Karen Hilltribe

The Karen, who call themselves Pwakin-nyaw and who are known as Kariang to ethnic Thais, are one of the largest hilltribes in Southeast Asia with a total population of about three million spread throughout Burma, Laos and Thailand. There are an estimated 320,000 Karen in Thailand alone, which makes up half of the total hilltribe population in Thai territory.

Traditionally the Karen live at lower elevations than the other hilltribes and although they still practice slash and burn, unlike many hilltribes they live in permanent villages and have been aggressive in developing environmentally sustainable terraced rice fields. These factors have allowed the Karen to become much more integrated members of Thai society. The Karens living at lower elevations almost universally have Thai citizenship which has allowed them to buy land and to have access to free secondary education, luxuries other hilltribes do not yet have.

Much of the Karen population in Thailand and Burma is Christian and has been for multiple generations. Christian Karens are very strong in their beliefs.

Among hilltribes in Thailand, the Karen have a distinct advantage. The size of the Karen population and their unification in their religion allow them to adapt while still retaining their cultural identity.

http://akha.hilltribe.org

Farming

The Karen agriculture is a cycle, they take a time around 7-10 years for the dwelling system to recover the land. In that farm have many plants like 2-3 rice’s breeds, 2-3 beans breeds, cucumber, Pumpkin, the wax gourd and many spices. The Karen people believe that agriculture is standing on the bamboo lumber, means the product not certainly, depend on the soil quality and the weather in each year.   1.The process and the cycle of Agriculture Choose the place for agriculture Around February, Karen people will choose the place for their farm, meaning the product and the cycle of the news years start again. When they have the place for a farm, they will mark a cross on the tree to let all the people around know. The process for choose the area to have agriculture. Without the forbidden forest in the tradition. Without restrain of choose the place for a farm in tradition. Do not have an omen. When they choose the place for a farm already, around one week later, the head family prays before they have to mow a grasses “The spirit please go out, a god please go out, the problem please go out from this place because I would like to mow the grasses and grow up the vegetables in this place, I fear that all of you do not have the place to live. If the plan it died, it can reborn, the bamboo died, it can reborn because this place is the ancestor used to live” after they praying, the villager will mow some grasses before go back home. This is the ceremonial for a paddy field. 2.To do a paddy farming When they have to scatter seeds, the people in the village come to help each other. The way to scatter seed is a man makes a hole and women put the seed inside the hole, all day they can not change their work. When they finish scattering seed and having some seed to be left, the woman who is the first one put some seeds in to the last hole, then all the people go to their several ways. The ceremonial to be relate of the paddy farm. 1. Eat rice The seeds that remain from the scatter in the field, the owner will boil rice to be an alcohol. They asked the first couple who dig a hole and put a seed in the hole come to join and invite the elderly come to offering the alcohol to the spiritual and prays for their plant to thrive. They call this ceremonial is “Eat sprout seed” 2. Offering food for the spiritual Around 2 months, when rice grows up, the villager will have a ceremonial to take offering the foods and have many insignificant detail i.e. offering food and blessing, offering food to ward off molest, offering fire god etc. All of this offering usually used the same foods but different in the praying. 3. Offering food, ask blessing The objective of this ceremonial is to ask blessing from the god to come to help the rice grow up and have a good product. The food to offering the god is a chicken, 2 alcohol bottles, the areca nut, the cigarettes, chilly, salt and the lime neutralized by turmeric. 4. Offering food to ward off molest The word that the villager use to pray is “I use to work here and have some wild animal come a cross to you like a tiger, snake, a barking deer, a centipede and you suffering the trouble. Today I give offering the food to ward off molest to you and you will have a peaceful” 5. Offering food to the fire’s god The praying is “fire, I use you to burn the grasses, break a stump, break a bamboo. Today I will offering you to have a quiet and cool, don’t hot until burn all my paddy and all the vegetables that I plants in the field” 6. Offering food to the rice’s god             The praying is “the mysterious principle, come back, 10 breeds rice, the breeds from the north, from the south please come back, come to live in the paddy field  and to be rich in this place” 7. The ceremonial to let a bad thing out from the field The praying is “A paddy field, today I will give the food to you for chase a bad thing get out, ward off rat, ward off bird and ward off termite. If it has something come to eat you, a wilt go with them, you still alive also” Nowadays The paddy field to be lost from the way of Karen living because the society change, the modern thing come to village, have a new trade instead of this old way of Karen living.

Send this page to your friends

http://akha.hilltribe.org

Clothing and Dresses

	Young women wearing white costumes	Young men in red shirts--the symbol of being a bachelor	Elderly Sgaw Karen women	Members of Huay Kohm, a Sgaw Karen village
The Karen residing in Thailand can be divided into two large groups: The Sgaw and the Po. In addition, there are also two smaller and lesser known groups: the Kaya (also known as the Baway), and the Dtawng Soo (also known as the Pa O). Although the customs and traditions of these four groups are quite similar to one another, their style of dress is definitely unique and distinct. Thus, the manner of dress is one tool for distinguishing between the groups and for observing the individual beauty which each group expresses. These days, it is only the Po and Sgaw Karen groups which still wear their traditional outfits in daily life. The Kaya and Dtawng Soo have changed in their traditional outfits for more modern wear. The manner of dress not only differs between different groups of Karen, but also even within the same group when spread out over different regions. For example, the traditional dress of the Po Karen from Amphur Mae Sariang in Mae Hong Son province is more colorful than that found in Chiang Mai. Sgaw women in Mae Hong Son and Amphur Mae Chaem (Chiang Mai province) decorate their shirts with elegant patterns, which are much more detailed than those found in Tak. The patterns of the Po Karen located in Kanchanaburi province are quite different from those found in the North. Karen from the province of Chiang Rai have begun coming up with their own new patterns, adapting to the styles they see around them. They are totally different from anything found elsewhere in Karen tradition. The Karen in Chiang Rai have begun selling their cloth and have come up with little tricks to catch the eye of the buyer, taking advantage of new innovations in technology and drawing inspiration from the fashions of the times. They have created table cloths, for example, with all kinds of fresh new patterns based on those found in traditional Thai art and dress. One tradition in dress that will likely remain preserved amongst the Po and Sgaw Karen of Thailand is the distinction made between single and married women. A female who has not yet married must dress in a long white outfit which stretches down from the shoulders to the ankles. In Karen it is called the "Chay Kwa," Once a woman has married she must begin wearing a black shirt known as "Chay Mo Soo," accompanied by a single tube-shaped skirt. Once married, a woman is prohibited from wearing the long white Chay Kwa again. As for the Karen men, both Po and Sgaw living in the north of Thailand tend to wear black, or steel blue-colored pants. The Karen men in Tak province and Amphur Lee (Lamphun province), however, prefer to wear sarongs. Young men from all Karen groups wear red. They differ only in the size, shape and intricacy of the patterns on them. When dressing for special occasions such as New Year's, or a wedding, Karen will try to wear new clothes. If attending one of these special events it will be hard not to notice the obvious attempts made by both young men and women to prim and groom themselves into beautiful perfection, all done in the hopes of catching the eye of the other sex. http://akha.hilltribe.org

