Akha people: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Elderly Akha woman..jpg|thumb|left|Elderly Akha woman, NE Thailand]] |
[[Image:Elderly Akha woman..jpg|thumb|left|Elderly Akha woman, NE Thailand]] |
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[[Image:AkhaChildren.jpg|thumb|right|Akha children]] |
[[Image:AkhaChildren.jpg|thumb|right|Akha children]] |
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The '''Akha''' are an [[ethnic group]] which originated in [[China]] and [[Tibet]]. Most of the remaining Akha people are now distributed in small villages among the mountains of [[China]] (where they are considered part of the [[Hani people|Hani]] by the government, though this is a subject of some dispute among the Akha themselves), [[Laos]] (where they are considered ''[[Lao Sung]]''), [[Myanmar]] (Burma), and northern [[Thailand]], where they are one of the six main [[hill tribe]]s. |
The '''Akha''' are an [[ethnic group]] which originated in [[China]] and [[Tibet]]. Most of the remaining Akha people are now distributed in small villages among the mountains of [[China]] (where they are considered part of the [[Hani people|Hani]] by the government, though this is a subject of some dispute among the Akha themselves), [[Laos]] (where they are considered ''[[Lao Sung]]''), [[Myanmar]] (Burma), and northern [[Thailand]], where they are one of the six main [[hill tribe]]s. The Akha began arriving in Thailand in the early twentieth century and continue to immigrate, with some 80,000 now living in Thailand's [[Northern Thailand|northern provinces]] of [[Chiang Rai]] and [[Chiang Mai]] at high altitudes. Many of these villages can be visited by tourists on trekking tours from either of these cities. They speak [[Akha language|Akha]], a language in the Loloish (Yi) branch of the [[Tibeto-Burman languages|Tibeto-Burman]] family. |
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== Culture and Lifestyle == |
== Culture and Lifestyle == |
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The Akha generally live in [[bamboo]] houses raised on low wooden stilts in hilly areas. These huts are divided by gender - one side is for the women, and the other side, occupied by the men, is used as a more public area. The Akha subsist through an often |
The Akha generally live in [[bamboo]] houses raised on low wooden stilts in hilly areas. These huts are divided by gender - one side is for the women, and the other side, occupied by the men, is used as a more public area. The Akha subsist through an often destructive form of [[slash and burn]] agriculture which can result in elimination of old growth forest, native anaimal species and serious soil runoff problems. They are expert farmers who focus on mountain rice, corn, and soybeans that are planted in seasonal shifts. The Akha are also very efficient hunters, though their prey sometimes includes endangered species. |
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The Akha put a particularly heavy emphasis on genealogy - they are taught their family history at a very early age, and their culture has a strong focus on honouring ancestors and their parents, though they dispute that this represents a form of ancestor worship. A better description of Akha religion would be [[animism]], as they believe in a world filled with spirits, both good and bad, that have a definite physical impact on the world. They believe in a natural cycle of balance that, if disrupted, can result in illness, hardship, or even death.<ref name=akhaoverview>[http://www.akha.org/content/aboutakhalife/akhaoverview.html An Overview of the Akha], The Akha Heritage Foundation, 1991. Accessed online 19 December 2006.</ref> |
The Akha put a particularly heavy emphasis on genealogy - they are taught their family history at a very early age, and their culture has a strong focus on honouring ancestors and their parents, though they dispute that this represents a form of ancestor worship. A better description of Akha religion would be [[animism]], as they believe in a world filled with spirits, both good and bad, that have a definite physical impact on the world. They believe in a natural cycle of balance that, if disrupted, can result in illness, hardship, or even death.<ref name=akhaoverview>[http://www.akha.org/content/aboutakhalife/akhaoverview.html An Overview of the Akha], The Akha Heritage Foundation, 1991. Accessed online 19 December 2006.</ref> |
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== Human Rights and Other Issues == |
== Human Rights and Other Issues == |
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The Akha have faced many controversies related to human rights and justice, particularly in the countries of Thailand and China. Their |
The Akha have faced many controversies related to human rights and justice, particularly in the countries of Thailand and China. Their settled land is built upon hillsides that are valuable for both timber production and farming, and as such has been the target of seizure by government forces from both countries. Akha settlements and agricultural slash and burn sites increasingly encroach on national forests containing native ecosystems, thus creating another basis for controversy. The heavy presence of Chinese [[fundamentalist]] and American [[Evangelical Christian]] missionaries is an issue of particular concern for the more traditional Akha (though many tribal villages and individuals have been converted). Many elders claim that children are often lured away from their families in coerced conversions, and compelled to live apart from cultural society, in the cities of Thailand and China. They claim that this leads to an inevitable erosion of Akha culture and language.<ref name=akhaoverview/> |
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The Akha also still experience unfair treatment on many levels, according to tribal spokespeople. A common claim is that medical coverage is either refused on financial grounds or forcibly administered (in the case of vaccinations and sterilization). Another issue facing the Akha involves national identity cards - tribal people are often either refused such IDs altogether, or they are charged unofficial fees that they cannot afford to pay, because of their |
