Originated from Tibet and migrated to north Thailand in the 1900s, this tribes traditionally live in bamboo huts divided into separate areas for men and women.
They are known for their colorful embroidery and the traditional costume is black shirt with embroidered sleeves and an ornate headdress.
Ancestor worship and family history play an important role in their culture. It is said that every Akha can trace back his ancestors for up to 15 generations.
The Akhas speak a Lolo-Burmese language and some people think thye originally came from Yunnan in China, for there are many communities living there too. The Akha language was never written and this resulted in not having any writing of their history. The history known of them was passed on mouth by mouth from generation to generation. Nowdays, civil rights activists who try to improve the miserable living standards pf the Akha people, have created a system making it possible to write the Akha language.
Traditionally they are engaged in farming, but nowadays the Akha produce and sell all kinds of hand made products, like vests, handbags, purses and other items and earn a living from tourism.
No comments:
Post a Comment