Study Karen language

Mark: This language in this page is Sakor Karen language that different from Pow Karen

Number	Hand Writing	Pronounce	The meaning
1.	O mue cho per.		Hello
2.	Ner O Choo Ar.		How are you?
3.	Na ner mee dee lor.		What your name?
4.	Ya jer mee ler/ Chi		I’m Lek.
5.	Ner oh pa lor		Where do you live?
6.	Ya jer oh ler/ Chiangrai.		I’m live in chiangrai.
7.	Na ner nee Paw lor.		How old are you?
8.	Sa kue ler ne si ya ba na.		Nice to meet you.
9.	Kee ler na ner gor ba tar cho nge.		Have a good luck.
10.	Tar bluer.		Thank you.
11.	Yer aer na.		I love you.
12.	Wee sa joo.		I’m so sorry.
13.	Dee lor e.		How much is it?
14.	Ma jer ya jeh.		Help me please.
15.	Tar nee ya e.		Today.
16.	Ngor kor.		In the morning.
17.	Mue too.		In the afternoon.
18.	Mue ha lor.		In the everning.
19.	Ner ja lae.		Again please.
20.	Or meh.		Come to eat.
21.	Or tee.		Drinking water.
22.	Pa lae tor lor.		Where is it?
23.	Yer sa ger yue ba na.		I miss you.
24.	Oh choo.		I’m fine.
25.	Chi lor.		When?
26.	La pa lor ge.		Where are you been?
27.	Ba lor.		Why?
28.	Ter ba ner mee bah.		That all right.
29.	Meu ha nee.		Yesturday.
30.	Ter kee ser lui yae kue nuei koh kwee tersee.		One/Ten/ memorize.

Send this page to your friends 

http://akha.hilltribe.org

New year

New Year's eve ceremony (Nee Saw Ko)
"Nee Saw Ko," is Karen for "New Year's eve." This tradition is put on each year during the month of January, following the end of season harvest. New Year's is a very important event for the Karen, as it is the time of year when friends and relatives who have moved away, either for work or because of marriage, will all return home to celebrate. Essential items which should be prepared before the big day include:

• All different kinds of desserts, such as sweet boiled sticky rice, sweet sticky rice in bamboo, rice mixed with sweets and fats, etc. These desserts will be used in a ceremony to pay homage and respect to the spirits.
• Alcohol for use in the ceremonies and for drinking together afterwards.

On the night of New Year's eve, the religious leader--which the Karen refer to as the "Hee Ko"--will call the villagers to commune together. Each house is expected to send one representative to the event. The representative should be the head of the household and must be a man. Each head of household will be expected to bring a bottle of alcohol to the gathering at the religious leader's house (Hee Ko). Once everyone has arrived with the alcohol the religious leader will begin the ceremony. The ceremony is called, "consuming the first alcohol" (Aw see ko), and begins with gathering all of the bottles together before the Hee Ko. The Hee Ko will utter a petitionary prayer and then drizzle the alcohol into a glass, after which everyone will be invited to drink in procession. The bottles will be opened in accordance to the order in which they arrived. The Hee Ko will be the first one to take a sip and then the glass will be passed around, with each person taking a sip, until it has made its way around to everyone and returned to the Hee Ko. The Hee Ko will pour out any remaining alcohol in the glass while reciting a prayer of petition and asking for blessing for the host, the owner of the bottle of alcohol and his family. The process will be repeated with each successive bottle until everyone in attendance has been blessed. Sometimes, if the village is particularly large, the ceremony may go on into the morning.


New Year's morning
Karen will wake up bright and early to begin making preparations for all the ceremonies to be held the next day. Chickens and pigs will be killed for use as sacrificial offerings. They will be set on a knee-high table along with a bottle of alcohol. Next, a ceremony will be performed to call to the spirits of one's children and grandchildren. The elders in the family will lead the ceremony and all members of the family will be expected to be present. The elders will begin by knocking on the table with a piece of wood as it is believed this will call the spirits back to their bodies. Next, the eleders will tie pieces of string around the wrists of their children and grandchildren while reciting a petitioningary prayer to the spirits, asking to be blessed. The petition will ask that every member of the family be able to live happily and comfortably, be free from all misfortunes, dangers, and vices, and continue in good health. After all the children have had their wrists tied, the family will dine together. After all have eaten the family will mobilize and go off in search of a party. They will go from house to house gathering people until the whole village has come together to enjoy a feast, united together. Alcohol will be poured and a prayer will be recited, asking the spirits to bless the village with the spirit of community and brotherhood. After this, everyone will drink together in merriment. Happiness and goodness will be wished on everyone in every home in the village. Of all the ceremonies held by the Karen during the New Year's festivities, the most important has to be that held on the first day of the new year. It's up to each village to decide when they will celebrate New Year's eve (Nee Saw Ko) and for how many days, but once the first day of the new year has been observed everyone will be expected to return back to work to greet the new year.

