Socio-Economy Pattern

It can be said that highlanders belong to the peasantry. In terms of their cultivation practices, they can be divided into three groups: dry rice cultivators, wet or irrigated rice cultivators and combinations of these. There are also three principal forms of land use:

1.Pioneer or primary swiddening, shifting cultivation in the real meaning where farmers move from place to place.

2.Land rotation of cultivable fields, sometimes called cyclical bush fallow. This system is based on permanent residence and can be said to be a stable or permanent form of agriculture.

3.Wet rice cultivation.

Pioneer swiddening is usually employed be opium-poppy growing people who can also be considered as a cash crop-oriented sector of the peasantry. The second type of land use, the rotational farming system, is practiced by the Karen, Lua, H'tin and Khamu, who do not traditionally grow opium. This rotational system does not exhaust soil fertility and operates within fixed village boundaries. The Karen and the Lua also construct wet-rice terraces in the lowlands, uplands and high valleys. (Wherever there is sufficient water for irrigation).

To sum up, on the one hand, the non-opium poppy-growing people practice a relatively stable system of agriculture and grow mainly rice and a variety of other crops, primarily for home consumption with a little surplus for sale. On the other hand, the pioneer swiddeners and poppy growers rely heavily on their earnings from opium to purchase their daily necessities.

In traditional highland society, two corporate structures form the most important social institutions. The largest institution is the village, made up of houses mainly of the same ethnic group. However, in the villages of the opium poppy-growing groups, there may be one or more houses of traders who are "Haw" or Yunnanese Chinese, Shan, Lue or Northern Thai. There are also other ethnic persons who do seasonal work as wage earners for opium producing households. These migrant workers are often paid in opium and are usually addicts who have chosen to take up residence in that village.

Villages of the same ethnic group are widely scattered and may be surrounded by villages of other ethnic groups (see the TRI map prepared for Highlanders of Thailand). Normally there is a main settlement with one or more small hamlets located in the general vicinity. Such hamlets form because there may be limited space in the original village, some people want to live closer to cultivable land, or some wish to live in a group consisting of only their own relatives.

Silver ornaments of Hmonk

Silver ornaments: The Hmong keep a great deal of their wealth in the form of silver jewelry. All Hmong-men, women, and children-wear silver neck rings, at least for special occasions. At the naming ceremony a silver neck ring is given to a Hmong baby to keep the soul in and signify that the baby belongs to the man-world. Silver has a special significance to the Hmong, symbolizing wealth and the essence of the good life.

Every household acquires as much silver as possible, and at New Year all the family silver jewelry is worn and displayed. Three styles of earrings are worn by Hmong women. One style is shaped like an arrow with the shaft bent around to form a circle. The second is an elongated S-shaped, flat or round, with a pointed plug worn through the earlobe, and either hooked up into the back of the turban, or allowed to hang down in front. A more modern type is a small silver hook with a number of small dangles hanging from it. White Hmong, both men and women, wear heavy engraved round silver bracelets. Blue Hmong wear narrow flat engraved bracelets. These may be of brass or copper rather than silver. Neck rings, solid or hollow, are worn either singly or in sets of up to six tiers-five being standard. Frequently heavy silver chains with lock-shaped pendants are attached to the neck rings. These 'locks' are added during curing ceremonies to keep the soul in the body. At New Year they may wear heavy silver chains with pendants of fish, butterflies, wheels, bells, and miniature grooming tools, and young women may wear a pointed ring on every finger. The amount of silver displayed at the New Year festival in an affluent Hmong village is most impressive.

Men's clothing of Hmonk

Men's clothing: Hmong men wear loose-fitting black pants folded across the waist, tucked in at the top, and often secured with a leather belt. Blue Hmong pants are extremely full, having narrow openings for the ankles with the very wide crotch falling mid-way between calves and ankles. White Hmong pants are less full, having a higher crotch.

Jackets are also made of black cloth-usually cotton, but sometimes velvet or satin. Both blue and white Hmong wezar short jackets leaving a bare midriff. Hmong in the Chiang Mai area commonly wear extremely short jackets. The collarless jacket buttons at the neck, crosses over the chest, and fastens on the left side with silver buttons. The piece across the chest is ornamented with the needlework customary for that branch of the tribe.

