The Karen Hilltribe

The Karen Hilltribe

Karen Hill Tribe are the largest of all the minority groups in Thailand comprising in total of around 300 thousand. They are divided into three main assemblages.

The Red Karen or Kayah is one such group. Another is the Black Karen or Pgo and the third one is the White Karen or Sgaw. Although some tribes continue to practice animistic and Buddhist teachings, many have converted to Christianity.The Karen can easily be recognized by their woven v-neck tunics and turbans of diverse natural colours.

Women who are not married will wear distinctive long white v-neck tunics. You will find the Karen engaging in agriculture such as tea and rice cultivation in the lowland areas. This tribe is environmentally conscious and will often be seen practicing crop rotation to help preserve the forests. The ones staying at home attending to the children are experts in the art of weaving.

Karen Hill Tribe

Young Karen Girls

From a very tender age, young Karen girls start to wear brass rings around their necks, arms and legs. Once they reach adulthood, the rings around their necks can easily add up to some 26 loops all in all while weighing over two kilograms. That's a heck of a lot of heavy metal to carry around for the rest of their lives.

And we are only talking about the metal on their necks! Now what about all the hardware on their arms and legs. These girls would certainly have a difficult time trying to go through customs at any airport. Removing the rings could seriously delay flights so be prepared for a long haul should one want to board your plane.

Okay! I know that I am just fooling around here but it makes you think that some of us are lucky enough to be able to travel worldwide with modern transport and not have to trek around on foot most of the time. Can you imagine having to live in a remote village or worse, a refugee camp all your life? I should think not.

Remote Karen Refugee Village

Karen Hill Tribe

Questions Raised

The big question often asked is whether the rings can ever be removed without severe neck injuries or will the necks of these ladies simply snap. I should imagine this would depend entirely on individual circumstances. One would have to consider how long the rings have been on.

Another would be, how long the neck has grown or perhaps even, how sturdy the neck is once the rings are removed.Some say that the rings cannot be removed as the ladies would no longer be able to hold their heads high. Well some young girls seen in the villages have had their hardware removed and you can clearly see their elongated necks yet somehow they seem to be perfectly happy at play. Their are many disputes regarding this.

According to a Ripley's believe-it-or-not documentary film, one Karen women had her rings removed only to complain of intense pain and immediately asked to have her rings re-attached. It is said that the wearing of brass rings helps to project their tribal identity. Long Neck Women or Giraffe Women are some of the words often used to describe these elongated necks of the Karen Tribe.

Long Neck Woman

Karen Hill Tribe

Long Necked Karen of Baan Nai Soi

Travel 25 kilometers or 15 miles from Mae Hong Son towards the Burmese border in northern Thailand and you will reach the village of Ban Nai Soi. At some point along the way you will pass a Thai check point but please don't be alarmed as the army are only on the lookout for drug smugglers and the occasional Burmese military. I sure hope that you are neither.

Anyway Thai's are very well known for their hospitality and this army will surely give you a smile as they wave you on. This well travelled road is fairly reasonably for most of the way. A little further up from the village you will come across the Paduang Karen Tribe refugee camp. Many tourists arrive here to get a glimpse into the lives of these fascinating long neck dwellers. Taking photographs will probably be the order of the day here.

The area around the refugee village is a hive of activity with farmers tending to their fields, women in the village helping men construct new roofs for their huts, adolescents studying under their homes and little old ladies carrying their daily pickings in wicker baskets on their heads along a stretch of dirt and dusty road.

HISTORY:

Karen believe they came from a place they denote a "Thibi Kawbi". Some feel that this is their representation of the lands of Tibet and southern Gobi desert. However during the 18th century the Karen began to move southward, across the Salveen River from Burma to the Thai Payap (old northern kingdom of Siam).

The Karen, like our American Indians, do not recognize the political borders of the regions in which they live. Thus you will find both tribal sects transversing across the borders into Burma and Tibet for family and economical purposes. This leaves no little problem to the operation of border patrols in the countries involved. Many times in their history they been caught between warring factions in their traditional habitats and been forced to feed and clothe rebel forces and regular troops alike or suffer death.

Currently there have been no large migrations of Karen into Thailand. However there are the occasional nomadic movements of whole Burmese Karen villages over the border when the harsh military government of Burma presses and unrest with which it burdens these people.

It was the people called the Yuan of the Thai Payap that helped the Karen move into Thailand and near another Thai tribal group called the Thai Lawa (Lua). Today many Karen villages are near the hospitable Lawa settlements and there has been a natural exchange of cultural ethics and crafts. Like most of Thailand, dissimilar peoples live peacefully near each other.

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.

