Hill Tribes, History & Culture
Many of the hill tribes of northern Thailand have historically been traders in silver and silver jewelry. The mountain traders would trade silver coins for textiles, food stuffs and yes, even opium. This silver was then worked into jewelry and worn as a display of wealth in the form of jewelry.
Mention the "Golden Triangle" to most people and the first thing that comes to mind is the trade in opium. Historically, the hill folk have considered opium and marijuana a privilege of age; a solace and relief of the pain of an aging body.
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries opium was found to be a profitable commodity by outsiders. The ethnic groups were pressured to increase cultivation. Very little of the profit from the drug trade ever reached the hills.
There was, several years ago, the business of "narco-tourism." This has all but died off. The problems created by a few unscrupulous exploiters were seen in the younger generation emulating the young western "tourists." Addiction of a large part of the younger generation wreaked havoc and threatened the survival of these ethnic groups. Thankfully, that has been curtailed to be almost non-existent.
Today, in Thailand, the opium trade is all but a memory. The Thai government has provided education in the cultivation of tea, coffee and surprisingly corn. The government has also provided infrastructure for the trade in the local handicrafts.
The plight of the hill tribe people of Thailand is a subject bandied about and often discussed and over-thought. To understand the life of hill-tribe people one cannot approach the subject based on western values. To be sure in the past the hill-tribes were persecuted, a people without country. In truth this concerned organizations wishing to "protect" the hill tribes much more than the hill folk themselves.
As with any society in the world today cultural and ethnic demarcation lines are becoming more and more blurred, or, grey. The world continues to shrink even for the most remote of peoples. As this happens, the hilltribes are learning the advantages of a citizenship and the government of Thailand is becoming more aware and has created many programs to give the hill-tribes citizenship, training and assistance in agriculture, handicraft marketing and general education.
In Laos and Myanmar (Burma) the situation has not improved as much. In Burma the Shan (Karen) ethnic groups still skirmish with the Burmese. In Laos the Hmong occasionally skirmish with the Lao (this is improving and this forty-plus year animosity is slowly being addressed).
The Lao government appears to wish to become a part of the world community. In the next year I hope to make it up to the hilltribes of Laos then I can make a first hand opinion. There are, still today, refugees crossing the Mae Kong river to Thailand.
From Myanmar there are still hill-tribe refugees coming across the border in Chinagrai, Chiangmai, Mae Hong Son and, to a lesser degree, the other border provinces. My forays into Myanmar have been to border towns only. I do intend a trip to the Shan state next year as well; maybe then I will have a better idea if a trip among the hill tribes is even possible.
For now my experience is among the hill tribes of Thailand. It is here where I see a greater affluence than is commonly understood. I can see in the next two generations of the hilltribe people of Thailand will erode and assimilate into mainstream Thai life. A mixed blessing, the people will gain the advantage of education and better health-care, but a beautiful and simpler way of life is dying.
To be sure, there are still remote villages accessed only by foot, where the main though fares are watercourses with wooden homes lining it like the streets of the west. Many of these villages will have a school, clinic or very simple government office. When walking through these villages I have met Thai health workers testing and inoculating the folk for, and against, malaria. Life in the most remote of hill tribe villages has changed little in centuries and many folk still use traditional tools, materials and methods to produce silver jewelry and other mundane items similar to that used for centuries. There are Honda generators, and government presence.
For others (most), life has changed dramatically and seeing the old world methods aside the modern concepts is commonplace. The villages have taken a look of permanence and are of cement and wood; many homes have a four-wheel drive truck parked out front. It is odd to drive through the dirt roads only to arrive at a village with paved streets, modern architecture then find the crafts-people hammering away under new(ish) elevated homes. The friendliness of these people hasn't changed and they are happy to invite a stranger into their home and share a cup of tea and chat.
The number of hilltribe ethnic groups varys according to who you speak with among the principal groups are; the Karen (Karien), Lahu (Musur), Hmong (Meo), Lisu (Lisaw), Lua, and Akha. There are many more.
The Mlabri are an interesting group, very much unspoiled, their days are numbered but they still wander the forests of Nan and Prae in their loincloths, living a very simple hunter/gatherer existence. The misconceptions of them and their treatment is probably the highest. Although numbers are published at something like 100 - 150 in Thailand and maybe an equal amount of folks in Laos I think these people are most important. Their primitive culture cannot survive exposure to modern concepts. They have no concept of money or possessions, I often wonder what is best for these folk? Do we protect them like we do the wildlife? We cannot offer them a choice without, in fact, removing that choice.
In the coming weeks we'll delve into each group in more detail. Many have a long history of silversmithing, others have adapted this art in the last 20 30 years. We will try to separate the fact from fiction here. Hopefully we get more detailed descriptions of their silver jewelry making methods as well as cultural insights n the page.
For those of you that have read this page and come back wanting to see the updates; I am working on them. Much of what I have observed and experienced, and thus my opinion, goes against popular opinions and western perceptions. Rather than just dash off a quick piece to fill "internet space" I am trying to write thoughtful and honestly. For some, this can become a hotly debated issue, and I do not wish to argue with, or offend, those that are trying to help the hill-tribes. I think they will agree that improvements are being made in Thailand. And yes, I know, this page needs pictures!!!
If anyone reading these pages has questions or comments please drop us a line from our contact page. We will try to update this section weekly with new, and accurate, information. We've got pictures and articles to post in the next few weeks. Be sure to check back for updates.