All of the above refers to Buddhist Karen (Aw Kae), but there are also a great many Karen who are Christian. The New Year's observances of this latter group are very similar, only they will be adapted to suit their Christian beliefs. The festival will start with everyone going to church and praying. Afterwards, everyone will eat together. Bellies full and spirits high, people will bring out their rice and other items collected during the harvest in order for an assessment to be made of their monetary value. Once this item of business is out of the way, local sports competion will be held. As evening comes and sky grows dark, drama and acting will serve as entertainment for the village. No alcohol will be consumed and no one will go home drunk on this day. After the drama show is over, people will all return to their houses. During this time, villagers will each pray every night for seven straight nights. Only after these seven days have passed will it be considered a new year.

http://akha.hilltribe.org

Eater day

Easter day is important for the Karen people who are Christians. It is the day God is reborn, usually falling on the 21st of March every year. The Karen people believe that Jesus allowed the Roman soldiers from Israel to nail him to the crucifix as purgation for the humans in the world. After he died, people moved his body to a tunnel. Jesus was reborn on Sunday, 3 days after he died.

At that time, two girls, Mary and Salome from Mugdala, were with Jesus’ body in the tunnel. Both of them are disciples of Jesus. Both of them woke up early in the morning and rubbed therapy oil into his body, to prevent his body from decomposing. So on Easter day, the Karen wake up early in the morning and go to the graveyard. They prepare flowers as reverence for their ancestors’ dead bodies. When everyone is ready the religious leader leads the religious ceremony.

Find the Egg activity      Usually children like this activity and all the people try to find the egg hidden in the graveyard. This activity is enjoyable and has a moral also. The story behind this activity starts with a person who had a thousand sheep. One day he lost one sheep that was unruly but he really loved it. He went to find his sheep and was very happy to find it. Finding the egg is like finding the sheep. This is the history of the Karen Christian people and it is passed down from one generation to the other generation. It is also in the bible for the new generations to study and practice.      The Karen practice finding the eggs since around a hundred years ago and they hope the tradition will pass down from generation to generation till the end of the human chain.

Send this page to your friends

http://akha.hilltribe.org

Taboo

Taboo	Because they believe…
Women do not eat rice from the pot	Child-birth will be difficult.
Women do not cross over the chopping block.	Child-birth will be difficult.
Do not cross over brooms.	Child-birth will be difficult.
Do not leave pestles in mortars.	Child-birth will be difficult.
Do not mix men and women’s laundry	This will dishonour the man who is the head of the household.
Do not prate when they enter the forest.	They will not have luck catching animals that day.
Do not hit children with brooms.	The child will become weak and unwise.
Children do not eat chicken heads.	The child will argue with his parents.
Children do not eat chicken gizzard	The child will grow stubborn.
Children do not eat chicken heart.	the child will grow lazy.
Children do not eat chicken bottom.	The child will have shiver.
Children do not eat chicken legs.	The child will wander off.

---

http://akha.hilltribe.org

Vocation

Karen, or Pagagayor, are a people known for their love of peace, tranquility, and solitude. They prefer to reside in remote forested areas. Traditionally, most Karen work as farmers--a profession that allows them to be indepedent and free. Liviing in the mountains and forests, they plant according to the seasons and the soil conditions of the area. Traditionally, the food they produce has been for personal consumption, not for sale to others. This holds true for raising animals. Chickens, pigs, etc. would be consumed by the family raising them, or amongst friends and relatives in the village. Relying on the water and the forest for their livelihood, they are deeply connected to the cycles of nature.

Farming amongst the Karen tribe Farming in the past Farming was without a doubt the pillar of Karen livelihood and the main occupation. Karen used to farm using slash and burn methods, but later they took to crop rotation, re-using the same patch of land to grow different crops. They also began planting rice in the plains by flooding the paddy--like the Thais--and re-planting the rice seedlings to improve yield. Elephants were used to clear virgin land for farming. Along with rice farming, the Karen also planted smaller family vegetable gardens for personal consumption. The crops of choice amongst Karen were beans, corn, ginger, eggplants, shallots, and other miscelleneous veggies. Cotton was also another important crop used as both a material for weaving into clothes for the whole family, and as a commercial product to be sold on the market, which brought a little income into the family coffer. Farming in the present The ancient profession of farming amongst the Karen has begun to change, keeping in step with major changes in technology and market forces. The Karen no longer farm simply for self-sufficiency, but have now become commercial farmers, attempting to produce as much as possible for shipment to the market. In order to accomplish this, they have had to start using greater and greater amounts of land and use modern technologies to replace more traditional ways. In the past, for example, water buffaloes were used to plow the fields. Now, modern gas-powered machines have replaced them. These changes have caused Karen farmers to begin competing both against the clock and against each other, each farmer trying to produce the greatest yield possible.

Commerce amongst the Karen tribe Commerce in the past The Karen have never had any currency of their own and in the past never traded using money. In general, exchange was the accepted practice. If, for example, a hunting expedition in the forest was successful, the kill might be brought to town to be exchanged for other household necessities. Often, the item wouldn't even make it into town as the Karen traded amongst themselves. It was up to the two parties trading to determine the value of their items and work out an acceptable trade agreement. Commerce in the present Over time, using a standard monetary currency has become the accepted practice in trade and commerce, taking the place of the old system of exchange amongst goods. The old system of exchange has not died off completely, however, and it is still possible to see these exchanges done amongst smaller items within Karen villages. Working as hired labor in the past The modern system of paying workers for their labor was a foreign concept to the Karen until recently. Instead, they relied on the system of "Ma daw ma ga," which in Pagagayor means, "bringing in guests." It is a system of sharing and helping out. When it comes time for one household to plant or harvest their rice, everyone in the village will come to help. The hosting family will feed the guests and then, when it comes time for the next family to plant or harvest, the hosting family and the rest of the village will go to help them out. Everyone helps out until the work is done. Working as hired labor in the present These days, the system of helping and sharing has virtually disappeared. Laborers expect to be remunerated for a day's work in cash, rather than "in kind." This corresponds, of course, to changes in the economy and the way people do business.

Raising animals in the past
Animals favored for raising for consumption within the family unit included pigs, chickens, and ducks. Cows and water buffalo would be used for plowing the fields, and elephants would be used for hauling timber. These animals might also be used in some of the various festivals and ceremonies held throughout the year, such as at a wedding, where a pig would be killed to feed the guests.