Many White Hmong men wear4 a longer jacket with a Chinese-style high collar, which, together with the cuffs and the front opening, are embroidered. Some Blue Hmong men now wear a similar jacket in cold season.

Men wear wide sashes up to six meters long. Some are folded on the bias so as to form pointed ends. The sash is carefully wrapped so that the heavily embroidered ends fall evenly together in front giving the appearance of an apron. White Hmong, and some Blue, wear red sashes which are squared-off at the ends and adorned with Mien-style embroidery.

Traditionally the men shaved their heads, except for the crown, where the hair was left long and sometimes braided into a queue. Blue Hmong in all areas and some White Hmong in Chiang Mai Province wear Chinese-style black satin skullcaps with a big fluffy magenta pompon on top.

Musical Intrumentals of Lahu

Musical Intrumentals :The Lahu musical gourd pipe [naw] is made of a gourd inserted with five bamboo tubes of different lengths tuned to the pentatonic scale. At the base of each tube is a finely crafted reed. These instruments are made in various sizes-small ones being in the upper register, large ones descending to low bass.

Bamboo Jew's harps [a hta] are used in tuned pairs or threes. Young men and women use both gourd pipes and Jew's harps to 'talk to each other' during courting.

Basketry of Lahu

The Lahu Shi have a good reputation as basket makers. They weave sturdy storage baskets with rattan outer walls and bamboo linings. These covered baskets are either hamper-style or trunk-shaped. They have long been sought after by other tribal people, and are now popular in the crafts market. Some Lahu Shi villages with a source of rattan nearby receive considerable income from the sale of baskets.

All Lahu make back-carrying baskets of open or close weave. Those of the Sheh Leh are of outstanding quality. Some men in each group make superior bamboo containers in round or oval shapes which are used for carrying cooked rice or by the women for keeping sewing supplies.

Clothing of Lahu Shi

The Christian Lahu Shi women dress like Shan or Northern Thai, while men wear ready-made clothing, usually in Western style. Since 1975 there has been an influx of Lahu Shi refugees from Laos who wear their traditional clothing, made of commercial black cloth. The women's short jackets are flared at the waist. Young unmarried women adorn their jackets with many strips of red cloth set off with white and other colours. Lacy patterns are embroidered between the appliqued strips, and roes of tiny silver buttons [now aluminium] and cowrie shells are added. Bands of coloured cloth, predominantly red, are sewn to the upper sleeves and cuffs. A row of repoussed silver rectangular buckles closes the jacket in front.

The top section of a young women's skirt is of Shan or Laotian hand-woven red cloth with vari-coloured stripes. The middle section is of black cloth with strips of appliqued designs in red and other colours. The lower portion is solid black, with a red hemline border. The married women's jacket is similar to that of the single girl, but with fewer red strips and no embroidery. It does not lack for ornateness, however, as there is an abundance of tiny aluminium buttons and dangling silver balls. The skirt has striped red cloth at the top like the young woman's skirt, but bands of coloured cloth or flowered prints are the only decoration on the lower part.

Unmarried women wear black turbans, the ends of which are ornamented with strips of brightly-coloured cloth, buttons, beads and coins. Married women's turbans are less decorative. Women wear large cylindrical silver earrings and plain silver neck rings. Their throats are wrapped with strands of alternating red and white beads; sometimes waist-length strands of beads are added. Often belts of silver or other metal secure their narrow sarongs.

On festive occasions unmarried Lahu Shi men and boys wear black jackets and pants decorated with strips of other colours and embroidery. The jacket is ornamented with numerous rows of buttons in front and on the sleeves. The costume is completed with a long-fringed black turban. Married men wear black with little or no embellishment. A headman, however, often wears a jacket of a shiny material and a pink silk turban.

Lahu Shi weave sturdy shoulder bags on back-strap looms; those from Laos make a simple striped bag; those from Burma weave a wide variety of designs. All Lahu make delightful caps for their children. Some are made of triangular-shaped cloth which join at the top, and are crowned with a pompon. Caps for little girls are more elaborate than those for boys.

Clothing of Lahu Na

Traditional Lahu Na clothing is made of their own homespun indigo-dyed cloth. The woman's ankle-length tunic is trimmed with applique patch-work. Generally it opens down the right side; some open down the front. The sides are split to the waist and edged with bands of predominantly red and white applique which consists of triangles, squares, and strips with a double row of scallops in red and white. The hemline at the back is embellished with a border of embroidered designs. The sleeves have narrow bands of red and other colour edged with scalloping. A broad band of blue cloth and narrow bands of variour colour from the cuffs.

