerings. They will be set on a knee-high table along with a bottle of alcohol. Next, a ceremony will be performed to call to the spirits of one's children and grandchildren. The elders in the family will lead the ceremony and all members of the family will be expected to be present. The elders will begin by knocking on the table with a piece of wood as it is believed this will call the spirits back to their bodies. Next, the eleders will tie pieces of string around the wrists of their children and grandchildren while reciting a petitioningary prayer to the spirits, asking to be blessed. The petition will ask that every member of the family be able to live happily and comfortably, be free from all misfortunes, dangers, and vices, and continue in good health. After all the children have had their wrists tied, the family will dine together. After all have eaten the family will mobilize and go off in search of a party. They will go from house to house gathering people until the whole village has come together to enjoy a feast, united together. Alcohol will be poured and a prayer will be recited, asking the spirits to bless the village with the spirit of community and brotherhood. After this, everyone will drink together in merriment. Happiness and goodness will be wished on everyone in every home in the village. Of all the ceremonies held by the Karen during the New Year's festivities, the most important has to be that held on the first day of the new year. It's up to each village to decide when they will celebrate New Year's eve (Nee Saw Ko) and for how many days, but once the first day of the new year has been observed everyone will be expected to return back to work to greet the new year.

All of the above refers to Buddhist Karen (Aw Kae), but there are also a great many Karen who are Christian. The New Year's observances of this latter group are very similar, only they will be adapted to suit their Christian beliefs. The festival will start with everyone going to church and praying. Afterwards, everyone will eat together. Bellies full and spirits high, people will bring out their rice and other items collected during the harvest in order for an assessment to be made of their monetary value. Once this item of business is out of the way, local sports competion will be held. As evening comes and sky grows dark, drama and acting will serve as entertainment for the village. No alcohol will be consumed and no one will go home drunk on this day. After the drama show is over, people will all return to their houses. During this time, villagers will each pray every night for seven straight nights. Only after these seven days have passed will it be considered a new year. http://akha.hilltribe.org

Eater day

Easter day is important for the Karen people who are . It is the day God is reborn, usually falling on the 21st of March every year. The Karen people believe that Jesus allowed the Roman soldiers from Israel to nail him to the crucifix as purgation for the humans in the world. After he died, people moved his body to a tunnel. Jesus was reborn on Sunday, 3 days after he died.

At that time, two girls, Mary and Salome from Mugdala, were with Jesus’ body in the tunnel. Both of them are disciples of Jesus. Both of them woke up early in the morning and rubbed therapy oil into his body, to prevent his body from decomposing. So on Easter day, the Karen wake up early in the morning and go to the graveyard. They prepare flowers as reverence for their ancestors’ dead bodies. When everyone is ready the religious leader leads the religious ceremony.

Find the Egg activity Usually children like this activity and all the people try to find the egg hidden in the graveyard. This activity is enjoyable and has a moral also. The story behind this activity starts with a person who had a thousand sheep. One day he lost one sheep that was unruly but he really loved it. He went to find his sheep and was very happy to find it. Finding the egg is like finding the sheep. This is the history of the Karen Christian people and it is passed down from one generation to the other generation. It is also in the bible for the new generations to study and practice. The Karen practice finding the eggs since around a hundred years ago and they hope the tradition will pass down from generation to generation till the end of the human chain. http://akha.hilltribe.org

Taboo

Taboo Because they believe…

Women do not eat rice from the pot Child-birth will be difficult.

Women do not cross over the Child-birth will be difficult. chopping block.

Do not cross over brooms. Child-birth will be difficult.

Do not leave pestles in mortars. Child-birth will be difficult.

Do not mix men and women’s This will dishonour the man who is the head of laundry the household.

Do not prate when they enter the They will not have luck catching animals that forest. day.

Do not hit children with brooms. The child will become weak and unwise.

Children do not eat chicken heads. The child will argue with his parents.

Children do not eat chicken gizzard The child will grow stubborn.

Children do not eat chicken heart. the child will grow lazy. Children do not eat chicken The child will have shiver. bottom.

Children do not eat chicken legs. The child will wander off.

http://akha.hilltribe.org

Lahu Hilltribe

The Lahu are a strong independent and very diverse who number about 60,000 in Thailand. The Lahu are located primarly in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces, but can also be found in considerable numbers as far south as Tak province. Their settlements are usually remote from roads and towns, due to their strong commitment to the maintenance of the Lahu way of life. The Lahu are complex and diverse ethnicity. In Thailand there are no fewer than six different Lahu tribes, some of whose languages are not mutually intelligible. The majority of Lahus in Thailand are Red Lahu, pantheistic animists who follow a Dtobo, a messianic leader. There are also a significant number of Black, Yellow and Shehleh Lahus in Thailand, many of whom have been Christian for nearly one hundred years. Black Lahu are the most populous throughout Southeast Asia and theirs is considered to be the standard Lahu dialect. Although primarily subsistence farmers, growing rice and corn for their own consumption, the Lahu are also proud of their hunter-warrior heritage. They remain a strict, serious people governed by strong principles of right and wrong, every individual in the village answering to the common will of the elders. While less importance is placed on the extended family than in other hill tribe communities, the Lahu are still strongly committed to principles of unity and working together for survival. Lahus may have the most gender-equitable society in the world.

http://lahu.hilltribe.org/english/

Introduce : Ja Lae village

“Ja Lae” is the village of Lahu Laba tribe, who migrated from Tibet to Thailand in 1970. They stayed in Doi Thung for only two years before they moved on to Doi Bor which is in Ampher Maung, Chang Rai province. It was people of 13 families that migrated under the leadership of Mr. Ja Lae. Because of Mr. Ja Lae's leadership at this time, he got the village named after him. There was another Ja Lae village with 62 families which was located in Huay Waterfall area moo.11, Mae Yaw, Muang district, Chiang Rai. But in 1999 Forestry Department issued a policy. This policy stated that all the people in Huay Mae Sai Waterfall have to move out of the area into the area belonging to Industrial Forest Organization. When moved to this area, the group of 62 families joined up with those who migrated from Tibet in 1970.

In Ja Lae village, they have impermanent farming and stair shape paddy farming which are used for making rice. Impermanent farming is changing the area for cultivation every year. The surrounding of the village is suitable for trekking. This again attracts many tourists who either do a 1 day or 2 days trekking tour. On the 2 day tour, they sleep over in the village. From 1986 to 1997, there were many tourists trekking there.

Lahu Ja Lae life is like the origin life of Lahu Laba. They have kept their original belief, culture and festival which they are protecting with high concern. All this knowledge is carefully passed on to the next generation.

The causes of migration from Huay Mae Sai waterfall • The government assigned the village to be in tourism zone. • The village also felt that the old village was far away from civilization. • The children should have an opportunity to get education like others. • In conclusion, there are advantage and disadventage of

migration.

Advantages are: • Children will have the opportunity of education. • Transportation is more convenient. Disadvantage: • Not enough land to earn their living.

The management in tourism is one way out instead of being under control by outside trend which causing changing. The teenagers may forget their own culture and be crazy in modern life. In contrast, they choose to be the controllers who determine the way of life in the community by their own in order to remain the pride and selfhood. As mention earlier, they pass on their knowledge,

culture and tradition to the young, so they will bring precious culture on the next generation. At the same time, the teengers is participating in creation their own direction, such as makimg themselves an opportunity in business. http://lahu.hilltribe.org/english/

Introduce : Costume

Costume The male Lahu Saelae wears black and dark blue long-sleeved shirt with silver small beads at the back. The pants have stockings with pattern similar to the pants. Female wears the black long shirt which reaches the knees and has the fine embroideries and silver studs at the back and the end of the sleeves. The costume is very important for Lahu’s life because it shows the identity of the tribe. When they have worship or festival, they must wear the costume of Lahu Saelae. If someone does not wear it, he or she will be punished. He or she will not be regarded as a relative because Lahu assume the wrong doer does not respect god and ancestor. However, the younger generation is not as strict as the past. Some of them no longer wear the full costume due to the influence of fashion from the city when they study or work there. The students and workers receive the culture from the outsiders whom they come into contact with. http://lahu.hilltribe.org/english/

Introduce : Herb

Herb

Herb is a local ancient of which is used to treat many an affection and does not have any effect on the body. They continue from generation to generation because in the past, the Lahu people lived in the forest. When the people in the village contract any disease, the Lahu people will use the herbs in the forest to treat them. From the survey done in the area where the Lahu people live, there are many types of herbs and each has properties to treat the affection differently. Presently, it is easier to contact the outsider thus the Lahu people prefer to go to the hospital or buy medicines from the shop instead of using the herb. This situation has caused fewer people to have knowledge about the herbs, and the few people who know about this do not pass to the younger generation. http://lahu.hilltribe.org/english/

Introduce : The musical instruments

The musical instruments

The musical instruments Music is important for the Lahu Saelae living and when they will have a ceremonial or worship. The musical instruments are played during the Lahu’s worship. Lahu believe that music voice can connect with the Lahu’s god. If they do not have the musical instruments, they can not set the worship. Moreover, the musical instruments can create more fun and also attract people who would like joy with dancing. Now, Lahu Saelae plays the following instruments for Jakue dance:

1. A big reed organ or NorGoMa to play with the worship or the ceremonial. 2. A medium reed organ or NorSue is the favorite for middle age and when in the village has Jakue dancing. 3. A small reed organ or NorGaeLa is the instruments used to make a jolly rhythm, the youngsters like to dance with this instrument. 4. Stringed instrument or Tue is the voice attractiveness instrument. 5. A flute or Sae is the instruments for the old age. 6. Jingnong or Arta is the instrument that uses the tongue, and is the individual capable skill. http://lahu.hilltribe.org/english/

Introduce : JaKue Dancing

JaKue Dancing

JaKue Dancing

The tradition of Jakue dancing was originated together with the Lahu worships because the hill tribes believe in dancing to propitiate the god. Beside that Jakue dancing is also a chance for the people to have a union unity because when the Lahu people blow the musical instruments, they help one another for switched to play the music. The people, who would like to enter the Jakue court, usually must wear full costume of Lahu dress not only that, this court is the place for the younger people to look for a match. Now Lahu realize the importance of Jakue dance less as compared to the past because the decreasing of musical instrument creates less enjoyment. Nowadays Lahu are attracted to dramas after news like while they are dancing and when the end of news, they return home to see the dramas. http://lahu.hilltribe.org/english/