Opium
Mention the "Golden Triangle" to most people and the first thing that comes to mind is the trade in opium. Historically, the hill folk have considered opium and marijuana a privilege of age; a solace and relief of the pain of an aging body.
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries opium was found to be a profitable commodity by outsiders. The ethnic groups were pressured to increase cultivation. Very little of the profit from the drug trade ever reached the hills.
There was, several years ago, the business of "narco-tourism." This has all but died off. The problems created by a few unscrupulous exploiters were seen in the younger generation emulating the young western "tourists." Addiction of a large part of the younger generation wreaked havoc and threatened the survival of these ethnic groups. Thankfully, that has been curtailed to be almost non-existent.
Today, in Thailand, the opium trade is all but a memory. The Thai government has provided education in the cultivation of tea, coffee and surprisingly corn. The government has also provided infrastructure for the trade in the local handicrafts.
The Hill Tribes of Today
The plight of the hill tribe people of Thailand is a subject bandied about and often discussed and over-thought. To understand the life of hill-tribe people one cannot approach the subject based on western values. To be sure in the past the hill-tribes were persecuted, a people without country. In truth this concerned organizations wishing to "protect" the hill tribes much more than the hill folk themselves.
As with any society in the world today cultural and ethnic demarcation lines are becoming more and more blurred, or, grey. The world continues to shrink even for the most remote of peoples. As this happens, the hilltribes are learning the advantages of a citizenship and the government of Thailand is becoming more aware and has created many programs to give the hill-tribes citizenship, training and assistance in agriculture, handicraft marketing and general education.
This Writers Non-Political, Non-Scientific View
In Laos and Myanmar (Burma) the situation has not improved as much. In Burma the Shan (Karen) ethnic groups still skirmish with the Burmese. In Laos the Hmong occasionally skirmish with the Lao (this is improving and this forty-plus year animosity is slowly being addressed).
The Lao government appears to wish to become a part of the world community. In the next year I hope to make it up to the hilltribes of Laos then I can make a first hand opinion. There are, still today, refugees crossing the Mae Kong river to Thailand.
From Myanmar there are still hill-tribe refugees coming across the border in Chinagrai, Chiangmai, Mae Hong Son and, to a lesser degree, the other border provinces. My forays into Myanmar have been to border towns only. I do intend a trip to the Shan state next year as well; maybe then I will have a better idea if a trip among the hill tribes is even possible.
For now my experience is among the hill tribes of Thailand. It is here where I see a greater affluence than is commonly understood. I can see in the next two generations of the hilltribe people of Thailand will erode and assimilate into mainstream Thai life. A mixed blessing, the people will gain the advantage of education and better health-care, but a beautiful and simpler way of life is dying.
To be sure, there are still remote villages accessed only by foot, where the main though fares are watercourses with wooden homes lining it like the streets of the west. Many of these villages will have a school, clinic or very simple government office. When walking through these villages I have met Thai health workers testing and inoculating the folk for, and against, malaria. Life in the most remote of hill tribe villages has changed little in centuries and many folk still use traditional tools, materials and methods to produce silver jewelry and other mundane items similar to that used for centuries. There are Honda generators, and government presence.
For others (most), life has changed dramatically and seeing the old world methods aside the modern concepts is commonplace. The villages have taken a look of permanence and are of cement and wood; many homes have a four-wheel drive truck parked out front. It is odd to drive through the dirt roads only to arrive at a village with paved streets, modern architecture then find the crafts-people hammering away under new(ish) elevated homes. The friendliness of these people hasn't changed and they are happy to invite a stranger into their home and share a cup of tea and chat.
The number of hilltribe ethnic groups varys according to who you speak with among the principal groups are; the Karen (Karien), Lahu (Musur), Hmong (Meo), Lisu (Lisaw), Lua, and Akha. There are many more.
The Mlabri are an interesting group, very much unspoiled, their days are numbered but they still wander the forests of Nan and Prae in their loincloths, living a very simple hunter/gatherer existence. The misconceptions of them and their treatment is probably the highest. Although numbers are published at something like 100 - 150 in Thailand and maybe an equal amount of folks in Laos I think these people are most important. Their primitive culture cannot survive exposure to modern concepts. They have no concept of money or possessions, I often wonder what is best for these folk? Do we protect them like we do the wildlife? We cannot offer them a choice without, in fact, removing that choice.
In the coming weeks we'll delve into each group in more detail. Many have a long history of silversmithing, others have adapted this art in the last 20 30 years. We will try to separate the fact from fiction here. Hopefully we get more detailed descriptions of their silver jewelry making methods as well as cultural insights n the page.
For those of you that have read this page and come back wanting to see the updates; I am working on them. Much of what I have observed and experienced, and thus my opinion, goes against popular opinions and western perceptions. Rather than just dash off a quick piece to fill "internet space" I am trying to write thoughtful and honestly. For some, this can become a hotly debated issue, and I do not wish to argue with, or offend, those that are trying to help the hill-tribes. I think they will agree that improvements are being made in Thailand. And yes, I know, this page needs pictures!!!
If anyone reading these pages has questions or comments please drop us a line from our contact page. We will try to update this section weekly with new, and accurate, information. We've got pictures and articles to post in the next few weeks. Be sure to check back for updates.