Read More  http://karenhilltribe.blogspot.com/

  

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http://karen.hilltribe.org/english/karen-newyear.php

Hmong Meo hilltribe

Hmong Meo

The Hmong are divided in two sub-groups, White and Blue, and to be found in mountainous regions of China. Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. In Thailand there are probably about 60000 Hmong people settled in villages throughout a wide area of the north, with perhaps another 50000 refugees from Laos living in camps located near the northeastern border of the country. These ethnic group originates in western China.

 
The Hmong live in houses that sit right on the ground, not on stilts as do some other hilltribes. However, the main floor of their houses is not at ground level, but rests upon a kind of above-ground basement or root cellar that they use for food storage. For a long time the Hmong have supported themselves by the cultivation of opium poppy. Most of the Hmong people are turning from opium growing, and are now seeking to market their exquisite needlework in order to supplement their income.

Hmong women traditionally make clothing for their families from cotton or hemp. Their clothing is richly decorated with magnificent embroidery and silver jewelry. Blue Hmong women wear beautiful pleated skirts with bands of red, blue and white intricately embroidered. Jackets are of black satin, with widee orange and yellow embroidered cuffs and lapels. White Hmong women wear black baggy trousers with a long wide blue cummerbund. 

Their jackets are simple, with blue cuffs. Hmong men make crossbows, musical instruments, and other items of wood, bamboo and rattan. Many of the men are als skilled in blacksmithing and gunsmithing. 

The Hmong are strict animists, whose shamans use dramatic methods to contact the spirits. So far there have been few converts to christianity or buddhism.

The Hmong are diligent and independent people, fond of wearing their silver ornaments during ceremonies and much devoted to the sky spirit they believe has created their own ancient way of life.

History of Hmong :

Legend puts the Hmong coming from a icy land to the North. It is suspected that they migrated from the steppes of Siberia, Tibet and Mongolia. Records of the Chinese have them living on the Yellow River, 3000 years ago. Centuries of Chinese subjugation have given rise to periodic migration for their quest for freedom. It was in the latter years of the 19th century when the independent Hmong could not be found within the borders of China.
During W.W.II Chinese Nationalists tried to stop the Hmong from speaking their own language and practicing any other aspect of their culture; but without much success. This action only fanned the flames of mutual disrespect and drive the Hmong further south in search for better living conditions. Today there are still 3 million Hmong-descendant people living within the borders of the Peoples Republic of China.
The Hmong in the Thai Payap have been present for an estimated 200 years. Coming over the political borders of Laos, they established villages high in the mountains and remained comparatively independent of any other tribal group. The Hmong are now found in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Burma. During the Vietnam War many Hmong worked for the U.S. and many were air-lifted to North America; unfortunately some were left behind. There are reported to be about 12 major Clans that can trace their family history as far back as 1,000 years in China.

Read More http://hmonghilltribe.blogspot.com

  

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The Lisu Hill Tribe

The Lisu Hill Tribe

If you are a traveler who desires to go beyond the standard tourist attractions and engage yourself in local culture and lifestyle the Lisu people invite you to live in their village homes and enjoy warm hospitality. 

They are eager to share their crafts skills and peaceful way of life with you.

The Lisu people are a semi nomadic indigenous tribe who originally lived in Tibet. Over the past three hundred years they have migrated down through China, Burma, and Laos. About 80 years ago they began to settle in the mountains of North Thailand along the border of Burma (Myanmar).  Our purpose is to show you how the Lisu Hill tribe live and work and play by being a part of the village doing as the Lisu do on a daily basis.

The Lisu Culture is rarely accurately documented but it is a culture formed centuries ago and is in major transition today.   Come with us to understand the ways and culture of this colourful and fascinating ancient people before they assimilate into the dominant Thai culture.

 
You are invited to live in the village of  Nong Tong a small an easy accessable Lisu settlement to experience hill tribe life a first hand.  The town of  'Pangmapha' Formerly known as Soppong is Situated just 45 kilometres from the popular town of  'Pai' Northern Thailand.

Experience the Lisu lifestyle, observe and partake in traditional activities, rituals and customs.

HISTORY:

Interestingly enough, the Lisu have in their history the legend of a Great Flood that killed all but two individuals. The only two survivors of this flood were a boy and his younger sister. Because of a taboo of incestuous relations, they endured a number of "tests" to make sure that they should marry; each test attesting to the fact that they should. Many children came of this union who paired up and became progenitors of all the different Hilltribes. Until there came a time when there were one girl short. An Akha man had no wife so hi went into the jungle and married a monkey. It goes without saying what the Lisu think of the Akha. 

Like all but the Mien Hilltribe People, the Lisu have no written language. The origin legend tells of their migration from the Salween River, located in Burma. They have less Chinese features than other Hilltribes and it is thought that they have been moving from the interior of Burma for at least a century. Among all of the Hilltribes, the Lisu have the least known about their origins, and their legends do not specifically tell of any other history than that from the Burmese interior. 