Introduce : A religion and worship

A religion and worship A religion and worship is important for the hill tribe people, Lahu Saelae. From the past, the Lahu’s god said that even though we did not have our own country, we need to have a religion because the religion unite all of Lahu Saelae to have a vigorous, united and that is the united for the people to have moral principles and to take respect on the system. Each village must have the religion rule to take control all of the people in the village. The Lahu people

believe in taking respect to an ancestor spirit. It is a must for the Lahu Saelae tribe to have the religion ceremony due to this belief and spirit respect. The ceremony in the year of Lahu Saelae people, every family has cooperate like New Years ( GinWor in ), a new rice, sent the village’s luck, to propitiate the water and the forest. In each family will also have a ceremonial. The Lahu people believe that the bad wicked can not come through. That is why the Lahu Saelae takes respect to the religion and practice from generation to

generation. http://lahu.hilltribe.org/english/

Lisu Hilltribe

The Lisu have a legend quite similar to that of many other tribes in Southeast Asia. Long ago there was a giant flood. There were only two survivors: one man and one woman. These two were brothe r and sister. They survived by living off the meat inside a giant bottle gourd. Once the water had receded, the pair set out in search of other survivors, but to their dismay, they found no one. They became convinced they must be the last remaining man and woman in the world. They realized that if they did not reproduce then mankind would disappear off the face of the planet forever. Still, they couldn't get over the fact they were brother and sister. Finally, they decided to to consult the spirits. Seeing a grinding stone and a mortar on top of a hill, the pair determined to separate the two parts and roll them down opposite sides of the hill. When the grinding stone reached the base of the hill it refused to stop rolling. Instead, it persisted in rolling all the way around to the other side of the hill and reuniting with the mortar, ending up in exactly the same position it had been when on top of the hill. It did not matter what objects the pair used to test their fate, the results were identical each time. The older brother and younger sister agreed that God must have given his blessing to the union. Soon they had produced a son and a daughter which marked the new birth of the tribe.

http://lisu.hilltribe.org/english/

HIstory of Lisu hilltribe

The Lisu have a legend quite similar to that of many other tribes in Southeast Asia, of how long ago there was a giant flood. There were only two survivors: one man and one woman. These two were brother and sister. They survived by living off the meat inside a giant bottle gourd. Once the water had receded, the pair set out in search of other survivors, but to their dismay, they found no one. They became convinced they must be the last remaining man and woman in the world. They realized that if they did not reproduce then mankind would disappear off the face of the planet forever. Still, they couldn't get over the fact they were brother and sister. Finally, they decided to to consult the spirits. Seeing a grinding stone and a mortar on top of a hill, the pair determined to separate the two parts and roll them down opposite sides of the hill. When the grinding stone reached the base of the hill it refused to stop rolling. Instead, it persisted in rolling all the way 'round to the other side of the hill and reuniting with the mortar, ending up in exactly the same position it had been sitting in on top of the hill. It didn't matter what objects the pair used to test their fate, the results were identical each time. The older brother and younger sister agreed that God must have given his blessing to the union. Soon they had produced a son and a daughter which marked the new birth of the tribe.

What "Lisu" means Lisu earned their name as the tribe that is alive with color. In fact, the Lisu are considered to use the greatest variety of colors of all the hill tribes. Their confident decision-making and independence is reflected in the way the Lisu use powerful combinations of colors, one on top of the other, to decorate their costumes. Often referred to as "Lisor," they refer to themselves as "Lisu." The word "Li" comes from the word "eelee," which means custom, tradition, or culture; "su" means "person." The combined meaning is: a group of people who share a deep pride in their customs, traditions, and culture. The Lisu are a people who love order and independence. The established social order is flexible, allowing room for change and diversity. Different cultures and customs are not dismissed out of hand, but new things must pass through a democratic decision-making process before being accepted. Processes like these make Lisu good managers, in general, and have allowed the Lisu have been quite successful at adapting to change.

Background The Lisu are a people with a hunger for understanding about life. Their language falls into the Yee (Lo-Lo) language group--part of the larger Tibet-Burma family of languages. About 30% of the language comes from the Chinese Ho dialect. Originally, the Lisu were from the area near head of the Salawan waters and the Mekong river, located in northern Tibet and the northwest portion of Yunnan province in the People's Republic of China. The Lisu immigrated into Thailand around the year 1921 (Christian Calendar). This first group of migrants was made up of only 4 families. They settled in a village now known as Huay San in the capital of . Later, in that same year, 15 more families made the journey. As the Lisu have no written language of their own, a group of missionaries interacting with this first group, helped to create one using English characters to represent the Lisu sounds. Some Lisu are now Christian. About 5-6 years after the initial move into Thailand, the group separated, with one group remaining behind and the other moving to Doi Chang in the township of Mae Saruay in Chiang Rai province. The Lisu divided into two sub-groups: the striped Lisu and the black Lisu. Almost all Lisu residing in Thailand are of the striped Lisu sub-group. As for the black Lisu, they are spread out across China, Burma, , and Thailand. The Lisu in Thailand are scattered across nine different provinces: Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Phayao, Tak, Kampaengphet, Phetchaboon, Sukhothai, and Lampang. Originally, the Lisu divided themselves into six different family dynasties: honey (bia-seu-wee), wood (seu-pa), fish (gua-pa), bear, rice bug, wheat, and hemp. The honey dynasty is the largest of these family lines, but is itself divided into three smaller sub-dynasties. There are nine family lines branching off from inter-tribal marriages with the Chinese Ho: Lee, Yang, Yao, Woo, Kao, Ho, Joo, and Jang. The two largest of these lines are the Lee and Yang line. Religiously, the Lisu worship their ancestors and the great Spirit. They have two religious heads: the cultural leader (meu-meu-pa) and the ceremonial leader (nee-pa). Population In mid-1983 there were approximately 18,000 Lisu spread out over 110 villages in Thailand. In 1958 a survey concluded there were only about 7,500 Lisu, meaning their numbers multiplied at a rate of 3.6% per year over the course of 25 years. Most of the expansion accounts for new immigrants to the country, rather than births. For perspective, in 1983 there were 250,000 Lisu in Burma and about 500,000 in China. Hundreds of families crossed the border and settled in the northeast. Interestingly, there are no Lisu in Laos or . The Lisu in Thailand are divided up across the different provinces as follows: 47% in Chiang Mai, 23% in Chiang Rai, 19% in Mae Hong Son, with the other 11% scattered across Phayao, Tak, Kampaengphet, Phetchaboon, and Sukhothai. The Lisu now living in Thailand are quite different from their relatives in northern Burma. This may be due to the fact that the Lisu began in China and divided up and separated out over many different generations. This is not to mention all the inter- marriage that occurred between the Lisu and the Chinese Ho, to the point that these Lisu began referring to themselves as Chinese-Lisu. A survey conducted in 1997 by the Hill Tribe Research Institute found there were 30,940 Lisu living across 151 villages in 5,114 households. This accounts for 4.11% of all the hill tribe peoples living in the country. 23% are in Chiang Mai, 19% in Chiang Rai, 11% in Mae Hong Son, and the rest are spread out across Phayao, Tak, Kampaengphet, Phetchaboon, and Sukhothai.

The past and current organizational structure in a Lisu village: 1. Kwa-Too (Leader of the community): This person is elected to the position by the villagers. 2. Meu-Meu-Pa (Ceremonial leader): The holder of this position is chosen by way of ah-bpa-mo (a fortune-telling ceremony). Each village can have only one Meu-Meu-Pa. The ceremonial leader's responsibilities are to act as a medium between the great Spirit and the villagers, and to announce and conduct ceremonies to observe the various sacred days of the year. 3. Nee-Pa (Spirit doctor): This individual is elected and appointed by the spirits of the ancient ancestors of the family dynasty and is responsible for maintaining the connection between the spirit world and the world of humans. 4. Cho-Mo-Cho-Dtee (Head elder): An elder in the village who is respected and revered by all the younger members of the village. 5. Presently: 1. Kwa-Too (Leader of the community): Now the official village headman. 2. Meu-Meu-Pa (Ceremonial leader): Still appointed in the same way as in the past. 3. Assistants to the village headman (1-2 assistants): Appointed by the headman. 4. Official representative to the Tambon Administration Organization: This position is an appointed one and the appointee is responsible for general administration work in the village and managing and maintaining a budget from the government. 5. The village committee. 6. Advisor: Cho-Mo-Cho-Dtee (Head elder). 7. Nee-Pa (Spirit doctor): Responsible for performing miscellaneous ceremonies. As for the Lisu Village Organization (Tribal Organization), its role was not all that clear in the past, but was best known for its work in bringing distant relatives of the same family dynasty together. In other words, the organization was not an official one, but was known and respected among the Lisu. In the past, it had a long list of roles and responsibilities in Lisu society. Now, distant relatives continue to come together to perform various ceremonies of importance to the family. http://lisu.hilltribe.org

Live style : Marriage

Lisu people cannot marry their relatives. Choosing the match In the evening Lisu women will cook the rice, and the following morning the men will come to help, and spend time teasing each other. Some couples exchange bracelets or other symbols to show they love each other, and they will keep them in their pocket near their heart. When they have to go to work in the field, the women will tell the men and all of them will wear full dress, and sing impromptu songs. Tradition explains that Lisu men are similar to the trunk of tree and branch, and the women are similar to the leaf - when the trunk feels that the leaf is threatened by someone, the trunk will protect the leaf as much as it can.

The wedding Lisu men will give money to the brides’ parents; the man’s parents give all of the money that the women’s parent asked for. For Lisu, the money given to the bride is more than other hilltribes because when they marry, the woman stays in the man’s house and does everything in their family, work hard.