Raising animals in the present
Animals have begun to be used for more commercial purposes. The elephants, for example, are often used in the tour industry, giving rides to wide-eyed tourists. Atop the back of an elephant, tourists are often led through the forest and deep into nature. Ducks, chickens, and pigs are now often raised to be taken to slaughterhouses, killed, and then sold as meat to tourists. 

http://akha.hilltribe.org 

Marriage

The marriage request (Aw Kay) A marriage request is made in the following manner: When everyone knows that a man and a woman like each other equally, the parents, relatives, and friends of the woman will go with her to see the man at his house. This is to check and make sure that the man really does love the woman and desires to unite with her in marriage. If the man does indeed love the woman, and is determined to marry, then a date and time will be set for the two to be wed (According to Karen custom and tradition it is the female that has to go to the man's house to request his hand in marriage). The engagement (Dteur Lo) Once the man has agreed that he is determined to marry the woman and a date has been set for the wedding, then an elder from the man's side of the family will be sent to the woman's house to perform the engagement ceremony. The woman will kill two chickens and hold a feast to receive the elder from the groom's side of the family. The next morning a date will be set for when the groom and his friends will come to see the bride and marry.

The offering of the " first pig" (Taw Dtaw) "Taw Dtaw," is the first pig to be killed during the wedding ceremony. It will be given as an offering to the spirits in a ceremony requesting the spirits to bless the groom, the bride, and all attendants at the wedding. When the time comes for the groom to journey to the bride's village, the elders and friends of the groom will all gather together in the bride's village to wait for their arrival. They will lay down mats to sit on, and will exchange thoughts and opinions on the event. After they are settled in the elders will perform a short ceremony to ask the spirits for a blessing, sprinkling alcohol on the ground to commemorate the occasion. Next, the groom and his friends and relatives will walk in parade to the bride's house, where the bride's neighbors and friends will receive and welcome the guests. They will set up a temporary resting place in front of the bride's house and invite the guests to sit down. A ceremonial bottle of alcohol will be opened and offered to all around. Once the bottle has made its way around, the guests will be invited into the bride's house to rest and relax. Alcohol will continue to be passed around and the partygoers will break into singing. Lyrics are invented on the spot and will be full of innuendo and subtle humor. This is a chance for the guests from out of town (the groom and his relatives) and the locals (the bride and her friends) to exchange witty banter and get to know each other better. While everyone is singing and enjoying themselves, some of the bride's relatives and friends will kill a pig for a feast to welcome all the guests and attendants at the wedding. After the feast everyone is free to do as they wish. Some will go to sleep, while others will walk around the village from house to house visiting friends and old acquaintences. Often, parties of people will go off caroling from house to house, exchanging witty lyrical banter all night long.

A chicken to ask for a blessing on the journey home (Chaw Jo Law) After the wedding, the bride's side of the family will kill, boil, and wrap up 2 chickens to give to the elders and guests on the groom's side of the family for them to take back with them and eat during their journey home. On the way back home, the procession will stop and the elders will perform a ceremony offering the food to the spirits. They will ask the spirits for a blessing and safe travel on the journey home. After completing the ceremony everyone will be expected to help eat all the chicken and rice before setting off again. Upon returning to the groom's village everyone will gather in front of the groom's house for one final bottle of ceremonial alcohol, led by the elders. The next day everyone in the village will stay home and not go out to work to commemorate the occasion. It's actually prohibited to work the day after a wedding!

Chaw Jo Law

This prohibition is called "Deu Taw Ko Bel"
After a new husband and wife have lived with each other for three days and three nights, the parents of the couple will perform a ceremony to bind the spirits of the two together. This ceremony is known as "gee keu jeu." Strings will be tied around the wrists of the two symbolizing the union of the two individuals into one, forever on. 

http://akha.hilltribe.org

Dye

The Karen are experts at dyeing thread using natural ingredients. Each batch of dyed thread is unique. When working with natural dyes it is very difficult to re-create exactly the same shade every time. Thus, when producing a given piece of fabric, the thread of any given color must all come from the same batch to ensure the color matches. It takes an experienced eye and hand to estimate how much thread to dye so as to have just enough to weave the desired product and not be left with too much unused thread in the end. There are many different methods for dyeing the thread, which depend on the type of organic material one is working with. To keep the dye from bleeding the thread should first be boiled for at least half an hour, allowing the oils to break up. The thread should then be taken out and washed in cool water until it is completely white. These days, villagers will use laundry detergent to help speed the process. The thread should be dyed while it is still cool and wet.

Popular items to use for making dye

Name in English	Name in Karen	Part used	Color of dye
Turmeric	Lay yaw	Root	Yellow
Indigo	Naw kaw	Leaf	Navy
Indigo	Sa ya	Leaf	Black
-	Koh	Root	Red
Terminalia	-	Leaf	Khaki with greenish tint
Terminalia	-	Bark	Faded green
Jackfruit	-	Core	Banana leaf green
Oroxylum indicum	-	Bark	Banana leaf green
Pterocarpus, redwood	-	Bark	Red
Wild rambutan	-	Inner seed	Orange
"Cotton" tree	-	Bark	Pink

Some examples of the natural dyeing process 1. Making dye from turmeric: The Karen call it "lay yaw." Most people use only the very mature roots to make into a dye. The dye will be yellow in color. Ingredients: (1) 1/2 kg of turmeric (2) 2 skeins of thread (3) 1 teaspoon of lime (4) 1-2 liters of water Method: Crush the turmeric into a powder and mix it with the water and lime. Soak the threads in this mixture, massaging them until they are all thoroughly wet. Boil the mixture over a medium-sized flame for about 20 minutes, then remove from the heat and hang the threads out to dry. If a deeper colored is desired, or in order to prevent the dye from bleeding, the mixture should be boiled a second time, adding a little more lime. 2. Making dye from indigo or "naw kaw": In general it is the leaves that are used to make into a dye. The resulting color is dark blue or navy. Ingredients: (1) 200 grams of indigo (2) 2 skeins of thread (3) 1 teaspoon of lime (4) 1-2 liters of water (5) 1 handful of cooked rice (6) Wood ash Method: Step 1: Take the leaves of a 3 month old indigo tree (you can tell how old the tree is because it will be starting to have flowers) and soak them in water until the leaves begin to decompose, then add lime and wood ash and let the mixture sit for another 2-3 nights. Next, stir the indigo liquid until bubbles begin to form. Stop stirring and wait for the sediment to settle to the bottom of the pot. Pour out the clear water on top and leave the sediment behind, pouring it through a cloth strainer. The remaining clump of fermented indigo leaves will be what will be used to do the dyeing with. Step 2: Take the thread and indigo clump and massage them together, adding water and lime as you go. Boil the resulting mix over a low flame for about 30 minutes, then take the thread out and hang it up to dry in the wind. If the resulting color is still not dark enough, repeat the dyeing process again. Step 3: Massage the threads together with cooked rice over a low flame for about 30 minutes, then take the thread out and hang it in the wind until it is completely dry. The thread is now ready to be used for weaving. 3. Making dye from "sa ya": The resulting color will be pitch black. The dye is made from the leaves of the"sa ya" tree (the leaves will not be collected while the tree is flowering). Ingredients: (1) 1 kg of sa ya (2) 2 skeins of thread (3) 1 spoon of lime (4) 1-2 handfuls of water (5) 1-2 handfuls of cooked rice (6) Wood ash Method The method for dyeing is the same as that used with indigo. Note: "sa ya" is a plant which produces a pitch black dye. It is distinct from the diospyros, which produces a greyish dye. There are actually two different types of sa ya trees; one produces a pitch black dye, while the other produces a red dye. The two trees can be distinguishing by looking at the leaves. The black dye producing tree will have black colored leaves, while the red dye producing tree will have red leaves. http://akha.hilltribe.org