Historically, the Lisu villages have been built near high fresh water streams, but not too close for fear of the mystical powers that they believe reside in the stream itself. Bamboo piping will be used for an aqueduct to carry water from one side of a mountain ridge to the other in order for a village to have an abundant supply.


Read More http://lisuhilltribe.blogspot.com

  

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Lahu Hilltribe

 Lahu Hilltribe

The Lahu are a strong independent and very diverse ethnic group 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.

HISTORY:

Like most Hilltribes, the Lahu have their origin in southwestern China. In about 1830 there were already some Lahu villages located in the Kengtung State of Burma. By 1870 the Lahu had moved across the northern Burmese border in fear of their lives from the government of Burma. They moved into the northern highlands and valleys of Siam. By the 20th century Lahu villages were discovered as far south as Fang, just 70km north of Chiangmai.

Burma has long been the oppressor of Hilltribe people, and it is not only the Lahu who have experienced their wrath. In order to make these independent peoples succumb to a despotic rule, many Hilltribe people have been killed.

The Lahu have always referred to themselves as the "people of Blessing". That is, they have always thought that the blessings of health, sufficient food to eat and security for their families were the greatest gifts that their Creator could bestow.

They have used the term, Boon (or merit) to denote the form in which this Blessing is given. Lahu often refer to themselves as Bon Yu or the "children of the Blessing."
The Lahu have now embraced many of the ways of missionary peoples that have lived among them since the end of World War Two. It is a fact of social change that in the near future many of the customs of the old Lahu will have given way to the "consumer passion" that is now evident in Southeast Asia. Radio, television and print media are fast altering this tribal peoples.

Read More  http://lahuhilltribe.blogspot.com

http://www.tayara.com/club/hilltribe.htm#Lahu
http://lahu.hilltribe.org/english/

The Long Neck Hilltribe

The Long-Necked Hilltribe

Have you ever been in a car for a long time when you have gone somewhere far? I am sure most people have done it before and I don’t think anyone likes it. For me, I don‘t just dislike it, I would say that I “hate” it. But now, after I went on a trip from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son in Northern Thailand, I would say that I prefer to be in a car all day on a straight road than being in a car for five or six hours on a windy road.

During the summer holidays in 2002, I went on a photo trip with Richard to other provinces as usual. We always do that when we have long holidays. We are hoping to go to all 76 provinces in Thailand to take pictures of tourist attractions for one of my websites (www.thailandguidebook.com). This time we headed for Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son. But when we were in Chiang Mai, we realized that it was a big province and that it wasn‘t easy to get around and see everything. So, we decided to only go to Mae Hong Son. It was a really good trip, really fun. I think it was the number one road trip adventure I have ever had in my life.

We set off from the guesthouse in Chiang Mai early, hoping to get to Mae Hong Son before lunch time. I wanted to be able to take a break before taking pictures. It was only 250 kilometres away from Chiang Mai so we thought it wouldn’t take long to get there but we were wrong. We forgot that we were in the north and that there are lots of mountains and hills. The road to Mae Hong Son is very windy and hilly. In fact, there are 1,894 bends in the road. So, we couldn’t drive fast. The fastest we could do was only 80 kms/hour. I think we were lucky because we didn’t meet many trucks and cars. Along the way the views were very beautiful and we stopped many times to take pictures.

We didn’t arrive in Mae Hong Son until late afternoon so I only had time to take a few pictures of a couple of temples there. Even though I wasn’t the one who drove there all the way, I felt very weary. As the sun was setting we went to look for a guesthouse and we found one by the lake which looked nice. I looked at Lonely Planet to get an idea of the price. The guidebook said 250 baht for a room with two beds, air-conditioning and bathroom. It is quite cheap so we went to park the car and went to check-in. We were shocked after we heard that the price had been changed to 600 baht. We thought it was expensive but we were too tired to bother. I went to get my suitcase in the back of the car and went straight to the room. I took a shower then went to bed straight away.

We left the guesthouse the next morning at about 7.30 a.m. and went to find the way to go to the village of the Karen people or the long necked hilltribe. I looked at the city map that the tourist office gave me. There are three villages that we could visit: one is small, one is big and one that you can only go by boat. We decided to go to the biggest one and it is also the famous one called Nai Soi village. From the map, It looked easy to go there but really it wasn’t like that. There wasn’t any signs by the side of the main road to tell us which lane to go down too, so I had to keep asking for the way. Then when we found the way after I saw a small sign in the ditch that said “Long Necked Hill Tribe. Turn left here”.

These are some pictures of a hilltribe's village in Mae Hong Son province in the north of Thailand. They are "Karen Hilltribe" or as everyone knows them, "Long-necked Hilltribe".