When the couple agrees to marry, the men bring release for the women from her own family. His family comes to talk with hers, to ask for the hand of the girl and make decisions and agreements, such as if his parents can give the money after the couple live together. If they do not have enough money though, the women’s parents will bring their daughter back home. Her parents will set the day for marriage and will have the ceremony at their house before noon. They have the

ceremony in front of an ancestor’s mantle in the house. The couple kneels in front of the ceremony leader, and the leader tells the ancestor about the new member in the family. The ceremony leader takes the water on the mantle to the couple for prosperity and, when the ceremony is completed, he collects money from the guests to give to the couple. Water is also put in the bowl which the groom symbolically drinks for wealth. The money is then poured into the groom’s hand, which he, in turn, pours into the wrap cloth on the bride’s head. At night, they have a dancing ceremony, holding hands with each other to create a circle, while a group sings two songs. The main song in the ceremony is sung in front of the ancestor’s

mantle, while the second song separates women and men who sing in response to each other. http://lisu.hilltribe.org

Live style : Giving a name

Naming a Lisu Child (“Chajuaduer”) The hold a name ceremony for newborns as they believe that newborns must be named within three days being born. If a family fails to name their child in this time, a spirit will name and claim the child as its own. The child’s life would then be in danger. The Lisu Child-Naming Ceremony (“ChaJuaduer”) 1. The Lisu parents prepare an offering of boiled pig parts that they take to the village shrine. 2. The offering is presented before the shrine together with joss sticks, two glasses of water and two bowls of cooked rice. 3. The joss sticks are lighted to announce the child’s birth. The parents then ask that the shrine god protect the child. 4. A coin is tossed and lots cast to select the child’s name. The family presents the same offering to the shrine

in their home following which, every family member of the newborn child places money in a water bowl to bless the child. This is done in the hope that the child grows up to be healthy. The elaborate ceremony concludes with family members tying the child’s wrist with a holy thread.

The Six Names of a Lisu Each Lisu individual is given multiple names. Unlike one’s nickname, these names must stay with the individual for his or her lifetime. Using a newborn Lisu female for example, 1. The Lisu will choose her name during the HleeJeeMe Saelee ceremony (this translates to the “Name Sirname” ceremony). 2. The first name is determined by the child’s status in her family. If she is the first-born child, her first name would be “Amee”. 3. If the child is adopted, her adoptive parents will name her after a wild animal. 4. The child will then be named after either her strongest or weakest character trait. 5. In addition, she will have a nickname determined by a noticeable character trait such as bravery. The Lisu word for bravery is “Awosuema” which literally means “to like to catch butterflies”. 6. Finally, this newborn child will have a government name such as Kamolrat.

Examples of Lisu names. Names that are listed at the top are used more frequently than the names listed at the bottom. Male Lisu names Female Lisu names 1. ABePha 1. AHmeeMa 2. ALepha 2. ALeMa 3. AHsaPha 3. AHsaMa 4. AHseePha 4. ASeeMa 5. AHwuPha 5. HwuMa 6. AHluPha 6. AHluMa 7. ASuePha 7. ASueMa 8. APhaPha 8. APhaMa http://lisu.hilltribe.org

Life style : Dreams of Pregnancy and Their Significance

Dream before Pregnancy The Lisu people believe that dreaming is a way of communicating. Dreams are significant and there are explanations to certain dreams especially for women. Lisu people believe that if a woman dreamed of herself conceived in her dream, it means that she is really pregnant. The woman will normally be able to remember the dream. Dreams during Pregnancy If Lisu women have dreams during pregnancy, some of these dreams may have certain meaning to their lives. Some of these dreams would be able to inform pregnant Lisu women of the sex of their unborn child. For example, if they dream about going hunting for animals or going for a battle, it would mean that her child is most probably a male. In another case, if the

woman dreams of working in a farm and collect fruits and vegetables, her child is probably a female. If Lisu woman dreams of herself collecting rotten fruits, it would mean that her child is retarded and abnormal. These are some of the superstitious believes of Lisu people.

There are signs to show if the unborn baby can be born healthily or unsuccessfully. If the Lisu mother dreams of herself vomiting, crying or passing out blood as urine, it would mean to Lisu people that the fetus is dead. If the Lisu woman dreams of a baby coming to say goodbye or the baby walks towards an endless road, it will mean that the baby is leaving the mother and he/she is dead. The Lisu people believe that whether the baby is healthy or not depends on the deeds of his/her parents. If the parents did a lot of sins, the Lisu people will feel that the baby will receive all the punishments for his/her parents and born abnormally. Highland Mapping Development and Biodiversity Management Project / IMPECT http://lisu.hilltribe.org

Life style : Taboo for Lisu’s pregnant

Who has pregnant do not underestimate or insult such as the older or handicap person and also the general people because they believe that her baby has handicap also. Lisu teach their lineage that do not laugh at other people because it will retribution with them, do not wait until the next world (Lisu call Jumae)

The place that the pregnant woman cannot go. Lisu believes that during pregnancy, the woman is very vulnerable to any bad because they tend to be more tired physically and mentally than others. Pregnant women are no longer considered virgins since the child is brought about by sexual relations between the parents. Lisu thus forbids pregnant women to enter spiritual places where ceremonies and rituals such as Thanksgiving to the forest (Mi Gwu Gwu) are conducted, and to attend them. When such ceremonies or rituals are conducted, the pregnant women cannot go to that place because

of the gods dislike people who have defects, are unhealthy or unclean, and if the gods are angered, they can take the life of the person away. Also, around Apha Moo Hee (the village shrine), women cannot enter because this area belongs to the god (Apha Moo Hee) who perfers men over women.

Lisu also believes that places that produce alcohol from corn are holy and are taken care of by gods.such that the alcohol producesd is pure and concentrated. If a pregnant woman passes this area, it is believed that the alcohol produced will be of low concentration and impure because pregnant women are not considered virgins, which affect the purity of the alcohol. Pregnant women cannot go near funerals because they believe that the spirit of the deceased will take their souls away. To prevent this, the shaman will protect the people by hitting vegetable on the coffin so as to browbeat the spirit do not come to take the weakened people.

Food and drug for the pregnant. Lisu believes that pregnant women should avoid using medicine of food that can affect the fetus because the fetus receives the nutrients required from the mother. This is to prevent the mother from falling sick and harming the fetus. Lisu are very particular about pregnancy.

Food forbidden during pregnancy. Taro, tomato and sugar cane. The Lisu believe that it make the fetus fat and thus http://lisu.hilltribe.org

Life style : Vocation Farming The Lisu consider their main source of livelihood to be farming. It is like the heart and soul of a Lisu. Thus, the Lisu take special care in choosing a site for farming. They will select a site where the soil is fertile, ensuring a high yield. In searching for a site to farm, a Lisu will look for land that is densely forested, where the earth is black and moist and not far from a stream or other water source. If possible, a Lisu will try to find a place like this close to the village to cut down on commute time. Once a suitable place has been found, the farmer will cut down the trees, clearing the land. The area will then be left alone for a few days while things dry out, after which time the farmer will set the field ablaze. Any unburnt debris will be collected and the field will again be left to sit for a few days. When the farmer returns a ceremony will be performed to make an offering to the spirits of the forest, the mountains, and the pathways, to ask permission to use the field and to ask for a good harvest. Following the ceremony, the farmer will pull out all the weeds and begin tilling the earth in preparation for planting the seeds. The planting will be done in May, during the rainy season. The Lisu's main crops are rice and corn, followed by other fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, cabbage, chili peppers, sesame seeds, ginger, potatoes, and various different kinds of beans. Rice planting season (Ja ya mee) As the first rains of the rainy season fall to the ground in early May, the Lisu begin preparing themselves for the hard work ahead, as the planting season is upon them. The Lisu will await the rain to start planting their corn and rice. Once the soil has been prepped as described above, the planting is fairly easy. The only things needed for the job are a small spade and seeds. The seeds will be planted by a male and female team, with the man walking in front and digging the holes and the woman dropping the seeds in behind. The man will use a long bamboo shaft with a small metal spade attached to the end of it. He will plunge it into the ground and then pop it up lightly, creating a small hole. The woman, carrying a bag of seeds over her shoulder, will insert about 3-5 seeds and leave the hole open. When the rain comes, the dirt will erode and cover up the seeds on its own. This work is always done in pairs and is often accompanied with singing and playful conversation, keeping the atmosphere fun and light. September is the season for planting opium (Ya pee) At the beginning of August the corn will be harvested, leaving the land free to plant opium, which will be done around September. The two crops are planted in rotation with one another and complement each other well as the dead corn stalks serve as a shelter for the young opium seedlings, protecting them from the sun's intense rays. Later, the corn stalks will decompose and become fertilizer, providing nourishment to the growing opium plants. Planting opium is hard work and requires close attention, making sure the plants don't grow too closely together, choking each other and fighting for diminishing nutrients. If too many plants are grown on too small a plot of land, the farmer will get diminishing returns as the soil can't properly sustain the whole lot. The plot must be continually weeded and the ground tilled over in order to ensure healthy growth, beautiful, hardy flowers, and a good harvest of opium.

The season for harvesting opium (Ya pee) After the rice harvest in November and early December comes the season for harvesting opium poppies, collecting their hallucenogenic sap. It is at this time that the poppies are in full bloom and the fields are bursting with a spreading array of red, purple and white opium flowers. The harvesting will be done in the late morning, when the sun has been up for awhile. Under the hot rays of the sun the sap will flow more freely and dry faster once collected. A special scraper is used to get at the sap, which is made of 3-5 small, sharp, and pointy knife blades wrapped tightly together. Holding the poppy flower in one hand, the scraper is used to cut lines from the heart of the flower up to the tips, following the natural lines of the flower. Careful attention must be taken when scraping to use just the right amount of pressure. Scraped too hard, the sap will flow out too fast and drip out onto the ground. Scraped too softly, the sap just won't leak out at all. It takes a lot of practice before becoming expert in the art, and only the best will be allowed to do the scraping during harvest time. The sap from the poppies is milky white in color and thick. Once the flower has been scraped, the sap will ooze out and collect at the heart of the flower. The flower will then be left out overnight for the sap to dry to a tacky consistency. During this process the sap will turn brown in color. The next day a crescent moon-shaped knife blade will be used to scrape the hardened sap off the flowers and onto a sheet of paper where it will be collected for safe storage. http://lisu.hilltribe.org

Mlabri Tribe

Mla are known as yellow leaf or “Mlabri”. The meaning of the name “Mlabri” can be separated into two words. The first word is “Mla” meaning human, this is the word the tribe use to call themselves. The second word “Bri” meaning forest, this is just a word to add after, thereby they have the word Mlabri which means “barbarian tribe” but they would like to be known as “Mla tribe”. This means “human” because they are not barbarians. They live in the forest. Mlabri is what they are called by others but not what they call themselves.