4. Making dye from "koh": The dye will be red in color. The root will be used in the dyeing process. Ingredients: (1)1/2 kg of koh root (2) 2 skeins of thread (3) 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable or pig oil (4) 1 tablespoon of lime (5) Bamboo ash or 1 liter of filtered banana plant shavings (6) 200 grams of tamarind leaves Method Step 1: Massage the oil, thread and bamboo ash together and pound it until it is evenly mixed. Step 2: Test the concoction with a touch of turmeric to see if the color has changed yet or not. If the color has indeed changed, boil the mixture in 2 liters of water over a low flame for about 30 minutes. Scoop out all remaining water. Step 3: Take the threads out and wash them until all the oil has been removed, then leave them out to dry just long enough for them to still be slightly damp. Step 4: Slice the koh root into thin pieces and then pound it finely (Do not cut the koh root on any cutting board used for food production). Massage the threads into the koh root and add water pressed from the tamarind leaves. Place the mixture over a medium-sized flame for about 10 minutes. Step 5: After the thread has been boiled in the dye mixture, take the threads out to dry. If the resulting color is still too weak, then repeat the dyeing process again until satisfied. Prohibitions Do not dye on the 15th day of the waxing moon Do not dye on a day when someone in the village has died Pregnant women are prohibited from dyeing during the period from conception to delivery.

Balls of thread dyed using various types of natural dyes

Death

Preparing the body If someone in a Karen village dies, all the persons' neighbors and friends will stop work for the day. Working right after someone has died is prohibited. In Karen this is called, “deupgasalaw ma." It means, "a prohibition for the spirit of the deceased which has passed away. " Everyone in the village will stop work to come attend the funeral of the deceased. During the first step in the process, the close relatives of the deceased will come together to bathe the corpse and then dress the deceased in clean new clothes. Next, the deceased will be wrapped in a mat for threshing rice and his personal belongings will be gathered together. A long bamboo pole will be split into four sections of equal size and laced through the mat, each piece being tied together to seal the body up tightly in the mat. The Karen have a special name for these sections of bamboo which, in English, translates to, " the wood for pinning the corpse"--slightly less poetic. Next, close relatives will take some of the deceased person's clothing and hang it on these bamboo poles, along with some provisions of rice. This clothing and the rice left with the deceased is called, "bpwa see ah geu," which means "the corpse's belongings." The purpose of these things is to ease the deceased's journey as they travel to the after world.

Chanting (eutabpwasee) Evening marks the time for chanting in order to send the spirit of the deceased off on its way. The singing will be done by men, young and old, and the lyrics will be on the subject of death. Participants will walk around the deceased and their pile of personal belongings chanting. Women are prohibited from singing these songs, but they are allowed to walk with the men. One exception to this is in the event the deceased was a pregnant woman. In this case Chanting will be done to send off her spirit, but only males will be allowed to attend the ceremony. Songs of this type are called, “tarokwa.” If the deceased is a young man or woman, then a small hut will be constructed in their honor on a mountainside near the village. Clothing, rice and other essential personal items will be left at the hut for the deceased. These things are known as "seur lay." There is also a particular type of song specifically for these young people who died before their time, known as “Tayeurlaw," which means “a meditative chant, searching.”

The ceremony for delivering the deceased's personal belongings (Aw lo) Before disposing of the corpse (sometimes buried, sometimes cremated), a set of essential personal items and food stuffs must be gathered together for the deceased. This will include all items essential for carrying out one's normal every day affairs in the afterworld, such as: a shoulder bag, a knife, a pot, a bowl, a cup, matches, potatoes, rice and banana seedlings, tobacco, betel nut and pepper, etc. All of these items will be placed in a container and, when the time comes to dispose of the corpse, then these items will go along with the procession. After the corpse has been disposed of, then the container will be placed under a tree. An iron hook will be used to snag the collar of the master of ceremonies, and tug him back home, following the delivery of the deceased's personal belongings. It is believed that in the after life one will have to work in the same way that one worked while still alive here on earth. Thus, a person's personal belongings must be passed on to them for use in the spirt world. If the deceased does not receive these items then trying to eek out a living in the spirit world will be an arduous struggle.

Prohibitions following the disposal of the body After the deceased has been disposed of, it is customary for everyone in the village to stay home from work. The amount of time the villagers must stay at home will depend upon the amount of days between death and disposal. If, for example, a person died and was disposed of the next day, then the villagers would stay home for one day. If the person was dead for three days before he/she was disposed of, then the villagers would stay home for three days, etc. This prohibition is known as, “deunageurgraw," which means, “the ghosts of the deceased's prohibition.” This is because the Karen believe that after a person dies, their ghost still remains in the area around the village for a while, wandering around. Thus, anyone who wanders outside of the village during this time may be spotted by the ghost of the deceased who may snatch that person's spirit, making them fall ill. Plants and fruits for the deceased In the event the deceased passes on in the middle of the year, or before he/she has had a chance to taste the fruits of their labor, the relatives of the deceased will take a little of each of the fruits and plants gathered during the harvest that year and leave them at a particular point in the deceased's field, or under a tree near where the corpse is. This custom has the dual purpose of both giving the spirit of the deceased a chance to eat the produce from their land, making them happy and bringing them peace, and also keeping the deceased from coming to visit his/her relatives to ask for more. The present Resulting from all the change occurring in society these days, seeing a funeral ceremony performed following all the ancient traditions is becoming harder and harder to find. For example, the mat used for wrapping the body of the deceased has now been replaced with a coffin. Also, many of the religious rites performed, such as the singing done for the spirit of the deceased, ("eutabpwasee") have almost disappeared altogether. Few of the younger generation see the importance or value of these things. Part of this may be due to the fact that the traditional ceremonies take a lot of time to perform. They run late into the night and all through the day. As society moves faster and faster and people have less time, the time required for these ceremonies must be diminished. Much of the important portions of these ceremonies have been changed or shortened to adapt to people's tightened schedules. http://akha.hilltribe.org

