The tribes of Northern Thailand.
In northern Thailand, near Mae Hong Son, there’s a very special area, famous in the past for poppy cultivation, which forms part of the golden triangle shared by Burma, Laos and Thailand. The province of Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai has long been home to an influx of migrants from China, Burma, Laos and, more generally, the Sino-Tibetans, Austro-Thais and Austro-Asians who left their regions in the course of the 20th century. 38 different ethnic groups in all, of which the Karen are one of the most abundant, along with the Lisu and the famous Padong with their long blows. All three originated in Burma, but in earlier times came from the Sino-Tibetan regions.
Each ethnic group is represented by its clothing and decorative traditions. The most famous is the Padaung tribe, with women wearing brass necklaces that children start wearing at around 5 years of age.
This necklace is made of a single brass wire that is wound around the neck for hours. As for adults, while for some activities the necklace doesn’t seem to get in the way, for others it’s a different matter, as it’s impossible to remove it, even to sleep. Contrary to popular belief, these spirals don’t lengthen the neck, but rather press down on the ribs. As a result, the collar falls onto the shoulders, and after a while it becomes too wide and not big enough to envelop the whole neck. That’s when it’s replaced by a longer spiral. Similarly, during replacement or medical examinations, there is no risk of death from the head falling on its side. The anthropological origin put forward for the wearing of this necklace is threefold: to protect against tiger bites; to make women less attractive to other tribes, so that they don’t marry outside their own tribe or be taken into slavery; to give them a resemblance to a dragon (which is an important figure in Padaung folklore), but most of these hypotheses are unverified and the true origin of this tradition still remains a mystery.
The Lahu, Akha, Mien, Hmong, Palong, Mlabri, Khamu, Lawa, Lisu and Karen tribes all have their own distinctive dress, decoration and customs, making them endearing and culturally enriching.
As always, women are the main pillars of these traditions, and their time is divided between the home and activities such as weaving, cultivating and making objects. As for the men, they are usually out hunting or fishing.
Today, these tribes are generally referred to as the “Hill Tribe”, and it wasn’t until 1960 that Thai officials began using the term “Hill People” (Chao Khao) to invariably refer to all components of this people. While the origin of most of their migratory flows between the Tibetan highlands and China’s Yunnan province is generally accepted, the motives behind their migrations oscillate between the quest for natural resources and escape from armed conflicts in which they have been drawn against their will.
According to articles in the Chiang Mai News, the Akhas migrated from their native China to Burma and Thailand, fleeing civil wars, Mongol invasions and persecution. The Hmongs bore the brunt of the Cold War, particularly in Vietnam and Laos. The Karen, for their part, crossed the Gobi desert to settle in Thailand before the Thais, as early as the 11th century. The Lahu settled in Thailand after the victory of the Pathet Lao, whom they fought with the support of the CIA. After a multi-millennial presence in China, the Lisus settled in the Thai highlands following an eventful stopover in Momeik and Mogok in Burma. Finally, the Yaos began their migratory process to escape Mongol invasions and repeated clashes with the Chinese in the North.
These migratory adventures generate a great deal of empathy for these tribes and their traditions, which it would be a shame to see disappear in the hubbub of galloping, monotonous globalization.
Mae Hong Son (Thailand) – 2014