We kept following the signs until there wasn’t any more signs so we just drove around trying to find the way ourselves. We were in a small village when we saw a lady running to us. She asked us where we were going. I told her. Then she said she would take us there because the way isn’t good and better not to risk damaging the car. We went on her pick-up truck to go there. Lucky we met her so we didn’t have to lose more time finding the way. The road to the hilltribe village was really bad. We had to cross a small ford in a river as well.

Visiting this hilltribe village is the main local attraction for people who come to Mae Hong Son. It's not that easy to go to their village by yourself but don't worry, you can join a tour. It's expensive for foreigner because you have to pay 250 baht to go in the village alone. I went to this place in April 2002.

At first, I thought she was just being kind to us but really she was just trying to make some commission for taking us there. When we arrived there, Richard went to pay the fee by the entrance. I couldn’t believe it cost 250 baht for foreigners but FREE for Thai people. Why did they do that for? Can’t it be the same or a little different? Even though tourists don’t pay tax I still think that it shouldn’t be this expensive. I felt sorry for Richard as he is a teacher and pays the same taxes as other teachers at my school. He told me not to complain as he knew that at least some of the money went to the hill tribe people.

We went in and walked around. I was really excited because I had been wanting to see a real famous long necked hill tribe for a long time. But after I had walked around for a while, I started to have second thoughts. How would I feel if some people walked down my road to take pictures of my mum doing the washing or me cleaning my motorcycle? They are human too, not some animals in the zoo. I did hear that a few years ago they had started to stop wearing the ring around their necks. But they started to wear it again because they realized that they could get money from the tourists who came to take their pictures. Also they could sell some souvenirs to get money. So, I think the main reason they are still wearing it now is because of us. I read somewhere that in the past they wore the ring on their neck to protect it from tigers but now they wear it to attract tourists.

While I was looking at the souvenirs, a long necked girl came out and showed me more souvenirs. She was cute with beautiful, long black hair. She looked about my age and could easily have been a student at my school if she didn’t have the ring on her neck. I bought some postcards there and then asked her some questions about the ring. She told me it is one long ring like a spring and it is made from brass. Her one weighed about five kilograms and some people she knows had brass rings weighing as much as twenty kilograms!!! I asked her if her neck really got longer and she said that the ring pushes her collarbone down which makes it look longer. God!!! It would hurt for sure. I could see that she was making every movement very slowly. Before I left I asked her how many tourists came to the village a day. She told me she was not sure but there weren’t more than 50 a day. After we had finished talking, we said goodbye and I went back to meet the lady who took us here.

We went back to the village where we had left our car. We got off the pick up truck. Richard asked me should we give her some money but I said don’t because she was just being kind and anyway she got some commission. Then we walked back to our car. When we arrived at the car, I saw that the lady was walking to us so I thought I had forgotten something in the pick up truck. But she didn’t walk to me, she walked up to Richard and asked for 200 baht. Richard gave it to her. After that, we didn’t think she was a nice lady after all. We drove back to the guesthouse and when we arrived there, I went straight to bed without taking a shower or even washing my face. I was really tired. I lied down on the bed like a dead body.

Read More http://karenhilltribe.blogspot.com/ 

  

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ชาวอาข่า ในประเทศไทย

รวม “รายการพันแสงรุ้ง ตอน ชาวอาข่า”

รายการพันแสงรุ้ง ตอน ชาวอาข่า

เรื่องราวของชาวอาข่า “ชนเผ่าพื้นเมืองอาข่า” ที่ไม่เคยเปิดเผยที่ไหนมาก่อน

ไม่มี “มิดะ” ไม่มี “กะลาล่าเซอ” ไม่มี “ลานสาวกอด”

บางคนย้อนถามว่า ช่วงที่่เพลง “มิดะ” ดังใหม่ๆ ทำไมจึงไม่มีชาวอาข่าหรือนักเรียนนักมนุษยชนหน้าไหนลุกขึ้นมาประท้วง ไยจึงปล่อยให้บทเพลงนี้มีอิทธิพลต่อการรับรู้ในสังคมไทยอยู่นาน

คำตอบก็คือ เพราะชาวอาข่ายุคสามสิบปีก่อน มีข้อจำกัดในการฟังภาษาไทย เมื่อมีคนมาสอบถามว่าที่นั่นมี “มิดะ” จริงหรือ ก็พยักพเยิดหน้า เนื่องจากฟังคล้ายๆกับคำว่า “หมี่ดะ” ด้วยความบริสุทิธิ์ใจจริงๆ ที่ไม่รู้ว่า “มิดะ” ในมุมมองของคนนอกนั้นหมายถึงอะไร

ในภาษาอาข่าไม่มี “มิดะ” มีแต่คำว่า “หมี่ดะ” หมายถึง หญิงสาวในวัยพร้อมจะมีครอบครัว คือชาวอาข่าแบ่งชื่อเรียกผู้หญิงตามช่วงวัยทั้ง 4