Birth

Pregnancy and birth

Once a Karen woman becomes pregnant she must take extra special care and caution in everything she does to ensure the safe delivery of a healthy baby. A healthy diet is an essential part of this. Pregnant Karen women shouldn't eat any odd foods (ones outside their normal diet) or eat food produced by vendors. The Karen believe that drinking alcohol during pregnancy will cause a miscarriage, and eating jackfruit will cause the baby to be born with skin disease. Women are forbidden from going to funerals during their pregnancy because the spirit of the deceased can easily return to the world by entering through the bodies of villagers. If a pregnant woman sees a dead person or feels she has been possessed by a spirit, a ceremony to call her spirit back to her body must be performed immediately. In general all of the members of a village will help out the pregnant woman to make sure she stays out of harm's way. The list of things to avoid is quite extensive and even includes stepping over a tree that has fallen across a road or path. Pregnant women must be sure either walk around the tree or discontinue their journey as it is believed stepping over the tree will make delivery of the baby very difficult. If she does step over the tree she will have to ease the disturbance created with the sacrifice of one chicken.

Care and preventative medicine for pregnant Karen women

Methods for caring for pregnant women have been passed down from generation to generation, just as with every other tribe. Care begins from the moment of inception and runs until old age. Both mother and father have responsibilities to attend to in caring for their child. Below is a list of some of these:

Prohibitions for pregnant women:

• Do not eat wasp larvae
• Do not eat any food that has a sticky sap (like tarot or jackfruit)
• Do not eat any animal killed by a tiger or any wild pigs
• Do not sleep too much or work too hard

Responsibilities for the mother: She must eat vegetables to fortify her body and take care to keep herself clean. She should go to work as normal, but be careful not to overwork herself. Also she should pay special attention to keep herself in a good mood at all times.
Responsibilities for the father; He should watch his emotions as well, making sure to keep himself uplifted, his spirit and mind clean at all times. He should provide good, appropriate food for his wife.

Delivery Usually, Karen women deliver their babies at home under the care and surveillance of their husband, their mother, and close relatives. When delivering the baby, the woman will sit on the floor with her knees up. A cloth will be strapped to the crossbeam for the roof and hung down for the woman to grasp onto and tug when trying to gather the strength to push. Those attending to the woman will help massage her stomach, gently pushing the baby out of the womb. Once the baby has been delivered, the umbilical cord will be cut using a small sliver of bamboo bark. The umbilical cord will be wrapped in a cloth and stuffed inside a bamboo shaft, which will be given to the father to take out and hang from a tree in the forest. The name for this tree is "bpa day bpaw." This is a special tree which is used for keeping the spirits of children. Cutting down this tree is strictly forbidden because it will cause the child to become sick and maybe even die. In the event someone does cut down this tree, a ceremony must be performed to call the spirit of the child back to its body. After a time the umbilical cord and afterbirth which have been stored in the bamboo shaft, may fall from the tree or it may be removed by the parents. Once removed it will be taken to a new location and buried. Karen women are afraid of the delivery process. They are afraid they will have a difficult or complicated delivery, or, even worse, the baby may die. It is common knowledge amongst Karen women that there is a high incidence of mortality during delivery. Thus, whenever any odd or unusual event befalls the family they are likely to call for the local midwife to come and determine the cause of the aberration. If it turns out the event was caused by a spirit then a ceremony must quickly be performed to pay homage and respect.

Post-delivery After delivery, the mother must remain around the home for at least three days. During this time she will sit in front of a fire keeping warm. When sleeping she must be careful to only sleep on her side as the Karen believe that it's possible for blood to rush to the brain, killing the woman. To keep warm, some women will take a hot stone from the fire, wrap it in cloth and hold it to their stomach. The only food which can be eaten during this time is either plain rice or boiled rice soup and water. Following the delivery a ceremony will be performed to receive the spirits of both the mother and her child. An expert must be tracked down to perform this ceremony. He will pray and pour holy water all over the woman's body, after which the husband will perform the ceremony to call to the spirit of his wife and child. The day after delivery the mother will begin feeding her baby some rice as part of another ceremony. She will chew rice mixed with salt and water until it is very fine and mooshy and then hand-feed it to her baby. When the remaining section of the baby's umbilical cord has shriveled up and fallen off it is a signal that it is time to tie bracelets made with pebbles around the baby's wrists and neck. This is done to bless the child, asking the baby to be strong and grow quickly. The baby will not be given a name until it is a month old. During the official ceremony the mother and father will once again tie strings around the baby's wrists along with piercing its ears to show that this is a human and not an ape. They will then announce to all present, "at this time I (the baby) am now a human being!" If, a few days after the delivery, the baby falls ill, the mother and father will take it to the place where they buried the umbilical cord and afterbirth and call its spirit back to its body. If the baby grows ill after two weeks of being born, then a chicken must be sacrificed and offered to the spirits to buy the child's spirit back from them. Upon arrival back at home, before going in the couple will first knock on their front stairs and then race into the house to check and make sure that the baby's spirit has indeed been returned to it.