"Yellow leaf" is the name given to them by other people but they do not like being called this because it makes them sound like ghosts, which they are not. They are human like us. “Yellow leaf” is a name that the “Mla tribe" do not like being called, and to not call them yellow leaf, honors.

Them they will call others “Gwao” “Yellow leaf” came from “Mla” people living in the forest; they find goods from the forest such as taro, potatos, bananas, bamboo shoots, animals and bees. They live at a singular place for around 2-3 days then will move the place continuously and will choose where to move to by having a discussion between families. Sometimes they will move to an other place, not for food, but because they fear people will come to disturb or hurt them.

So, when a stranger comes or even when they hear people’s voices near the area that they lived, they would escape rapidly. They would do this because they had experienced relatives of theirs being shot and hurt in front of them in the past. This makes them fear people so they move continuously, make very little noise and also do not dare to make fires.

The banana leaf that they make their huts, changes color from green to yellow and then eventually dries, this is the origin of the word "Yellow leaf" but the word that they are proud of and want other people to call them is “Mla” Source: The Mlabri community at Baan Boonyuen, Moo 13, Thambon Vieng, Rongkwang district, Prae province.

Informants: 1. Weera Srichawpa 2. Phin Srichawpa 3. Nlikarn Chawphanaprai 4. Duangporn Naamjaikiri 5. The youths: Mai, Nueng, Amara and Kaewta

Mlabri village

The History of Mlabri community Baan Boonyuen Moo 13.Thambon. Rongkwang, Rongkwang district, Phrae province.

Currently the Mlabri people live in Boonyuen Suksanae, an area of land owned by Mr Eugene Robert Long, an American missionary. This is because in the past the Mlabri people lived in an area owned by the Hmong tribe whom they worked for. However, the Hmong people paid the Mlabri very little for the work that they did.

This was until a journalist came to visit and wrote about the way that the Mlabri people lived and their low standard of living.

Mr Boonyuen came to the village of the Hmong tribe area and felt compassion towards the Mlabri tribe and wished to help them improve their standard of living. He persuaded the Mlabri people to come and stay with him in Boonyuen Suksanae and helped them to make a better life for themselves.

Source: The Mlabri community at Baan Boonyuen, Moo 13, Thambon Vieng, Rongkwang district, Prae province.

Informants: 1. Weera Srichawpa 2. Phin Srichawpa 3. Nlikarn Chawphanaprai 4. Duangporn Naamjaikiri 5. The youths: Mai, Nueng, Amara and Kaewta

Life style : Born

When the women in the Mlabri village will deliver, they will go to deliver in the place that away from the village and have women who could help. Men are forbidden to go to that place. During the birth, men will go out to collect food in the forest. They will use a splinter of bamboo to cut the umbilical cord then use a banana leaf or hemp to cover the baby. The umbilical cord of the baby is buried, and then the mother carries her baby back to her house. The Mlabri do not have lie by the fire after childbirth. They do not have to do any hard work such as carrying water from the pond or prepare food and after around 2-3 days they are able to do hard work or travel to other places, remarkably most of the Mlabrie would like to have a male child. Naming/ Calling and Surname. In the original, Mlabri tribe has surname like E-Mert, Ip-raw, U-du but in the current time was not using the original surname when they would like to derivation of a relative or a sibling, they will asked a question. When they combined in multi-family, then will asked the name of husband or wife, father mother or grandparents in seeking the relatives because in the past they live in the forest and live with other families. Calling the child’s name will have father name to the end of every name which indicate that children are whose and also can tell the rank of the child from the name and asked the question too. Present time, Mlabri tribe are not used the original surnames. They have a new name and surname. Surname that they used is related to forests such as Sri chawpha (Chawpha is the forester), Naamjai Kiri, Chawphanaprai, Doisak etc. The name change in Mlabri tribe will have to change since have to marriage by using the husband's name to replace their own name and added “Ya” in front of the wife's name. Mlabri do not change their name often, they will change only when marriage. The Naming of the children depend on the convenience of parents such as follow their own family or some people will naming children according to their respective situations. Source: The Mlabri community at Baan Boonyuen, Moo 13, Thambon Vieng, Rongkwang district, Prae province Informants: 1. Weera Srichawpa 2. Phin Srichawpa 3. Nlikarn Chawphanaprai 4. Duangporn Naamjaikiri 5. The youths: Mai, Nueng, Amara and Kaewta.

Life style : Death

In the past, if in the village has people die, Mlabri will take the body of dead person away from they live. There is no cemetery for bury a dead body because they move to other place always. Where people die, they take the banana leave to cover and decorate with the area with the stone and leave, no dig a grave. Then the older pray to send the spirit to other world. When the places that they live have the people die, then they will change to a new place. Now, when someone dies in the village, they will take the dead to bury in the graveyard of the village. By dig holes and then use a stripes of bamboo as the floor and cover the dead with their blanket and take a drink or dessert of the dead that was used put on the grave area. The days to perform the ceremony is depends on the dead body family, during the body is in the village, if the family has a lot of the relatives, they much buy pork to give to them that come to joining in the ceremony. They will not invite any person just only there relatives joined the ceremony to drink, and then bury. When in the village has the people die, every villagers will not go to any where, not work and do not bathe or wash during have the funeral ceremony in the village. They can bathe after the ceremony finish. Source: The Mlabri community at Baan Boonyuen, Moo 13, Thambon Vieng, Rongkwang district, Prae province. Informants: 1. Weera Srichawpa 2. Phin Srichawpa 3. Nlikarn Chawphanaprai 4. Duangporn Naamjaikiri 5. The youths: Mai, Nueng, Amara and Kaewta.

Life style : Entertainment

In the Past, Mlabri people did not have any instruments to play as their own because they feared that others would hear them. They have only just made swings from vines for their children but when they move down to live with the Hmong people, the Mlabri youth start to use the Hmong’s toys such as using bamboo as guns etc. .

Source: The Mlabri community at Baan Boonyuen, Moo 13, Thambon Vieng, Rongkwang district, Prae province. Informants: 1. Weera Srichawpa 2. Phin Srichawpa 3. Nlikarn Chawphanaprai 4. Duangporn Naamjaikiri 5. The youths: Mai, Nueng, Amara and Kaewta

Life style : Hunting

In the past, Mlabri people did not know how to make a trap so they hunted the animals by using spikes as tools. For hunting, they lay down food, and then use the spikes to kill the animals. The men will take responsibility for hunting.

Source: The Mlabri community at Baan Boonyuen, Moo 13, Thambon Vieng, Rongkwang district, Prae province.

Source: The Mlabri community at Baan Boonyuen, Moo 13, Thambon Vieng, Rongkwang district, Prae province. Informants: 1. Weera Srichawpa 2. Phin Srichawpa 3. Nlikarn Chawphanaprai 4. Duangporn Naamjaikiri 5. The youths: Mai, Nueng, Amara and Kaewta

Life style : Counting Days, Months and Years.

The Mlabri people have never kept a strict record of the date, instead they will make observations from the natural world to tell them which season it is, such as in the summer they observe bees when they look for nectar, for winter they look at the leaves changes in color and for the rainy season they look at rapid climate change such as the weather changing from cold to hot to heavy rain. They use the sun as an indicator for the time of day. .

Source: The Mlabri community at Baan Boonyuen, Moo 13, Thambon Vieng, Rongkwang district, Prae province. Informants: 1. Weera Srichawpa 2. Phin Srichawpa 3. Nlikarn Chawphanaprai 4. Duangporn Naamjaikiri 5. The youths: Mai, Nueng, Amara and Kaewta

Moken Tribe

Moken Tribe in Thailand

Some of the Moken, traditionally a seafaring tribe, have settled on the islands in southern Thailand . They have their own way of life: with a unique culture; traditions; values and beliefs; a nomadic lifestyle; and making their livelihood from the Andaman Sea . Most Moken live on boats called “Gam-Bang”, roaming the sea in search of food - such as shellfish, fish, crabs and other marine creatures. The main food is Taro, a root vegetable considered as a staple in oceanic cultures. The lifestyle is influenced by the seasons - in the northwest during monsoon season (May-November) when there are many storms, the Moken move onto the islands, building houses, or moor in sheltered bays, protected from the waves and storms.

The search for food is the same importance today as it has ever been, but it is made more difficult because they are a minority group with no . The Moken are largely uneducated, with little knowledge of the outside, land- based world, which creates further difficulties when communicating with others.

The Moken have an annual ceremony to celebrate the ancestor's pole (Hnear-En-Hlor-), with tribe members coming together to worship to the spirits to protection them. During this time, Moken people stop work. The ceremony includes casting lots, playing music, singing and dancing, and also have leeway the models to pensive and distress as illness from families, community. Moreover, the Moken have traditional beliefs that emphasize the spirits, including the spirits of their ancestors, and those found in natures, which have the power to protect individuals or cause illness. Therefore, they make sacrifices and offerings to the spirits. The Moken are also adept at using herbs for treating disease. In society, weddings often occur when the couples are teenagers, and are monogamous for life. They will not separate or change partners unless the wife or husband dies or have severe marital problems. Having children is an important part of life, so generally Moken families have 2-5 children - because they usually live in remote areas, or on the sea, they are far from basic services leading to a higher mortality rate which makes the Moken population a fairly constant number.

The name, Moken, derives from "La-Mor" and " Kan " which is the name of the Queen's sister in an old legend of the Moken people. The younger sister stole the boyfriend of the Queen, who then cursed her and her friends promising them a life in which they could never settle in one place. Moken are also known as the Sea Gypsies - Descendents of the Porto-Malaysians who wandered the Andaman Sea for more than 100 years, living on islands and off the coast of the Mergui Islands in , as far south and east as the islands of the Zulu sea in the Philippines, and including the coast of Malaysia and Indonesia. In the Mergui islands in Myanmar, the Moken population runs into the thousands. The Burmese people call the Moken, ‘Selon', which is believed to have come from the word ‘Cha-Lang' or ‘Tha-Lang', an ancient name of (Junk Selon) - the place that many fishermen lived before moving to live on the sea. This is the legendary tale of the Moken people.

The Moken – sea gypsies The Moken – sea gypsies

The Moken – sea gypsies These wandering sea dwellers are believed by some experts to have been the first inhabitants of the Andaman coastal regions of Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia. Today only several thousand of them remain here, with few still living the traditional life that took them to sea in their small boats for seven or eight months of the year. The Moken are related to other ‘sea gypsy’ peoples inhabiting island archipelagos all the way to the Philippines. Their language appears unrelated to any other, and their real origin is unknown. Some experts believe it was the ancestors of the Moken who drew the paintings found in caves in Phang Nga Bay and at other locations.