ทารกแรกเกิดถึง 12 ขวบ เรียกว่า “อะบู้ยะ” โตเป็นสาวแรกรุ่นอายุ 13-17 ปี เรียกว่า “หมี่เดอเดอจ๊อง” โดยกำหนดให้ใส่หมวกลักษณะหนึ่ง ครั้นอายุ 18-24 ปี เรียกว่า “หมี่ดะ” คือ พร้อมที่จะแต่งงาน ต้องใส่เครื่องประดับเต็มยศมีขนไก่ หลังจากอายุ 24 ปีขึ้นไป เรียกว่า “หมี่เด๊ะ” คือเป็นแม่เหย้าแม่เรือนแล้ว

ไม่มีอะไรซับซ้อนซ่อนเงื่อนอยู่เบื้องหลังคำว่า “หมี่ดะ” ก็เป็นแค่หญิงสาวในวัยหนึ่ง

ส่วน “กะลาล่าเซอ” ที่บุญช่วยให้คำจำกัดความว่า หมายถึง “ลานสาวกอด” หรือ “ลานรักลานสวรรค์” จนเรามองเห็นภาพหญิงสาวนั่งชิงช้าเย้ายวนรอให้ชายหนุ่มมาเล้าโลม หากชายหนุ่มเลือกกอดหญิงสาวคนใดแล้ว ฝ่ายหญิงมีใจปฏิพัทธ์ก็จะกอดตอบ เป็นอันว่าต่างคนต่างเจอเนื้อคู่ที่ถูกใจ แต่หากกอดแล้วถูกหญิงสาวผลักไส ก็แสดงว่าหล่อนไม่เล่นด้วย เมื่อหน้าแตกก็ต้องไปไล่กอดสาวคนใหม่อีก

หญิงสาวอาข่า

นั่นคือภาพ “ลานสาวกอด” ที่บุญช่วยพรรณาไว้ แต่แท้จริงแล้วไม่มี “กะลาล่าเซอ” ไม่มี “ลานสาวกอด” ในบริบททางวัฒนธรรมของอาข่า

ภาษาอาข่ามีแต่คำว่า “กะล้าหละเฉ่อ” โดยแยกเป็นสองคำ “กะล้า” คือคำเรียกคนฝรั่งหรือคนแขกแปลกหน้า ทำนองแขกกุลา ส่วน “หล่ะเฉ่อ” คือ “ชิงช้า” ซึ่งชาวอาข่าตั้งชิงช้าสูงไว้ที่ลานกว้าง ลานนี้เรียกว่า “แดข่อง” หรือ “แตห่อง” เพื่อรองรับประเพณีโล้ชิงช้า มีขึ้นในช่วงเดือนสิงหาคมของทุกปี เป็นพิธีเฉลิมฉลองความอุดมสมบูรณ์ของผลิตผลพืชไร่ แต่ยามที่ไม่มีพิธีใดๆ คนทั่วไปก็สามารถมานั่งเล่นชิงช้านั้นได้ และชิงช้านี้มักเป็นที่นิยมของหญิงสาววัย “หมี่ดะ” ที่ชอบมาพบปะพูดคุยกัน

เพราะฉะนั้น กะล้าหละเฉ่อ หากแปลตรงตัวจึงหมายถึง ชิงช้าฝรั่ง ที่ประดิษฐ์ขึ้นมาเหมือนชิงช้าสวรรค์ ชิงช้าหมุน เพื่อความบันเทิงสนุกสนาน ไม่เห็นเกี่ยวอะไรกับลานวัฒนธรรมและประเพณีโล้ชิงช้าของชาวอาข่าเลย

การพบปะกันที่ลานกว้างนั้น เป็นไปในลักษณะคล้ายลานวัฒนธรรม ลานที่ทุกคนมารวมตัวกัน คราวที่ต้องทำพิธีกรรมศักดิ์สิทธิ์ในวงวัฏ เกิด แก่ เจ็บ ตาย ฝังศพ แต่งงาน หรือใช้เป็นลานเล่านิทาน สุภาษิต แม่สอนลูก ปูสอนหลาน

    ไม่ใช่ลานสำหรับกอดสาว หรือ ลานของหญิงหม้ายเจ้าเสน่ห์มาสาธยายชั้นเชิงกามรสแบบประเจิดประเจ้อ!