The banded piece which goes diagonally from the throat to just under the right arm and the stand- up collar are encrusted with many rows of silver half-sphere buttons; silver dangles hang from the bottom row. At the back. Groups of silver buttons are arranged around the yoke in triangular designs, with more dangles hanging from them. The tunic closes at the throat, shoulder, and under the right arm with round silver buckles.

The black sarong is decorated with strips of brightly-coloured cloth stitched in zigzags and other patterns. A black turban decorated with beads and tassels completes the outfit. Women wear either wide engraved or narrow molded silver bracelets. Their earrings are similar to those of the Lahu Nyi. For ceremonial occasions the more affluent add heavy silver chains and necklaces with pendants of wheels, fish, butterflies, bells, and tiny grooming tools.

Lahu Na men wear suits of homespun black cloth. The jackets open either in front or down the right side, and the full-cut Chinese pants are ankle-length. Both jackets and pants are decorated with embroidered lines in predominantly red thread. Black turbans worn for festive occasions. A black shoulder bag with patch-work appliqued designs similar to those on the women's tunic is the most distinctive type for this group. Bags of a variety of woven designs are also popular. They like to decorate them lavishly with bright-coloured wool tufting and pompons, those worn by men for the New Year's dancing being especially ornate.

ClothingLahu Sheh Leh

Lahu Sheh Leh clothing is preferably made of fairly heavy black cotton cloth with a sheen. Women wear three-quarter-length tunics which open down the front. All edges of the tunic are set off by narrow bands of white and pale yellow with touches of red and blue for accent. Strips of banding are also added across the shoulders, just below the waist, and on the sleeves. Some of the young women, however, are now sewing wide bands of red, white, and blue or gaily printed cloth on their sleeves.

Older women and young girls have only narrow strips of the banding at the back hemline, while young unmarried women make wide borders of exquisitely stitched bands and scallops. Tunics for festive wear are embellished with half-sphere silver buttons and coins, and are closed with a row of repoussed or engraved buckles to the waist.

Women's pants, resembling culottes, are trimmed with red and yellow stitching and reach to just below the knees. Black leggings with white and yellow banding have cuffs which turn down at the top.

Sheh Leh women wear quantities of small white beads wound closely around their throats, which consist of a single strand several metres in length. Wide silver bracelets adorn their wrists and silver neck rings are worn on festive occasions. Men dress in black jackets, knee-length loose pants, and leggings with blue trim, all lined with white. A hand-woven sash is used as a belt.

Traditionally men and women wore black turbans, but turkish towels now serve that purpose- bright flowered ones for women and white for men. Their black shoulder bags have the same type of trim as the women's tunics, young women's bags being the most lavish. The hand-woven straps are pale yellow with narrow stripes of other colours. Long fringe hangs down from the sides, and tassels of thread and torn cloth extend from the lower corners. Less elaborate bags of similar design are in everyday use.

Clothing of Lahu Nyi

Lahu Nyi women wear short lined jackets, sarong-type skirts, and leggings, usually made of black cotton cloth. For festive wear velvet or satin may be used in black, blue, or green colours.

Jackets are edged with red down the front and around the bottom, with added strips of red around the upper arms. It is the predominance of red in their clothing which has earned them the name 'Lahu Nyi' [Red Lahu], although bands of blue, white, and printed material are also used. Jackets are closed in front with one or more engraved round silver buckles, some of which are very large.

Skirts are made of three horizontal panels. The top panel is basically red with woven stripes in other colours. The bottom panel is sometimes simply a six cm strip of plain white cloth stitched over the skirt, but the festive skirts have broad borders up to 15 cm wide of red cloth with many lines of coloured thread stitched on it. This is done by couching [laying a strand of thread in a straight line and tacking it down with tiny evenly-spaced stitches.] The same technique is used for accent around the edges, using a cord made by twisting many threads together. The central panel of the skirt is often left plain, but is sometimes decorated with couched thread as in the border. Skirts are worn folded in front and secured with a sash or metal belt. For dress-up occasions silver belts are worn- often of silver rupee coins. Leggings are black or blue, with red and white trim.