The Akha also still experience unfair treatment on many levels, according to their own tribal spokespeople. A common but undocumented claim is that medical coverage is either refused on financial grounds or forcibly administered (in the case of vaccinations and sterilization). Another issue facing the Akha involves national identity cards - tribal people are often either refused such IDs altogether, or they are charged unofficial fees that they cannot afford to pay, because of their immigration status.<ref name=akhaoverview/> |
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In more tourist-friendly areas, the Akha will often supplement their income through the sale of handicrafts and woven clothing made using traditional skills. Like many other [[hill tribe]]s of the region they have for many years also cultivated [[opium]] as an additional source of income, but the Thai government claims that several controversial programmes in recent years have led to a decline in the production of the drug within Thai borders. Still, drug use is a serious problem among Akha youth. |
In more tourist-friendly areas, the Akha will often supplement their income through the sale of handicrafts and woven clothing made using traditional skills. Like many other [[hill tribe]]s of the region they have for many years also cultivated [[opium]] as an additional source of income, but the Thai government claims that several controversial programmes in recent years have led to a decline in the production of the drug within Thai borders. Still, drug use is a serious problem among Akha youth. |
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Revision as of 04:03, 4 January 2007
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The Akha are an ethnic group which originated in China and Tibet. Most of the remaining Akha people are now distributed in small villages among the mountains of China (where they are considered part of the Hani by the government, though this is a subject of some dispute among the Akha themselves), Laos (where they are considered Lao Sung), Myanmar (Burma), and northern Thailand, where they are one of the six main hill tribes. The Akha began arriving in Thailand in the early twentieth century and continue to immigrate, with some 80,000 now living in Thailand's northern provinces of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai at high altitudes. Many of these villages can be visited by tourists on trekking tours from either of these cities. They speak Akha, a language in the Loloish (Yi) branch of the Tibeto-Burman family.
Culture and Lifestyle
The Akha generally live in bamboo houses raised on low wooden stilts in hilly areas. These huts are divided by gender - one side is for the women, and the other side, occupied by the men, is used as a more public area. The Akha subsist through an often destructive form of slash and burn agriculture which can result in elimination of old growth forest, native anaimal species and serious soil runoff problems. They are expert farmers who focus on mountain rice, corn, and soybeans that are planted in seasonal shifts. The Akha are also very efficient hunters, though their prey sometimes includes endangered species.
The Akha put a particularly heavy emphasis on genealogy - they are taught their family history at a very early age, and their culture has a strong focus on honouring ancestors and their parents, though they dispute that this represents a form of ancestor worship. A better description of Akha religion would be animism, as they believe in a world filled with spirits, both good and bad, that have a definite physical impact on the world. They believe in a natural cycle of balance that, if disrupted, can result in illness, hardship, or even death.[1]
Human Rights and Other Issues
The Akha have faced many controversies related to human rights and justice, particularly in the countries of Thailand and China. Their settled land is built upon hillsides that are valuable for both timber production and farming, and as such has been the target of seizure by government forces from both countries. Akha settlements and agricultural slash and burn sites increasingly encroach on national forests containing native ecosystems, thus creating another basis for controversy. The heavy presence of Chinese fundamentalist and American Evangelical Christian missionaries is an issue of particular concern for the more traditional Akha (though many tribal villages and individuals have been converted). Many elders claim that children are often lured away from their families in coerced conversions, and compelled to live apart from cultural society, in the cities of Thailand and China. They claim that this leads to an inevitable erosion of Akha culture and language.[1]
The Akha also still experience unfair treatment on many levels, according to their own tribal spokespeople. A common but undocumented claim is that medical coverage is either refused on financial grounds or forcibly administered (in the case of vaccinations and sterilization). Another issue facing the Akha involves national identity cards - tribal people are often either refused such IDs altogether, or they are charged unofficial fees that they cannot afford to pay, because of their immigration status.[1]
In more tourist-friendly areas, the Akha will often supplement their income through the sale of handicrafts and woven clothing made using traditional skills. Like many other hill tribes of the region they have for many years also cultivated opium as an additional source of income, but the Thai government claims that several controversial programmes in recent years have led to a decline in the production of the drug within Thai borders. Still, drug use is a serious problem among Akha youth.
Notes
- ^ a b c An Overview of the Akha, The Akha Heritage Foundation, 1991. Accessed online 19 December 2006.