The Influences of Christianity and Tourism on Akha Music in Northern Thailand VITAYATPRAPAIPHAN Nongyao A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Philosophy in Ethnomusicology •The Chinese University of Hong Kong June 2004 The Chinese University of Hong Kong holds the copyright of this thesis. Any person(s) intending to use a part or whole of the materials in the thesis in a proposed publication must seek copyright release from the Dean of the Graduate School. 1 6 OCT Mji| UNIVERSITY M NgoS^IBRARY SYSTEI^>^ Table of Contents Abstract i Acknowledgements 1 Preface 4 1. Introduction - Knowing the Akha a. Background 10 b. Problems the Akha People are Facing 16 c. Government Policy Towards the Akha and Hill Tribes in Northern Thailand 22 d. The Impact of Government Policy on the Akha People 27 e. Rituals and the Beliefs of the Akha 30 2. The Traditional Musical Life of the Akha 33 3. The Impact of Christianity on Akha Life and Musical Life 38 4. The Impact of Tourism on Akha Life and Musical Life 56 5. Prospects for the Traditional Musical Life of the Akha 65 6. Conclusion 73 Appendix I: Figures 82 Appendix II: Musical Examples 89 Bibliography 91 Abstract of thesis entitled: The Akha in Northern Thailand are an ethnic group who migrated from Yunnan to Burma or Laos and finally to Thailand. They now live in the high mountains of Northern Thailand in the provinces of Chiangmai and Chiangrai. Most of them live in poverty. The Thai Government has some programmes to improve their living conditions. The Christian missionaries also provide the Akha with education and medication. Christianity is making steady growth among the Akha. Traditionally, the Akha practice animism. Christianity has brought about cultural changes for the Akha as it has changed the core of their ritual life. The change is manifested in their culture and music. This Thesis is going to discuss the influences of Christianity and tourism on the musical life of the Akha in Northern Thailand from five perspectives: (1) General background of the Akha in Northern Thailand including problems they are facing, the Thai government's policy towards the Akha and hill tribes in Northern Thailand, the impact of Government policy and the authentic rituals and beliefs of the Akha; (2) The traditional musical life of the Akha which is mainly associated with rites and rituals; (3)The impact of Christianity on Akha life and music (4) The i impact of tourism on Akha life and music; (5) Prospects for the Akhas, traditional musical life. Submitted by VITAYATPRAPAIPHAN Nongyao for the degree of Master of Philosophy (in Ethnomusicology) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in June 2004. ii 內容提要： 散佈於泰國北部亞卡族是由中國雲南省遷進緬甸及察國，然 後越過邊境，進入泰國，主要聚居於清邁及清萊的高山，並且過着窮 困的生活丨。泰國政府巳採取一系列的政策，以改善他們的生活質素。 傳教士也爲這些山區居民提供教育及醫療。基督教的工作於泰北山區 亞卡族發展迅速。傳統亞卡族信奉泛靈信仰，基督教改變亞卡族的信 仰核心，這改變展現於他們的文化及音樂上。 本論文將透過五個角度探討基督教及旅遊對泰國北部亞卡族 的音樂及文化的影響：（一）泰國北部的亞卡族的背景、他們所面對 的問題、泰國政府所採取的政策、這些政策對他們的影響及介紹亞卡 族的傳統信念；（二）亞卡族的傳統音樂；（三）基督教對亞卡族的生 活及傳統音樂的影響；（四）旅遊事業對亞卡族的生活及傳統音樂的 影響；；（五）亞卡族傳統音樂的去向。 iii Acknowledgements I would like to offer my special thanks to people supporting me in this research topic. First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor J. Lawrence Witzleben, for his guidance, patience and support. He has spent a great deal of effort in enlightening me, guiding me and coaching me. Under his supervision, I have overcome many obstacles in incorporating my findings made during fieldwork into my thesis. I would also thank my informant Mr Prasert (Figure 1 )，the Director of the Tribal Research Institute in Chiangmai. He gave me lots of inspiration on the identity and status of minorities in Thailand. He drove me to Wat Se Soda' in Chiangmai to have an interview with a monk and gave me an article which he had just completed on "Government Policy for the Development of Highland People in Thailand.,，2 I would like to express my thanks and acknowledgement for his generosity in giving me his paper which has not yet been published. I would like to thank Mr Tavom (Figure 2), the Head of the Library in the Tribal Research Institute. He introduced me to the 1 Wat means a temple in Thai. Without Mr Prasert accompaniment, I could not go into the temple as a visitor, especially because I am a woman. 2 Mr Prasert had presented this paper at a Highland Peoples Programme Regional Workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia during 8 to 10 April, 1997. 