ที่มา หนังสือพิมพ์มติชน สุดสัปดาห์ ฉบับที่ 1621 หน้าที่ 75-76

ระหว่างศิวิไลซ์ กับป่าเถื่อน คำประกาศจากเyจ้าของวัฒนธรรม

นักมานุษยวิทยารุ่นใหม่หลายคนยังคงคลาง แคลนใจ จึงตั้งสมมติฐานว่า หากแม้น “มิดะ” หรือ “กะลาล่าเซอ” มีอยู่จริงในสังคมชาวอาข่า ก็ไม่น่าจะใช่เรื่องเสียหาย หรือสะท้อนภาพความป่าเถื่อนแต่อย่างใดไม่

หนุ่มสาวอาข่า

ในมุมกลับกัน สังคมใดก็ตามที่มีการเปิดโอกาสให้หนุ่มสาวได้ลองถูกลองผิด เรียนรู้จักกันด้วยตัวเองก่อนแต่งงาน อาจมีการถูกเนื้อต้องตัวสัมผัสรัดกอดกันบ้าง ก็ย่อมน่าจะศิวิไลซ์กว่าสังคมที่ลูกสาวต้องยอมจำนนต่อการที่บุพการีเลือกคู่ ครองให้ในลักษณะคลุมถุงชน
แต่ขอประทานโทษ ชาวอาข่าหาได้ยินดีกับคำยกย่องในมิติที่เห็นว่า พวกเขาเป็นสังคมที่เปิดกว้างเสรีภาพทางเพศตามแนวคิดแบบปรัชญาตะวันตกไม่
พวกเขายังคงยืนยันว่า ในประวัติศาสตร์มนุษยชาติของชาวอาข่าที่สืบทอดกันมานานกว่า 33 ชั่วอายุคน ไม่ว่าจะเป็นพี่น้องอาข่าที่อาศัยอยู่บนแผ่นดินผืนใด ทั้งในประเทศไทย จีน ลาว พม่า เนปาล หรือไม่ว่าจะอยู่ในยุคสมัยใด ทั้งอดีต ปัจจุบัน และอนาคต

ชาวอาข่าไม่เคยมีเรื่องมิดะอยู่จริง และมิใช่ว่าเคยมีอยู่จริงในยุคที่บุญช่วยไปเก็บข้อมูลเมื่อเกือบ 70 ปีก่อน แต่แล้วแอบยกเลิกไปเพราะความหวั่นไหวอับอายต่อคำครหานินทาของคนชาติพันธุ์ อื่น แล้วเพิ่งมาออกตัวแ้ก้เก้อ

ในเมื่อมันไม่เคยมีอยู่จริง ก็ต้องยืนกรานประกาศให้เสียงดังก้องโลก ว่าโปรดหยุดทำร้าย “หมี่ดะ” หญิงสาวพรหมจรรย์ผู้บริสุทธิ์ ด้วยภาพลักษณ์ของ “มิดะ”

กลุ่มผู้นำอาข่า

ฉะนั้น เมื่อเราอ่านหนังสือเรื่อง “30 ชาิติในเชียงราย” ของบุญช่วย ศรีสวัสดิ์ แล้วพบเรื่องราว “มิดะ” โปรดพึงทำใจไว้ว่า เรากำลังอ่านนิทาน หรือยามที่เรากำลังเสพงานคีตศิลป์ชิ้นเยี่ยมที่เต็มเปี่ยมไปด้วยจินตนาการ
คงไม่ต้องถึงกับปฏิบัติการไล่ล่า “ภารกิจปิดฝังมิดะ” ตามเก็บกวาดล้างเทปซีดีเพลงมาเผาทำลาย หรือจะต้องขอถอนรายชื่อหนังสือ “30 ชาติในเชียงราย” ออกจากหนังสือหนื่งในร้อยเล่มที่คนไทยต้องอ่านหรอก

มองมุมกลับกัน ทั้ง บุญช่วย ศรีสวัสดิ์ และจริญ มโนเพ็ชร ทั้งสองคือผู้จุดสะกิดสะเกาบาดแผลให้นักมนุษยวิทยาต้องลุกขึ้นมาเต้นผาง ทบทวนองค์ความรู้ทางวิชาการด้านชาติพันธุ์วรรณาที่เราเคยทระนงตนว่า “ชาวเรารู้จักชาวเขา” แล้วเป็นอย่างดี ว่า คำพูดนั้นมีความศักดิ์สิทธิ์มากน้อยเพียงไหน

เชื่อว่าคงไม่ใช่เผ่่าอาข่าเพียงกลุ่มเดียวเท่านั้นที่เป็นผู้ถูกกระทำ
นี่ยังไม่รวมถึงความคิดของชนชั้นกลางชาวกรุงที่ภักดีต่อสถาบันและพรรค อนุรักษ์ขวาตกขอบ ที่ดาหน้ากันออกมาประณามคนบ้านนอกคอกตื้อแถบภาคเหนือ ภาคอีสานว่า เป็นลาวโง่จนเจ็บ ถูกหลอกซื้อเสียงช่วงการเลือกตั้งที่ผ่านมา