37 beings with souls according to Karen belief

1. Soul of the heart	10. Soul of skink (lizard)	19. Soul of wild chicken	28. Soul of porcupine
2. Soul of the left hand	11. Soul of cricket	20. Soul of barking deer	29. Soul of mountain goat
3. Soul of the right hand	12. Soul of grasshopper	21. Soul of deer	30. Soul of bison
4.Soul of the left foot	13. Soul of gecko	22. Soul of lion	31. Soul of rhinocerus
5. Soul of the right foot	14. Soul of spider	23. Soul of tiger	32. Soul of turtle
6. Soul of clam	15. Soul of bird	24. Soul of bird	33. Soul of monitor lizard
7. Soul of crab	16. Soul of rat	25. Soul of rice	34. Soul of shrimp
8. Soul of fish	17. Soul of gibbon	26. Soul of snake	35. Soul of E-hen (wild dog)
9. Soul of toad	18. Soul of wild pig	27. Soul of mole rat	36. Soul of wasp
			37. Soul of Gaek bird

Note: Similar to the astrological calendar, depending on when one is born, one will fall into one of these 37 categories and one's nature and disposition will be determined in part by the influence of these beings. There is an ancient Karen tradition of black magic and the souls of these 37 beings are called upon by practitioners to perform their wishes.
The present situation
As progress and development reaches the more remote rural areas, more and more people are ceasing to believe in the old ways and customs. The preference, these days, is for deliveries to be done in the hospital. This is because they have found it to be easier, more convenient, and there are fewer complications than in the past. The more technology reaches these people and the methods in the hospitals improve, the more the Karen are eager to have their babies at the hospita

http://akha.hilltribe.org

Belief

Warning	The believe
*Women cannot eat rice in the pot	Because, they believe will have difficulties when giving birth.
* do not cross the chopping block	Because, they believe will have difficulties when giving birth.
* Do not cross the broom	Because, they believe will have difficulties when giving birth.
* Do not leave the pestle in the mortar.	Because, they believe will have difficulties when giving birth.
* Do not washing men clothes together with sarong or women’s pants	Because, the Karen people will give fame to a man because they believe that a man is the leader and takes care of the family.
* Do not say worthless when go to the forest.	Because they believe that they will not get animal from hunting.
* Do not hit the child with the broom.	Because, they believe that will make the child do not have exhausted and not clever.
* The children do not eat chicken head.	Because, they believe that the child will talk back to the parents.
*The children do not eat chicken kidney.	Because, they believe that the child will be obstinate.
* The children do not eat chicken heart.	Because, they believe that the child will be lazy.
*The children do not eat chicken butt.	Because they believe that will make the mouth shake.
* The children do not eat chicken legs.	Because they believe that the child will like to wander.

send page to your friend

http://akha.hilltribe.org

An equipment for Karen Daily

Wares such as spoon, mortar and ladle can be made from natural resources. This entire thing from the Karen culture harmonies with the natural. However, such wares become rare now due to the change in lifestyle, Karen people use the modern wares and things from the social outside.

“Cho To” or Mortar This is the ware of Karen people, made from logs. It will be better if made from teakwood because it has suppress than other wood How to make - Perforate the log by using an ax to knock on the special iron till a big hole is formed. This Choto or mortar is used for pounding rice.

“Kor Lae” or a winnowing basket Before the villagers boil rice they will winnow the rice on this. The dirty things are blown away by the wind when they winnow How to make it To sliver bamboo to mill and weave it into a circular shape.

“Me Der” or rice pot, in Thai call Kratik This pot is used to put the sticky rice. It is made of bamboo. It can keep the rice warm and has a cloth inside to protect the clammy. Easy to carry. It looks the same as the rice pot from the northeast of Thailand.

“ Ta Ka” or Basket This basket is for putting strings or the wares in the kitchen i.e. garlic, onions, chilly, fruits. It is made of bamboo also.

“Cho To” or Martar Choto used to pound ingredients for cooking. It is made of lumber which are perforated. For the pestle made from the lumber too. It looks the same as mar tar nowadays.

“Nor Bluer” or dipper. Dipper is made from coconut shell. A handle made of wood. Some people will make Karen stripes on the handle or on the dipper.

“Pr Her” or earthen jar for steam rice It made from the log. The log is perforated and adorned to look like the picture. This is for stream sticky rice or sweets like steam pumpkins.

“Tee Der” or the bottle gourd This is for holding water when the people go to work in the fields. It comfortable to carry. Made from the bottle gourd, it is perforated and the seed is taken out and it can then hold water.

“Gor Kae” or the lumber for carry rice This equipment is used for carrying rice and it is comfortable to carry. It is made from rattan and put the string together. This is the original an equipment of Karen people.

“Me Chi Kor” or hold the fish. This equipment is made from the bamboo. When Karen people go to catch fish, they will tie it to their body, when they catch a fish will put it inside.

“Kuer” or a basket. It is made from bamboo and is durable. In the past, they use it as a wardrobe or to keep rice seeds or corn seeds because the gaps are small, unlike teak, when they go to work in the fields, they use this equipment to carry vegetables back home.

“Nor Dow Kaw” or a ladle It is made from the tree wood, the character like arch and flat. It is used to stir rice. Now, people have changed to using spoon or the modern ladle.

“Koo” or a chopping block. It made from lumber. Used to mince meat or cut vegetables for cooking.

“Gwa” or ax This is important equipment. The head is made from iron, and the handle is made from lumber.

“Kae” or knife. This is necessary for the daily life because when they cook, build houses or cut grass, they will usually use the knife. In the past, only the knife worker in the village knows how to make the knife. Now it can be bought anywhere.

This is some of the wares. If you want to see more or the real ones, you can come to visit the Karen village.

http://akha.hilltribe.org

Karen and Elephant

Laotian and Karen belong together with the elephants from the past till now. Chai-ka-tu an elderly in the Ruammirt village, Chiangrai province, relates the history of the people and Elephants, “If you are talking about our people and the elephants, we have had a long historical bond.  Even since when we had this land.  Like the Paka-Kayaw and the people in the south, the ones in Utharadit, we all live our lives with the elephants” The ancestors of the people in Mae Hong Sorn also lived their lives with elephants and they continue to do so.
    In Maesariang, Meahongsorn province, the people have their own way of living with the elephants. In the olden times, they had elephants. When they build houses they use elephants to pull the logs. We get the logs from many places. They use the elephants to carry heavy things.  They are in the deep forest so when they build houses the elephants pull the logs. During harvest time, the elephants are used to carry the rice because there are no roads for cars. The people have to travel a long distances for work also. 