1 characteristics of different minorities in Northern Thailand. Through his inspiration, I have chosen the Akha as my target of research. He also warned me on the dangers of staying in the field and advised on what should be taken to the field. I am grateful for his advice on what should be bought for the hill tribe people. I would also like to thank my friend, Sitipong (Figure 3)，whom I met only by coincidence. After reading a pamphlet I received about the Hilltribe Museum and Education Center, I went there to see if someone could take me up to the hills or gave me some more information, and then I met Sitipong, an officer in the PDA (Population and Community Development Association) in Chiangrai. He was always helpful in driving me to the villages, and with his accompaniment I have gained a lot of respect and help from the villagers. He is a Lahu, and now a Christian. I would also like to thank Mrs. Smolley (Figure 4)，my Akha teacher. She taught me the Akha language and demonstrated Akha myths so that I could have a better understanding of Akha culture. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family and friends for supporting and encouraging me. This is not an easy task. Without their support, I do not think I would have had the courage to go to the field and 2 without their encouragement, I do not think I could have completed the task. 3 Preface I was bom in Thailand. Thailand is a fantastic place. If you go to the Southern part of Thailand, it is easy for you to find a place to spend a relaxing beach holiday there. But if you go to Northern part of Thailand, trekking is a popular choice. While trekking, you will come across with lots of scattered hill tribe villages. Thailand is possibly the only country which allows travelers to visit hill tribe villages freely. There are six main hill tribes which migrated from Yunnan, then to Burma or Laos and finally into Thailand. These hill tribes are the Akha, Lahu, Lisu, Meo，Hmong and Karen. Each tribe has its own distinctive cultures and dialects. They are scattered throughout the mountains in the northern part of Thailand near Chiangrai and Chiangmai. These hill tribe villagers are all facing similar problems such as poverty, identity and the government policy on forestration, as well as the influence of western culture. The process can be obvious or not obvious, conscious or unconscious. Regardless of the process, the product - changes in their culture—is noticeable. In this Thesis, I am going to discuss the influences of Christianity and tourism on the musical life of the Akha in Northern 4 Thailand. I have no intention of criticizing the work of missionaries, and I will just illustrate the title on an objective basis. The approaches I have used are fieldwork, recordings and interviews. Since the summer of 2001, I have visited four Akha villages in Chiangrai in Northern Thailand. I have also visited the Tribal Research Institute in Chiangmai and have conducted valuable interviews with experts in hill tribe research in Northern Thailand. There are a few precious research findings about hill tribes in the library in this Research Institute. Unfortunately, all of them are in Thai. I can still speak some Thai, as it is my mother tongue. But reading research materials in Thai is a big challenge for me. I have visited the boarding house run by the China Evangelical Mission and visited two churches in two different Akha villages. There are books written on Thai classical music by Deborah Wong and and Terry E. Miller. But as far as I know, no research on the Akhas' music has been done by ethnomusicologists. There are a few books introducing the Akha, but research on the music of the hill tribes in Thailand is scarce. This makes my research extremely difficult. In Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, where famous universities can be found, not many courses are offered in ethnomusicology or on the of hill tribes' 5 music. For some Thai people, hill tribes are considered to be people of lower rank in their country, and they have little interest in investigating their life or music. The Thai Government takes an active role in promoting the life and music of hill tribes to tourists, but there is no such plan for cultivating the hill tribes' authentic cultures and music. As there are limited reading materials or courses offered on hill tribe music, my research has to depend mainly on first hand information. That is, I have to go to the field to collect information. Experts in the Tribal Research Institute speak mainly Thai, and some can speak good English. However, in the field, only the younger generation can speak some Thai, while most speak mainly Akha. Therefore, I have spent two months in Chiangmai learning Akha. My teacher, Mrs Smolly, is an Akha who is married to a Lahu. Two months of learning a language is insufficient. However, it helped a lot when I visited an Akha village. As I can speak limited Akha, they thought that I was not a tourist, but rather someone who would like to live with them.