ช่องว่างระหว่าง อคติ นิทาน กับข้อเท็จจริง ที่ผู้ดีในสังคมไทยฝากบาดแผลร้าวลึกไว้กับคนชายขอบทุกชาติพันธุ์ ถูกหมักหมมมานานหลายศตวรรษ ถึงเวลาที่ความคลี่คลายปมปัญหาอย่างเป็นองคาพยพแล้วหรือยัง โดยใช้กรณี “มิดะ” “กะลาล่าเซอ” เป็นภารกิจนำร่องอย่างด่วนๆ

ที่มา หนังสือพิมพ์มติชน สุดสัปดาห์ ฉบับที่ 1621 หน้า 76

คือ “มิดะ” ในจินตนาการกับนิทาน “ลานสาวกอด”

ในยุคที่บุญช่วยต้้องดั้นด้นไปสืบค้นข้อมูลบนดอยสูงนั้น เขาปุเลงปุเลงไปตัวคนเดียวแบบไม่มีล่าม จะว่าไปแล้ว การสื่อสารกันคนละภาษา น่าจะเป็นข้อจำกัดอย่างยิ่งยวดในการทำงานของนักเขียนวสารคดีรุ่นเ่ก่า

หมี่ดะ

หนังสือที่จะใช้อ้างอิงแต่ละเล่มก็ช่างจำกัดจำเขี่ยเหลือทน เพราะเขาเป็นคนพื้นราบรายแรกๆที่อาจหาญชาญชัยบุกเข้าไปคลุกคลีตีโมงกับคน หลากเชื้อชาติหลายภาษามากถึง 30 ชนเผ่า ข้อมูลบางส่วนนั้นเขาต้องอาศัยการแปลมาจากหนังสือของนักมานุษยวิทยาชาวตะวัน ตก
งานเขียนของบุญช่วยจังไม่ใช่ข้อเท็จจริงแบบงานวิจัยเชิงวิชาการเต็มร้อย แต่มันน่าจะมีคุณค่าฐานะ “สารคดีเรื่องเล่า” ที่ช่วยเปิดโลกแห่งการรับรู้เรื่องชนกลุ่มน้อยในสยามให้แก่ผู้สนใจพอเป็นปฐม บท
  ทว่า ณ วันนี้ เยาวชนอาข่ามีโอกาสได้เรียนหนังสือสูงขึ้น หลายคนจบปริญญาเอกปริญญาโท พรมแดนที่เคยขีดเส้นแบ่งให้พวกเขาต้องกลายเป็นตัวประหลาด ตลอดระยะเวลาอันยาวนานที่ถูกคนพื้นราบกระแหนะกระแหนว่า “อีก้อกินเนื้อหมา” หรือ “นี่ไงมิดะมั่วเซ็กซ์” ย่อมต้องได้รับการทบทวนข้อบิดเบือนนั้นอย่างเป็นกระบวนการ

สตรีอาข่าวันนี้จักไม่ยอมจำนนต่อภาพนางบาปเหมือนดังอดีตอีกต่อไป

ข้อมูล บทความส่วนหนึ่ง จาก หนังสือพิมพ์มติชน สุดสัปดาห์ ฉบับที่ 1621 ประจำวันที่ 9-15 กย.54  โดย เพ็ญสุภา สุขคตะ ใจอินทร์
หมายเหตุ ผมยกมาแค่ช่วงหนึ่งของบทความ จะพยายามลงให้ครบ (ยาวถึง 2 หน้าหนังสือพิมพ์)

 

http://www.iamakha.com/

The Akha hilltribe

The Akha hilltribe

Akha Book: The Akha and the Phu Noi Minorities of Laos in the 1920's

Sept 30, 2011
By Henri Roux
The Akha and Phu Noi Minorities of Laos in the 1920s presents a wealth of data and a number of unique period photographs, collected by a French military administrator, of the area around Phongsaly, then the Fifth Military Territory in northern Laos. It is fair to say that this book presents a rare view of the original condition of these tribal populations as the observations date from the early 1920s when very few Europeans had been in this area. The text systematically reviews all that there was to know about these people: origins, physical characteristics, dwellings, customs and sorcery, ceremonies and feasts, ownership and economics, social relations, legends, even the dream world and the significance of omens are discussed. The measurement, time and writing systems and a number of typical texts have also been included. Together with rare period photographs not found elsewhere this book also provides an ethnographic treasure trove for people interested in the authentic textiles and material cultures of these two groups. Introduction
There is no better way to start the introduction to these detailed studies than to translate the footnote Chef de Bataillon Henri Roux de l’Infanterie Coloniale, the author of this work, put at the beginning of his text, published in the 24th volume of the much praised Bulletin de l’École Française d’Extrême Orient:
‘The notes that follow have been written when I commanded the 5th Territoire Militaire, in Phongsaly, in the north of Laos, on the border with Yunnan. 