There is a lot of conjecture and little concrete information about their origins and history. The Moken are without doubt the masters of the sea, able to forage a living from it by exploiting an amazing number of organisms here. During their seven or eight months at sea each year those still living traditionally wander from island to island in groups of a half dozen or more boats, each holding one family, usually of three generations. They use nets, traps and spears to catch fish and other creatures, and spend a lot of time diving with primitive gear. In this manner they collect or spear shells, sea cucumbers, lobsters and any other marine organism they can find. Some is for their own consumption, the rest for sale in town markets where they come from time to time to buy rice, cooking oil, fuel, nets, cooking utensils and the few others bits and pieces their simple lives require. The thatched roofs of their boats are often covered with fish, sea cucumbers, squid and other sea produce being dried for market.

During the monsoon from June to October the Moken move ashore, building temporary huts from poles, bamboo and grass at the back of remote beaches. During this time they repair and build boats, while still prying a living from the surging, inhospitable ocean. Thailand’s Moken have been settled into permanent villages, two of which are found on Phuket, with another on Phi Phi. These villages are poor, dirty and bathed in an atmosphere of depression. Some uncaring companies use the Moken village at Rawai as a human zoo, bussing in tourists to gawk and point cameras at the sunburnt, scrappily dressed people.

The children beg from the tourists, even grabbing things from them. It is the sight of a people dispossessed of their traditions and dignity. Government officials have tried to draw the Moken children into school, an effort that has been largely unsuccessful. As soon as conditions are right for fishing the children desert the classroom to join their parents at sea. Only in the Mergui archipelago of Myanmar are Moken found living their traditional life in boats at sea. The myriad islands here shelter perhaps a few thousand of them. Here again the authorities have begun an effort at settling Moken into a permanent village at Pu Nala island.

http://www.phuketmagazine.com/the-moken-traditional-sea-gypsies/

Nomenclature

NOMENCLATURE

They refer to themselves as Moken. The name is used for all of the proto-Malayan speaking tribes who inhabit the coast and islands in the Andaman Sea on the west coast of Thailand, the provinces of Satun, Trang, Krabi, Phuket, Phang Nga, and , up through the Mergui Archipelago of Burma [1](Myanmar).

The group includes the Moken proper, the Moklen (Moklem), the Orang Sireh (Betel-leaf people) and the Orang Lanta. The last, the Orang Lanta are a hybridized group formed when the Malay people settled the Lanta islands where the proto-Malay Orang Sireh had been living.

The Burmese call the Moken Selung, Salone, or Chalome.[2] In Thailand they are called Chao Ley (people of the sea) or Chao nam (people of the water), although these terms are also used loosely to include the and even the Orang Laut. In Thailand, acculturated Moken are called Thai Mai (new Thais). The Moken are also called Sea Gypsies, a generic term that applies to a number of peoples in southeast Asia. The Urak Lawoi are sometimes classified with the Moken, but they are linguistically and ethnologically distinct, being much more closely related to the Malay people

Moken language

Moken language is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by Sea Gypsies living in the western coastal waters of Burma and Thailand. The people refer to themselves as Mawken or Moken. They are called Selung or Salon by the Burmese. There are six dialects of Moken; • Dung • Jait • Lebi • Niawi • Jadiak • Moklen The Moken Alphabet There is an existing Burmese-based ortography. There have also been at least two earlier ortographies: • Pwo Karen -based, and • Roman-based SAMPLE VERBS The sample verbs are written in phonetic script. • bəje, to stand in a group • gilen, to roll up • məchu, to raise the hands • məlan, to swallow • məŋam, to eat • məŋap, to catch • məŋɛ̌ aŋ, to walk • məpeŋ, to rest • məthu:n, to carry on the head • ŋəpoy, to jump into • phalo, to tease http://wiki.verbix.com/Languages/Moken

Sea Gypsies of Myanmar SEA GYPSIES OF MYANMAR The world is closing in on the Moken way of life. On the horizon we see them, their flotilla of small hand-built boats, called kabang, like a mirage beneath the setting sun. They are wary of strangers: At our approach they split up and scatter. We close in on one boat, and I call out reassuring words in their language. The boat slows and finally stops, rolling on the swell in heavy silence. I jump aboard, a privileged trespasser and rare witness to another world.

That world belongs to the Moken, a nomadic sea culture of Austronesian people who likely migrated from southern China some 4,000 years ago, and, moving through Malaysia, eventually split off from other migrant groups in the late 17th century. Their home is the Mergui Archipelago, some 800 islands scattered along 250 miles (400 kilometers) of the Andaman Sea, off Myanmar (formerly Burma).

For decades piracy and Myanmar's military dictatorship kept outsiders away. With special permits to work in the area, I too am a nomad on these waters, having followed the Moken for years to hear their stories and learn more about their culture. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2005/04/sea-gypsies/ivanoff-text

Moken song

History of Moken

History of Moken

The anthropologist Jacques Ivanoff assume that the name of the Moken people stems from the words "Lamor (Moken language is drown) and" Ken "which is the name of the Queen's sister in the legend of the Moken where her sister after grabbing her sister's lover, was cursed to drift in the Sea along with her friends. (For more information see Ivanoff's book Rings of Coral ).

The Moken is a group of fishermen who derive from the Proto Malay that have been drifting around in the Andaman Sea for more than 100 years. They live on the islands and along the coast from Marid in Myanmar to the islands in the Zulu Sea in Philippines as well as along the coast of Malaysia and Indonesia . The Marid Islands in Myanmar has a Moken population of about thousand people.

The Burmese call the Moken “Selon” and assume that this name comes from the word “Chalang” or “Tlang” that is an ancient name of Phuket (Junk Selon) which is where the fishermen gathered in the past. The Moken people respect the holy things and spirits in nature as well as the ancestor spirit with "Lor-Bong" or the soul pole of the ancestors as male(Ae- Bab) and female (A-Boom) is a symbol. The Moken people's most important celebration of the year is "Hnear-En-Lor-Bong" or the celebration of the ancestor spirit pole. In this ceremony, which may have leeway to exorcises similar to the U-Lak-La-Woy in Phuket or Li-Pae that call the leeway "Pla-Jak " as the Moken call this "Hla-Jung". The purpose of leeway is to take the damned, unhealthy, and the melancholic in distress away from the community. The celebration of ancestor spirit pole of the Moken people is held on the day of the waxing moon, in the fifth lunar month.

The Moken people will not go outside in a period of 3 days and 3 nights, and during that time they will have a festival where they drink, play music, dance, and communicate with the spirit to fortune the fate of the village. Relatives from different islands will also come to join the festival.

When they migrated to Thailand . The migrations into Thailand of the Moken people are not evident because there are several groups and waves of migration. Migration is still going on.

The areas where they live. The Moken who live in Marid Islands in Myanmar still has a population of about thousand people. The Burmese people call Moken Selon, assuming that this word come from the word Chalang or Tlang an ancient name of Phuket (Junk Selon), which is where the fishermen gathered in the past. http://moken.hilltribe.org ….

History of Yao Hilltribe

The Mien Culture/Groups

Evidence of Mien (Yao) history as far back as 5th BC. For the past 2000 years, the records show that the Mien lived in the surrounding mountains near Tibet. The Mien moved constantly because they did not like the controlling ruling from the Han. There were as many as 28 sub-names under the Mien. There were 4 major groups of Mien, the Phan (Bienh), the Bunu, the Cha Sun, and Ping Ti. Out of the 4 groups, the Phan (Bienh) group had the most man-power, and that was the group that constantly moving from place to place. The Phan group had concentrated in one large area of the country, where the Mien language was developed. The Bunu and the Luc Jaa developed into separate languages. Legend of the Creation of the Mien People

In heaven, there were Daa Ong (Grandfather) and Daa Gux (Grandmother). One day they decided to create the Yao, or the Mien people. They planned to transform themselves and live on Earth . During that time, there were two kingdoms already exist on earth, one ruled by Baeng Hung (the good side), and the other by Gux Hung (the bad side). They hated each other very much . As they two had planned in heaven, Daa Gux would come down to earth reborn as a third daughter of Baeng Hung (with a birthmark on one leg), while Daa Ong would transform himself into whatever was needed. During the war between Baeng Hung and Gux Hung. Baeng Hung announced to his whole kingdom, "whoever can bring me Gux Hung's head, I'll reward you with marriage to my third daughter and some land ." No one answered the Baeng Hung's demand. One day Daa Ong transformed himself into a five-colored dragon-dog named Phan Hu . The dog showed himself up at Baeng Hung's palace . The emperor had never seen a dragon-dog such as this one, full of talent, with 120 beautiful spots on the top of its body, and could talk . The emperor ordered his people to take a good care of the dog . The dog had become Baeng Hung's trusted, loving pet . One day, Baeng Hung and his staff had a meeting, planning the war with Gux Hung. The dragon-dog was there at the meeting as well. At the end of the discussion, the dragon- dog spoke up, he said "Baeng Hung doesn't have to send thousands of armies, military equipments to fight Gux Hung. I will volunteer to fight Gux Hung myself. Since I'm a dog, the least respected animal, Gux Hung and her military probably will not think I can cause any harm to them." Baeng Hung agreed with the dog. He wanted to see what the dog could do.