Recently some of the more affluent Lahu Nyi women have discovered the sewing machine. They have attachments for fancy stitches, and now lavishly decorate jackets and skirts, replacing laboriour hand-stitching. Many women who do not own machines buy clothing from those who do.

Silver ornament worn by women include wide bracelets, neck rings, finger rings, and earrings. One type of earring is in the from of a circle which hooks into the ear, with a tightly-wound coil or leaf-shape at the bottom; the other has a decorative crown with club-shaped dangles attached.

Lahu Nyi men wear loose black jackets that fasten on the side, and three-quarter length Chinese-style pants. In some cases the pants and jackets have an embroidered trim. Young men prefer blue or green pants, elders wear black, sometimes lined with white cloth. Leggings are black or white with blue trim.

On festive occasions the jackets of both young men and coins. Traditionally the men have worn New Year's turbans made of two yards each of red, black, and white cloth. The standard Lahu Nyi shoulder bag is predominantly red, embellished with a variety of embroidered designs. Festive bags are ornamented with silver buttons and coins and have a long fringe across the bottom. The strap is handwoven, mostly in red.

Clothing Ornamentation of LAHU

If at New Year time one could visit in wequence lahu Nyi, Lahu Sheh Leh, Lahu Na, and Lahu Shi villages, one would experience the full impact of the diversity of these groups, and yet recognize a common Lahuness. Some Lahu have discarded the use of traditional clothing except at festival times. Lahu Nyi and Sheh Leh, however, still generally wear their own style of clothing, as do the lahu Shi recently arrived from Laos. Lahu Shi Christians had completely abandoned the use of traditional dress until the coming of their kinsmen from Laos. Now some are beginning to wear Lahu Shi clothing for special occasions. Most Lahu Na in Thailand dress like their lowland neighbors for daily wear, but on festive occasions many of them wear traditional clothing.

Formerly Lahu wove their own cloth on foot-treadle looms. Most of them have lost that art, but a few lahu Na women still weave cloth. The women of all Lahu sub-tribes use the back-strap loom to weave shoulder bags, or at least straps for their bags.

All the groups embroider, but have distinct techniques. Lahu Na and Lahu Shi do patch-work applique, and all groups use bands of cloth for decorative purposes - the Sheh Leh being masters of that art.

Hmonk Women's cloting

Women's clothing: Blue Hmong women wear knee-length pleated skirts of hand-woven hemp or cotton cloth, hemp being preferred. The central horizontal panel is 25 to 30 cm wide, and is covered with a batik pattern. The pattern is drawn with beeswax onto the cloth with a tool made by their blacksmiths. After the wax has been applied, the cloth is immersed in a cold indigo dye. When the dye has set6, the wax is removed by boiling, then skimmed off to be used again. The Blue Hmong are apparently the only tribal people in mainland Southeast Asia skilled in batiking.

A 15 cm strip of plain cloth is attached to the top of the batiked panel, and a border with bright-coloured cross-stitch embroidery and applique of red and other bright colors is added to the bottom edge. The width of the border varies, with teen-age girls making their's wider than the adults. A strip of white is stitched to the bottom edge. The entire skirt, more than six metres for an adult, is accordion-pleated, anchored down with herringbone stitches. A thread is run through the pleats as they are made, holding them together in three or four places, and the skirt is stored that way until used.

Blue Hmong women's jackets are generally of black cotton; sometimes velvet is used. There are three types. The first has a five to six cm embroidered and appliqued strip stitched to each edge in front. The second has a wide zigzag coming down in three steps from the right shoulder, crossing over to the left side. The third has a finer zigzag pattern. The jackets are unfinished at the lower edge, and are bound down with a black sash that is wound several times around the waist.

There are two types of collars: one is a simple rectangle about 12 by 16 cm; the other has a similar rectangle, with a wide border tapering to elongated points on the jacket with the embroidered side down. There are many theories why the needlework is reversed, but the Hmong say they really do not know, only that it is the 'proper' way to do it.

Women wear an apron over the front of the skirt, which for everyday wear is black. Festive aprons, elaborately embroidered and appliqued, tie on with a red, pink, or orange sash, and have long tassels hanging down the back. For full dress occasions extra red sashes are wound around the waist until a woman seems grossly overweight. Quite often a silver belt is worn over this. At New Year an unattached batiked bib is worn with the apron. Often silver coins and ornaments are stitched to it.