The information has in general been collected during my rounds, during nights in camp. The two secretary-interpreters of the territory: Tsan-Man Chuy for things concerning the Akhas, and Phouy for what relates to the Phu Nois, have been for me valuable collaborators. It is only fair to give them the praise they deserve for their patience and their devotion. The transcription I followed is that of quoc-ngu with the following additions: p’ = aspired p (ph = f), sh = lingual s.’ 

This was one of just a few footnotes, and translators the world over love such people—a military man he was too as we gain the impression that no detail was too unimportant to be recorded in order to secure the final goal: to know these people and to know them well. One wonders whether one should add: ‘just in case …’ as an afterthought, because Roux served ‘on the border with Yunnan’. Besides, the transcription he proposed has not been followed consistently. 

Nothing would come of radical thoughts of revolt, such as the Meos had staged, and modernization alone would do the job for a number of decades, at least until the 1960s, of changing—or maybe corrupting—these people. Now, at least the Akhas enjoy worldwide attention as a tourist attraction. I believe that would have filled the major with sadness, and so would quite a number of websites proclaiming their objective of attempting to help the Akhas retain their cultural identity. Symptomatic of the nature of the interest are the various spellings of the names of the Akhas and Phu Nois that are found all over the internet’s information tsunami. For the sake of readability and in order that place names can be found, not only on French maps (which often have different spellings from the texts in which they are incorporated), but also in the field, as little ‘modernization’ as possible is undertaken by translators. But we often have to adopt, or do away with, the unavoidable and oh-so-French ‘ou’. But, we were speaking about ‘mœurs et coutumes’, that almost untranslatable and largely tautological phrase that every dictionary of the last 200 years refuses to include as an idiomatic expression. But we know what it means, and quietly hope that this little volume will help to restore them in their original form among the Akhas and the Phu Nois.
The little volume you have in your hand first appeared in 1924. With some delay for the work to be polished and published we can assume that the information contained in it dates from the first year or so of the 1920s. The author refers to 1921 for some information and also to his long stay of some eight years in the colony. Therefore, this book stands—and stands tall—as a baseline, because nothing much had been achieved in spreading French culture in Laos in the thirty or so years it had been under the benevolent protectorate of France. Administration, if left alone 10,000 kilometers from Paris, does not do much damage and rarely overshadows anything. It just costs money and hence causes taxation—and even on this the major reported a certain amount, albeit not in extenso. Before that period, however, there must have been other influences, but they must have been instead of Chinese or perhaps other montagnard nature. A fascinating thought indeed. One just wonders whether there were only the little coins that were adopted as ‘jewelry’ by various tribes—even if its silver content kept diminishing? Trade in this area, with China and perhaps the Red River areas all the way to the Vietnamese coast, must have had a spin-off even in the make up and fashion of the women of these tribes. The work of Roux shows that at least they had made a distinction between dress, ceremonial dress and everyday working clothes to wear when toiling on mountain paths and in rais. Only women wear such clothes. Even in near-military reports one can read between the lines … 

We have omitted only some vocabularies from the original work, as they are very limited and surely have been made obsolete by dictionaries published since the 1920s. We have preserved some texts as their contents may have a documentary value, despite all the difficulties of transcribing phonetically sounds western ears believe they have discerned. Because of poor rendering and the simplification of pronunciation and transcription, Phu Nois or Akhas aspiring to a career in sorcery are advised to look elsewhere. Although the photographs included here have great documentary value their technical quality, as reprinted on the plates added to the original publication in the Bulletin, is less than perfect. Little figures scattered around in different paragraphs are almost too poor to reprint but one never knows, there might be experts who are able to interpret details that escape the attention of a run-of-the-mill translator. Besides, White Lotus Press has previously published several volumes containing outstanding photographs of minorities of the Lao mountains and Yunnan border areas, notably, the Pavie Mission Reports, Maurice Abadie’s Minorities of the Sino-Vietnamese Borderland, Charles Robequain’s Photographic Impressions of French Indochina, Albert Sarraut’s Indochina and Jean Renaud’s Laos in the 1920s. The Gods, Monks and Mountains of Laos. 

The latter volume gives a good general idea of the attitude of French colonialists and the colonial administration towards peoples that they pejoratively grouped under the name Kha, mostly in Laos and Siam, or Moï, in Vietnam. Jean Renaud being a political man, that book is in a sense complementary to the ‘dry’ reporting of Henri Roux, who clearly loved ‘his people’. The page facing the title page of this book lists a number of related works published by White Lotus Press, both new texts and the first English translations of others, for those deeply interested in minorities in Laos. While they might not all have the level of detail of the present volume, they include hearsay field anecdotes and, perhaps embellished, adventure stories. Henri Roux, a military man toiling on his field desk to write one of his two great works, also wrote about a number of colorful events and anecdotes, but they are all true.
Dr. Walter E. J. Tips
This book can be purchased from White Lotus books in Bangkok and associated Thai bookstores.

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