Phan Hu (dragon-dog) prepared for the departure. He asked heaven to send him a magic pill, which helped him endure his 7 days 7 nights swimming accross the sea to Gux Hung. The dragon-dog arrived Gux Hung's empire. Gux Hung admired the beautiful talking dog. She kept it as her own body guard. The dog became Gux Hung's favorite pet as well. Gux Hung was confident with the dog, therefore, she no longer needed her servants and body guards at all times. One day, Gux Hung sent her servants and body guards out for the daily chores. The dragon-dog took that opportunity, and bit Gux Hung's head off then swam back across the sea with the head as proof to Baeng Hung. In return, the dragon- dog was married to Baeng Hung's third daughter (as promised). As the wedding day neared, Baeng Hung, the emperor realized he didn't really want his third daughter to marry a dragon-dog. So, Baeng Hung called nine women who looked identical to his third daughter and then dressed them up with identical gowns. The dragon-dog had to pick from the ten identical women. Daa Gux (the third daughter) was one of the ten. This ruse, however, did not fool Daa Ong a.k.a. Phan Hu (dragon-dog). The dog looked for the birthmark on the leg. The dragon-dog picked the third daughter of Baeng Hung and was married to her. They moved to an isolated piece of land given to them by Baeng Hung and had 12 children, six sons and six daughters. These six sons and the husbands of the six daughters became patriarchs of the twelve Mien clans. The Iu Mien 12 Clans When talking about the original twelve clans, it is difficult for almost any Mien to name all of them since a few of the clans got lost or left behind when escaping from mainland China many generations ago. Another complicating factor is that the names that the Thais gave to each clan (which are the basis for today's Mien surnames in Thailand and the ) not only depended on what each Thai interviewer heard their clan name to be, but also differs from the names that Miens call themselves. For instance, Ann (Saefung) and Laosan(Saefong) spell their official last names differently, yet each will identify themselves as a member of the Bungz (pronounced Bpung) clan. Notice that when Ann introduces herself, she first says her Thai name, then her Mien clan (in this case calling it La Bpung), then finally her Mien given name. Clans descending from the six sons of Baeng Hung

Thai Name Mien Name Saephan Bienh Saelaw Lorh Saelee Leiz Saechou Zuaqv Saetern Dangc Saeyang Yangh

Clans descending from husbands of the six daughters of Baeng Hung

Thai Name Mien Name Saechao Zeuz Saelio Lio Saefong Bungz Saezaanh Zaanh Saechin Chin Saeseao Siaau

Other clans not in the original twelve clans, possibly second sons-in-law of Baeng Hung's daughters

Thai Name Mien Name Saetong Dorngh Saepao Bew/Bao

Note: The "Sae" prefix was appended by Thai authorities to designate a last name derived from a Chinese clan. Hmongs and ethnic Chinese, especially Hakka and Teochiu, also were originally given names of this form, though most have changed their names since; Hmongs doing so by dropping the Sae, Chinese by requesting an official four- Thai last name from the Thai government. Most Miens have kept the Sae appended to their names.

The letters q, z, h, and c at the end of the clan names are silent and are used to indicate the tone in which a word is said.

Migration from China to Thailand and Beyond The Mien, who are also related to the lowland-living Lanten peoples of Laos and Vietnam, are believed to have begun migrating from province in China during the 15th-16th century and spread throughout northern Vietnam, northern Laos and . Immigration into Thailand was sharply accelerated after the Indochina War when victorious Pathet Lao forces began seeking reprisal for the involvement of many Mien as soldiers in a CIA- sponsored secret army. As a token of appreciation to the Mien and Hmong people who served in the CIA secret army, the United States accepted many of the as naturalized citizens. Now there are as many as 50,000 Miens living in the United States, largely concentrated on the West Coast, particularly northern . http://mien.hilltribe.org/english/

Life style : Birth During Pregnancy Mien believed that when an unborn child is still in the mother’s womb, family members must be very careful around the mother. One should not intrude the mother while she is in her room, that may chase away the baby’s soul. One should not use sharp objects such as knife or scissors to cut things around the mother for risk that the baby may be born deformed or have a cleft- palate or hare lip.

During Birth In the village far away from the city where there is no hospital near by, a pregnant woman’s mother (baby’s grandma) would usually act as a midwife and help deliver the baby. Grandma would help pull the baby out if needed, but most of the time she would wait until the baby is completely out from the mother’s vagina, then the grandma would hold the baby in her hands, and quickly cut the baby’s umbilical cord, usally with sharpened bamboo.

If the baby’s mother is single during her pregnancy, she must deliver her baby out side the house in a booth built near the house. She needs to respect her family by not giving birth in the house because she is still single, has no husband, and the baby is born out of wedlock. If she’s married, or has a husband, she can give birth in the house, in her own room.

Traditionally, both the dried afterbirth and the first excrement of the baby are saved in a box or bamboo cylinder. After Birth After the baby is washed, wiped dry, and wrapped in towels, or blanket. Within that day, the mother then brings out the baby to the door and face toward the sky; showing the baby to the moon, the sun, and the stars to prove that the family now has a new member. From that point on, no one from outside the family is allowed to come in the house until after a certain ceremony is completed. It could take weeks depending on the lunar calendar. During this time, a cross-sign (symbol), made of bamboo is placed outside the main door(s), which means “the family is not welcoming anyone at this time.” Below are 4 very important steps, which to help protect the mother & baby [must be done by selected shaman(s)]. 1. Jaiv saetv (to protect a baby from getting sick) 2. Orn biangh (to help warm a spirit) 3. Saaz uix (to protect both mother and baby from evil spirits) 4. Tim mienv-kuv (give relationship to the baby, and the biological parents) Caring for Mother and Baby During the first 10 days after labor, the mother must not eat anything raw, not even fresh vegetables. Everything she eats must be cooked; chicken broth with variety of herbs is very common. During the first month, the mother is not allowed to visit anyone outside her home. She must not work, or lift anything heavy. The mother and baby must bathe in a tub that is filled with warm water only. The mother must drink warm broth, which boiled with variety of herbs. The broth

works like medicine, soothes, and heals the inside. http://mien.hilltribe.org/english/

Life style : Names How names are given by Mien family Mien have a unique way of giving names to their children. Every Mien man has 3 names in his lifetime: a child name, an adult name, and a spirit or ghost name (primarily used when calling the dead). Each child’s name is counted like a number and must root to his/her biological father. Take, for example, a father whose adult name is Fu Tong, his family (clan) name is Phan, his child name is Nai Fin and his ghost name is Fa-Zan (all ghost names begin with ‘Fa’). Then, all Fu Tong’s children’s first names will end with ‘Tong’, somewhat like counting 1st Tong, 2nd Tong,

3rd Tong, so on. All of Fu Tong’s children’s first names would be as follows: # Sons Daughters Meuy Tong (Mei, Mey, 1 Kao Tong (or Tawn Tong) Muey, etc.) 2 Lo Tong (or Nai Tong) Nai Tong 3 San Tong Fahm Tong Fei Tong (Fey, Feuy, 4 Sou Tong Fuey, etc.) 5 Ou Tong Mahn Tong

Under the twelve Iu-Mien clans, each clan may have four, five or more subnames (generation names called buic) that form the basis of the adult names. In the case of Fu Tong, he is from the Phan clan which has generational names of Yao, Fu, Wuen, and Saeng (in that exact order). So, we know that Fu Tong is second generation. We now know that Fu Tong’s father is from the first generation, and his adult name must be Yao Fin, because Fu Tong’s child name is Nai Fin. We also know that Fu Tong is a second son of Yao Fin, because ‘Nai’ means second. All Fu Tong’s sons are the 3rd generation, therefore, their adult names must begin with ‘Wuen’, Fu Tong’s grandsons will be the 4th generation and their adult names must begin with ‘Saeng’, and all Fu Tong’s great grandsons will be the 5th generation. Their adult names will repeat, back to the ‘Yao’ generation (a cycle is completed). After each of Fu Tong’s boys reached 12 years old, he is considered a pre-teenager, or pre-adult. Therefore, he may choose his own name, but his name still has to carry the Phan clan’s generation name.

Below is a table that follows the adult and child names of one chain of descendents of the Phan (Bienh) clan through one cycle of generational names (buic):

Generation Adult Name Child Name 1-Yauh Yauh Fin unknown 2-Fu Fu Tong Nai Fin (second son of Yauh Fin) 3-Wuen Wuen Ziu Ou Tong (fifth son of Fu Tong) 4-Saeng Saeng Waa Kao Ziu (first son of Wuen Ziu) 5-Yauh Yauh Meng San Waa (third son of Saeng Waa) (repeat)

Tricky Names Miens also have some common names that they give for specific purposes, after physical characteristics, or in hopes of creating a change in the child. These names are used for both boy and girl. Name Meaning Reason/Intended Purpose Nyingv bony, skinny a baby born skinny, bony, weak Liuz final, complete a final child, no more after this one

Zaih belated a child was born later than expected Zaanc cheap, priceless a child urinates soon after birth Lowc mid-way, road born while traveling, away from home Chengx born tangled with umbilical cord wrapped around umbilical cord neck Koyv to alter (boy to girl have too many of same sex, or or vice versa) parents want a change, hoping Yienc the next baby will be the opposite sex Note: The final consonant (v, z, h, c, x) in Mien names/words is used to represent the tone and is not pronounced. Nyingv is therefore pronounced Nying, Liuz pronounced Liu. http://mien.hilltribe.org/english/

Life style : Marriage

Choosing a Mate Young Miens (both boys and girls) begin looking for a mate at around the age of 15, or older. Boys are usually the ones who initiate the flirtation, often paying a special visit to that certain girl he had in mind. Every girl, however, may refuse, because each girl is given the right to choose which boy is best for her. In the old days, boys were poor, owning an automobile was almost impossible. Most boys had to walk to their destiny. Sometimes the walking distance (between the boy and the girl) could be as close as a few houses down the road, or as far as villages apart. Some boys would get lucky and be welcomed to the bedroom on their first night. Other boys would have to keep on searching. Boys who were rejected would have to walk home alone in the dark.

Very few external rules govern the selection of Mien couples. In principle, the boy and girl should be of different clans, though exceptions can be made. More strictly observed is the custom that older siblings should marry before younger ones. If a younger sibling should want to marry before his/her elder sibling has married, he/she would need to make financial reparations to the elder sibling. When a boy has a crush with a certain girl, or found his “thought to be a lover;” he would then inform his parents about the girl. Soon his parents would go to the girl’s parents asking for a duplicate of her birth certificate to take home for a matching purpose. The matching includes both boy’s and girl’s birth date, month, year. It is somewhat similar to the astrology, horoscope reading, or the 12 Zodiac. If the matching part goes well, the boy’s parents would return to the girl’s home with a silver bracelet, which is to be displayed atop of the discussion table. The girl side prepares a small meal, so the two sides can sit on the table together to introduce themselves, and get to know one another. After the introduction between the two parents, the girl would come over and help clean up the table. If the girl likes the boy, she would accept his bracelet and keep it in a safe place. But if she dislikes the boy, she would not accept his bracelet, she may return it immediately, or within 2 days.

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ปีเกิดของฝ่ายหญิง ถ้าพ่อแม่ฝ่ายหญิงยินยอมบอกก็แสดงว่า พวกเขายอมยกให้ หลงั จากนั้นก็จะน าเอาวนั เดือน ปี เกิด ของหนุ่มสาวคนู่ ั้น ไปใหผ้ ูช้ า นาญเรอื่ งการผูกดวงผูช้ า นาญผูกดวง จะดวู า่ ทงั้ คมู่ ดี วงสมพงศก์ นั หรอื ไม่ ถ้าดวงไม่สมพงศ ์กันฝ่ายชายจะไม่มาสู่ขอ พร ้อมแจ้งหมายเหตุให้ฝ่ายหญิงทราบ เมอื่ ดแู ลว้ ถา้ เกดิ ดวงสมพงศก์ นั พ่อแม่จึงจัดการให้ลูกได้สมปรารถนา เรมิ่ ดว้ ยการสง่ สอื่ ไปนัดพ่อแม่ฝ่ ายสาววา่ คา่ พรงุ่ นีจ้ ะสง่ เถา้ แกม่ าสขู่ อลกู สาว แล้วพ่อแม่ฝ่ายหญิงจะต้องจัดข้าวปลาอาหารไว้รับรอง ระหวา่ งทดี่ มื่ กนิ กนั นั้น เถา้ แกก่ ็จะน ากา ไลเงนิ หนึ่งค ู่ มาวางไว้บนสารับ เมอื่ เวลาดมื่ กนิ กนั เสรจ็ สาวเจ้าเข้ามาเก็บถ้วยชาม หากสาวเจ้าตกลงปลงใจกับหนุ่มก็จะเก็บกาไลไว้ หากไม่ชอบก็จะคืนกาไลให้เถ้าแก่ ภายใน 2 วัน เถ้าแก่จะรออยู่ดูให้แน่ใจแล้วว่าสาวเจ้าไม่คืนกาไลแล้ว เถ้าแก่จึงนัดวันเจรจา เมอื่ ถงึ เวลาซงึ่ วนั เดนิ ทางไปนีส้ า คญั มาก เพราะมีข้อห้าม และความเชอื่ ในการเดนทางหลายอย่างิ เช่น ขณะเดินทาง ระหวา่ งทางหากพบคนกา ลงั ปลดฟืนลงพนื้ สตั วว์ งิ่ ตดั หนา้ ไม้กาลังล้ม คนล้ม ฯลฯ สงิ่ เหลา่ น ี้ คือ สงิ่ ทสี่ อ่ ไปในทางทไี่ มด่ จี ะไมม่ โี ชคตามความเชอื่ แตถ่ า้ ไมพ่ บสงิ่ เหลา่ นรี้ ะหวา่ งทางก็สามา รถเดินทางไปบ ้านฝ่ายหญิงได ้ และถ ้าไปถึงบ ้านฝ่ายหญิง แล ้วพบสาวเจ ้าก าลังกวาดบ ้าน หรือพบคนก าลังเจาะรางไม ้ หรือเตรียมตัวอาบน ้าอยู่ พอ่ แมข่ องฝ่ ายชายก็จะเลกิ ความคดิ ทจี่ ะไปสขู่ อเหมอื นกนั เพราะเชอื่ วา่ เป็นสงิ่ ไมด่ จี ะท าใหค้ บู่ า่ วสาวตอ้ งล าบาก เมื่อพ่อแม่ฝ่ายชายเดินทางไปถึงบ ้านฝ่ายหญิงโดยไม่ได ้พบอุปสรรคใด ๆ แล ้วครอบครัวของฝ่ายชายจะต ้องน าไก่ 3 ตัว ไก่ตัวผู ้ 2 ตัว และไก่ตัวเมีย 1 ตัว แล ้วน าไก่ตัวผู ้ 1 ตัวมาปรุงอาหาร เพอื่ เป็นการสขู่ อ แล ้วร่วมกันรับประทาน พอ่ แมฝ่ ่ ายหญงิ จะเชญิ ญาตอิ ยา่ งนอ้ ย 2-3 คน มาร่วมเป็นพยาน ระหว่างที่รับประทานอาหารกันอยู่นั้น ก็เริ่มเจรจาคา่ สนิ สอดตามประเพณี ซงึ่ สว่ นใหญ ่ คา่ สนิ สอดจะก าหนดเป็ นเงนิ แทง่ มากกวา่ หรอื บางครงั้ อาจจะใชเ้ งนิ กไ็ ดต้ ามฐานะ สา หรบั ไ ก่อีก 2 ตัว หลงั จากฆา่ แลว้ จะน ามาเซน่ ไหวบ้ รรพบรุ ษุ ของตระกลู ทัง้ สองฝ่ าย

เพื่อเป็นการแจ ้งให ้บรรพบุรุษทั้งสองฝ่ายให ้รับรู ้ในการหมั้น พร ้อมทงั้ ฝ่ ายชายจะมอบดา้ ยและผา้ ทอหรอื อปุ กรณ์ในการปักชดุ แตง่ านไวใ้ ชส้ า หรบั งานพธิ ี แต่งให ้กับฝ่ายหญิง เพอื่ ใชป้ ักชดุ แตง่ งาน เจ ้าสาวจะต ้องปักชุดแต่งงานให ้เสร็จจากอุปกรณ์ที่ฝ่ายชายเตรียมไว ้ในตอนหมั้นและเจ ้าสา วจะไม่ท างานไร่ จะอยู่บ ้านท างานบ ้านและปักผ ้าประมาณ 1 ปี สว่ นเจา้ บา่ วตอ้ งเตรยี มอาหารทจี่ ะใชเ้ ลยี้ งแขกและท าพธิ กี รรมเชน่ หมู ไก่ และจัดเตรียมเครื่องดนตรี จัดบุคคลที่จะเข ้าท าพิธีกรรมทางศาสนา และอุปกรณ์การจัดงานทั่วไป หลังจากหมั้นแล ้วบ่าวสาวจะอยู่ด ้วยกันที่บ ้านฝ่ายใดก็ได ้แล้วแต่จะตกลงกัน พธิ แี ตง่ งานใหญ ่ (ตม่ ชงิ่ จา)

พธิ นี เี้ ป็นพธิ ใี หญซ่ งึ่ จะตอ้ งใชค้ า่ ใชจ้ า่ ยสงู คนทจี่ ดั พธิ ใี หญน่ สี้ ว่ นมากจะเป็ นผทู ้ มี่ ฐี านะด ี จะใชเ้ วลาในการท าพธิ ี 3 คนื 3 วนั ซงึ่ จะตอ้ งใชเ้ วลาเตรยี มงานกนั เป็นปี คอื ตอ้ งเลยี้ งหม ู เลี้ยงไก่ไว ้ให้พอกับการเลี้ยงแขก

ว ันแรก ฝ่ายเจ ้าบ่าวจะจัดคนไปรับเจา้ สาวตงั้ แตก่ อ่ นเชา้ โดยจะมีคนเตรียมบรรเลงเพลงประกอบไปด ้วย ฝ่ายเจ ้าบ่าวจะจัดเตรียมสถานที่โดยการจัดม ้านั่งเป็นวงก ลมไว ้ และขบวนของเจ ้าสาวนั้นจะมี 1 คน ถอื ปลายผา้ เชด็ หนา้ เพอื่ จงู มอื เจา้ สาวซงึ่ อาจเป็นน ้ องของเจา้ สาว สว่ นนอ้ งชายของเจา้ สาวอกี คนหนงึ่ จะท าหนา้ ทแี่ บกสมั ภาระของเจา้ สาวทจี่ ะตอ้ งน ามาใชใ้ น บ ้านเจ ้าบ่าว อีกคนจะมีหน ้าที่กางร่มให ้เจ้าสาว เพื่อนเจ ้าสาวแต่ละคนจะแต่งตัวด ้วยชุดชนเผ่าเต็มยศเช่ นกัน เมื่อขบวนของเจ ้าสาวมาถึง จะยังไม่ได ้นั่งจะให ้ยืนอยู่กลางวงก่อน โดยจะมีเพื่อนเจ ้าสาวสองคนคอยยืนล ้อมรอบเจ ้าสาววง ดุริยางค์ จะเล่นดนตรีวนทั้ง 3 คน แล ้วจะแห่สอดแทรกเข ้าไปรอบ ๆ เจ ้าสาว และท าความเคารพ โดยค านับ 3 ครั้งฝ่ายเจ ้าสาวจะโค ้งค านับตอบ 3 ครัง้ เชน่ เดยี วกัน จะค านับทั้งหมด 4 รอบจึงจะหยุด ระหว่างนั้นฝ่ายต ้อนรับจะน าเอาน ้าชา เหล ้า บุหรี่มาเพื่อเป็นการต ้อนรับ และขอบคุณแขกที่มาร่วมงาน จากนั้นก็น าน ้าร ้อนที่ได ้เตรียมไว ้เพื่อให ้แขกล ้างหน้า พอแขกล ้างหน้าเสร็จ จะเอาผา้ เชด็ หนา้ ทตี่ ัวเองลา้ งเอากลับไปบ ้าน พร ้อมกับวางเงินไว ้ในถาดจะเท่าไหร่ก็ได ้เพื่อเป็นธรรมเนียม เสร็จแล ้วก็ร่วมรับประทานอาหารที่ได ้จัดไว ้ ระหว่างนั้นเจ ้าบ่าวกับเจ ้าสาวจะยกน ้าชาเหล ้าไปให ้แขกรอบงาน พอมอบให ้แขกแล ้วเมื่อแขกดื่มเสร็จจะวางเงินไว ้ในถาด เท่าไหร่ก็ได ้เพื่อเป็นธรรมเนียม จากนั้นจะแยกกันไปผักผ่อนตามที่พักที่ทางฝ่ายเจ ้าบ่าวได ้จัดไว ้ สว่ นเจา้ สาวจะยังไมไ่ ดเ้ ขา้ ไปในบา้ นของเจา้ บา่ ว โดยฝ่ายเจ ้าบ่าวจะท าเพิงพักให ้กับเจ ้าสาว ที่พักของเจ ้าสาวนั้นจะนิยมสร ้างห่างจากบ ้านเจ ้าบ่าวประมาณ 20 เมตร จนกว่าจะถึงฤกษ์ที่ได ้ก าหนดเอาไว ้ คือ วันพรุ่งนี้

วันที่สอง เจา้ สาวจะตอ้ งตนื่ นอนแตเ่ ชา้ มดื เพอื่ เตรยี มตวั ท าพธิ ตี ามขนั้ ตอน แล ้วเข ้าบ ้านเจ ้าบ่าว การเข ้ามาในบ ้านนั้นจะต ้องเข ้าทางประตูใหญ่ พอเสร็จพิธีกรรมอะไรแล ้วก็มีการดื่มกินกันทั่วไป

วันที่สาม จะเป็ นการกนิ เลยี้ งสว่ นใหญจ่ ะ่ฉ่ ลองอยา่ งเดยี วจะไมค่อยมีพิธีกรรมอะไรมาก่ นอกจากการบรรเลงตนตรี เป่าปี่ ตีกลองให ้งานสนุกสนานรื่นเริง กลางคืนเจ ้าบ่าวเจ ้าสาวจะออกมายกน ้าชาให ้กับแขกที่มาร่วมงานก็เป็นอันว่าเสร็จพิธี

พิธีแต่งงานเล็ก (ชงิ่ จาตอน) พิธีต่าง ๆ จะเป็นการกินเลี้ยงฉลองอย่างเดียวไม่มีพิธีกรรมอะไรมาก จะใชเ้ วลาท าพธิ เี พยี งวนั เดยี ว เจ ้าสาวไม่ต ้องสวมที่คุมที่มีน ้าหนักมาก และพธิ เี ล็กนไี้ มต่ อ้ งสนิ้ เปลอื งคา่ ใชจ้ า่ ยมาก จดุ สา คัญของการแตง่ งานของเมยี่ น คือ ตามทเี่ จา้ บา่ วตกลงสญั ญาจา่ ยคา่ ตัวเจา้ สาวกับพอ่ แมข่ องเจา้ สาวไว ้ เพื่อเป็นการทดแทนที่ได ้เลี้ยงดูเจ ้าสาวมา และฝ่ายเจ ้าบ่าวจะต ้องบอกวิญญาณบรรพบุรุษของตนเองยอมรับ และชว่ ยคมุ ้ ครองเจา้ สาวดว้ ย ประการสุดท ้ายเจ ้าบ่าวและเจ ้าสาวจะต ้องดื่มเหล ้าที่ท าพิธี แล ้วร่วมแก ้วเดียวกัน การแต่งงานของเมี่ยนนั้นจะต ้องท าตามประเพณีทุกขั้นตอนอย่างพิถีพิถัน และเป็นไปในลักษณะที่ให ้เกียรตซิ งึ่ กันและกันทัง้ สองฝ่ าย http://mien.hilltribe.org/english/

Life style : Be under interdiction

Be under interdiction in wickedness day. The Mien call this day ging. This day comes from the beliefs of the ancestors and is passed down from generation to generation. Mien people will be under interdiction from the Mien New Year ( that being the same as the chinese calendar). The first day of the new year starts in january or february in the Thai calendar and on this day Mien people stop working the field, do not kill any animals and do not hang clothes out. They believe that if they do not strictly follow the "no work" rules during this time bad things will happen to the village and the person who does not obey. Each village follows the chinese calendar and therefore each follows interdiction on the same day. The tiger sleep wickedness day ( Ging Da maw Puay). On this day the people must let the tiger sleep. They cannot make much noise or disturb the tiger because they believe that bad things will happen to the village. The people in the village will ask for help from the ancestor spirits to protect the tiger and not to make trouble for the people in the village. 1. The tiger walk wickedness day (Ging Da Maw Yang Jaw). This day is after tiger sleep day. This day the people ask their god to inspire the tiger away from the village. 2. The knife wickedness day (ging Hyu). On this day the people stop to working in the field to protect them from knife and axe. 3. The storm wickedness day (Ging Jyaw).On this day the people in the village are under interdiction so the storm does not damage their lives and properties. 4. The bird wickedness (Ging Hnor). On this day the people are under interdiction to protect their plants from the birds that come to damage them. 5. The rat wickedness day (Ging Hnaw). On this day the people in the village are under interdiction to protect the plants in the field from th rat.

6. The snake wickedness day (Ging Nang) this day the people in the village are under interdictions to protect the snake come to the house and ban a snake go to the forest when the people go there. 7. The caterpillar wickedness day (Ging Gang PAye) this day the people in the village are under interdiction to protect the caterpillar come to the house or interfere.

8. The Sky wickedness day (ging Ba Ong) this day the people believe that is the god birth day. Mien people do not go to work in the field or pestle rice. 9. Flood water wickedness day (Ging Hlow) this day the people are under the interdiction to protect their life, properties and vegetables from the flood. 10. The wickedness day (Ging Cheng Meng) this day the people in the village will offering food to ancestors’ spirits. 11. The Chun Pun wickedness day. This day the people in the village greet the new season and the rainy fallow the season that make the agriculture completely. 12. Liew Gha wickedness day. This day is the season change from the Chinese style. Some village the people believe that a man can not sleep in the day time because they believe that their heart terrified to live in the country that have only woman. 13. The Pua Chun wickedness day. This day is the people in the village will give offering food to ancestor’s spirit and other spirit in the village to protect them from the bad things and drive out the animal interfere their agricultures. 14. The Leab Chiaw wickedness day (Ging Lieb Chiaw). This day the people in the village will give offering food to the mountain, forest to ask them to protect their agricultures. 15. The ear of rice (Ging Gu Dong Jyud). This day the people in the village are under interdiction for the rice has an ear. 16. The Jeab Huem wickedness day. This day the people are under interdiction for the spirits to go to travel. 17. The Mien Poi Bua wickedness day. This day the people in the village take a tree star god come to dry in the sun. mien said “this is open one’s eyes ears” The Jea Chun Yang wickedness day, this day is the day for season change to winter. Some village call this ceremony is ban the rain to make a problem with the agricultural. In writing, Mien people will light the joss sticks in front of the door’s house and in that day the people in the village wear the Mien traditions clothes or hang in front of the house because they believe that the ancestor spirit will protect their lineages http://mien.hilltribe.org/english/

Life style : Mien entertainment

Now, the amusement of Mien people in their daily is fading away especially amusement for the older or the teenagers. The amusements for the kids as chase about that they play together boys and girls, a top spin, make a bamboo as a long leg to walk. Mien do not have the amusement in each culture or in the festival, they have amusements in the worship or ceremonies, frequently in wedding ceremony and the New Year that can have absolutely party, amusements. Mien forms of entertainment.

1.catapults (Tang-Gong) These are made from axils that look like the capital letter Y. Put a slingshot in the top of capital later Y, then they can use this as put the stone in the middle of the slingshot and shoot. 2.A bamboo gun (Phang-Phang) This is a favorite plaything of children. They use bamboo to make the gun, whiten other bamboo to serve as arrows and make bullets for shooting from fruit.

3. The pump (House- Dong-Fae) This is made from bamboo. makes the lift pump and put in the pump. Mien play with this by pumping the water in and squirting their friends. They play this game in the summer time.

4. Bamboo stilts (Ma-Gea- House) This is made from bamboo that lifts the wearer about two metres off the ground. For the pedal high from the ground around 50

centimeters or higher than depending on the player. This playing very enjoyable for the kids. This game can play in every season or ceremonies. They play this game by stand in the long leg bamboo and run.

5.The string trestle (Mah-Gea-Hang) it made from the stringThey take 2 bamboos and punch out the bamboos and put the string in the both of it. They play by nip the string by the finger toe.

6.Top spins (Ta-Hlow) This game is enjoyable but only for a boy. They play this game when have a free time from their work in the farm. Man will go to the forest to cut the wood to make the top. They made it by whittles it to acute or some people put the steel in the acute to make the top long cycle. They play by separate 2 teams and playing.

7. The marbles (Pu-See) The marbles is the one of the game of Mien’s kid. The kids will change the playing as the season change.

8.They play by flick the marble to the hole by hand. Banana leafstalk (Nom-Jew- Fad) They cut the banana leaf from the stalk and cut the stalk and cock up, and then flick the hand on it that will has the voice from it. This game very safety and it favorite for the kids. Information: From the book “The Local knowledge of Mien” http://mien.hilltribe.org/english/

Life style : Occupation

The main occupation of the Mien people is working in a drift plantation. Now there are more silver makers because the Mien people favor accessories made from silver. In the Mien village, there is a traditional accessories maker and is favored by the Mien people also. Despite the social changes, the Mien people can adapt themselves and have more occupations such as agriculture. Mien people plant the vegetables for their own consumption and not for sale. The Mien people will store the excess food for the dry season. They do not sell the crops that are grown in the first year of their plantation. Plantation. The plantation is the main occupation for the Mien people. In one year the Mien people will plant much more than they can for storage for the future. Every year the Mien people will change the kind of vegetables they plant. For example this year they plant pumpkins, the next year they will plant other kind of plants because they believe that if they plant the same thing every year the soil not be rich in the nutrients. In a couple of years, the Mien people will change the area for planting and move to a new area. When they plant rice, they will plant onion and parsley also in the same area. They often choose a place for planting in valleys between the mountains because it is closer to the river and is a low-lying land. Agriculture process. When the Mien people found a place for planting, the first step that they will do is mow the grasses until all of the grasses dry up, and the villagers will then burn them. In the rainy season, Mien people start planting vegetables. When the vegetables have grown for a while, the villager will start to mow the grasses again, until the time of harvest The obstacles of Farming. In the past, transportation is not convenient, and posed a big problem for the Mien people when they need to travel. The Mien people solved the problem by using animals as a mode of transportation, but the problem is not fully solved as the animals cannot carry a lot of things on them. Usually, the Mien people have their farms situated far away from their village. However, their farms are often destroyed by wild animals as they cannot take good care of

their paddy fields from their village. Thus, Mien people solved this problem by building a hut in the farm. Rearing of animals. The Mien people rear animals in their farms, and the type of animals they keep vary, depending on the preference of the family. Usually they rear pigs, chickens, horses and dogs. The most commonly reared animals are pigs and chickens because they are a food source for the people and are often used as offerings in rituals. The people keep horses because in the past, Mien preferred to use horses for transportation. As for the dogs, they can watch over the house and accompany their owner when they go for hunting in the forest. In the past, they just left the animals to roam around the village and would feed them twice a day, in the morning and evening. Now, the Mien people build fences for the pigs and chickens to protect them from wild animals.

http://mien.hilltribe.org/english/