The story about the Phakake-yaw and Elephant     There is a story about two boys who were given the task of looking after the house by their mother.  However, they were very naughty and disobeyed their mother. They opened a bamboo container that they were not supposed to, and let a fly out.  The fly flew into the nostrils of both of them who then started to itch all over their bodies.  Their limbs started to expand and their noses started to lengthen.  Their mother came home and saw the children and was very worried. She tried to feed them rice but they refused it.  They did not drink water either.  After that, they started looking for grass to eat.  Their bodies started to grow and they turned into elephants.  After they turned into elephants, the elders pointed out that human and elephants can’t live together, people were supposed to use the elephants because later on, the elephants would not be able to speak to humans.  They told the two boys who had turned into elephants to stick out their tongues and they plucked their tongues and turned them around.  You can see the elephants have tongues which have been turned around.  Because of this, the elephants have evolved into what they are to this day.

Relationship: people and elephants From the interviewing of Phakake-yaw people- “I love it as much as a child or a wife.  Sometimes at night I can hear the elephants crying in the forest and I will run to see what is going on even if it is late at night”  If you are talking about love, I love my elephant. I love it as much as I love my child and my wife. Sometimes when you bring an elephant back, it also brings skin diseases back with it.  I need to bathe it and get medicine for it.  I love it like a child, a child that cannot take care of itself sometimes. We must take care of the elephants.  Sometimes when their toenails are cracked we need to put medicine on it to heal it. When they died, I cried for many days. It seems like your relative had died. I didn’t have to study since I was born. I never abandon it or leave it alone, I will be unhappy if I didn’t see it. You can compare it with teachers. They teach the children everyday, and if they don’t see their students for one day, they will feel as if there is something missing, and they will be unhappy. Some days I only get 10-20 Baht but I still do it. Even if I don’t make any money I just want to work with them and take care of them. To find them new places to stay, to bathe them, to feed them…all these things make me happy.

The Elephants tours.
As things changed with time, people were not the only ones who have to adjust their way of life. Elephants were once used to pull logs, but now the forest is closed. I’ll tell you from the beginning.  Our ancestors were loggers, but after awhile the forest is closed down, so they stopped.  They thought that it would be a good tourist destination here.  You could come by car or by boat.  You can go to many villages.  You can go to the Lahu village, the Akha village or the Yao village.  The tourist see how convenient this is, so they keep on coming. The elephants tour mostly from Maesariang District Meahongsorn province. In the past this elephant used to carry the logs, when the forest closes, the Phakake-yaw people started elephant tours with their elephants.

http://akha.hilltribe.org

History

The background and history of the Karen tribe

The Karen come from a diverse ethnic mix with many different languages and religions. In the past, the Karen worshipped their ancestors. They believed in the trees and the big forests. As time went on, most Karen groups either adopted Buddhism or Christianity. The Karen originate from Burma but emigrated in large numbers to Thailand as a result of war. Many Karen continued to migrate to Thailand even after the war. The Karen of Thailand can be divided into 4 groups: the Sgaw, which refer to themselves as Pagayor, meaning “human.” The Sgor are the largest of the four groups and have their own written language, which was created by Christian missionaries. It combines both Roman and Burmese characters. Most members of the Sgaw faction have become Christian. The Pro are quite strict in their adherance to traditional ways and customs and can be found in greatest number in Amphur Mae Sa Riang in Mae Hong Son province, Amphur Om Gauy in Chiang Mai province, and the Western border of Thailand. The Ba-way can be found in Amphur Khun Yuan in Mae Hong Son province. As for the Pa Aw, also known as the Tong Su, they exist in Thailand in only small numbers. The Pagayor keep their history alive in the form of hundreds of stories and tales passed on from generation to generation. Although they may not be substantive evidence for historians, they do help preserve and pass on the essence of what it means to be Karen, e.g. their ethnic origins, customs and traditions. It is said these stories have been told since God created the earth. It was God that created humans. It was God that created the first couple: Adam and Eve. The couple lived together in the garden of Eden, which God had created for them. Adam and Eve disobeyed the law of heaven, however, and were thus banished to Earth where they and their children and their children's children were to live out their sentence. This brings us to the present day.

Speaking of Legends       According to legend, the Karen originate from a mountain by the name of Tawtee bplawgaw. The village leader went by the name of Taw mae bpa. His children and grandchildren propagated and prospered to the point they were so great in number the land on the mountain was not sufficient to feed everyone. Taw mae bpa thus decided it was time to move the village. It is said that during the journey Taw mae bpa walked very quickly, determined to reach his destination. When his children wanted to stop and rest he ignored them, walking on. By the time he finally stopped to turn around, he found that his troupe had broken up into little bands; some resting in the Salawin river basin, some in the Erawadi river basin. Each of these groups established themselves in these new locations, causing the Karen tribe to divide and scatter all over Burma, and into the north and east of Thailand. Some documents report that there were Karen living in southeast China as well, until they were chased out of the country. These Karen groups resettled in the middle of Burma and Mon (the Western border area of Burma). Later, under pressure from the Burmese, they moved up into the surrounding mountains. Some reports suggest all Karen who have migrated to Thailand have come from Burma. The only thing unknown is exactly when the Karen came. Historians theorize that some of the Karen emigrated towards the end of the Thai Ayuthaya period and settled in the Lanna region. Others say it was before the Greek Ionian period, which would have been around the time of the birth of the city of Chiang Mai.

Moving to a new homeland       An old man by the name of Peu Moon Boon Bpeng speaks about the history and background of the Karen in Thailand. He claims that the first Karen (Pagayor) settled in Amphur Sa Meurng, in the province of Chiang Mai. They were farmers. Later, during the period before World War II, the Thai government opened the door for foreign companies to bid on a logging project in the sub-district of Mae Yao in Chiang Rai province. The winning bidder would be given the right to harvest the timber in the area and transport it to market overseas. A French company, referred to by the Karen as the "Bo Bay firm," won the contract and the right to harvest the land of its timber. Peu Moon Boon Bpeng explains that the immediate problem encountered by the company upon arrival was communication. The harvesting of the timber was also more difficult than expected. The company employed the services of Karen elephant masters and their elephants to haul felled timber out of the forest. Some of the Karen (Pagayor) that emigrated to the area during that time found the land to be perfect for farming and decided to settle in Naam Laat village, just outside the capital city of Chiang Rai province. These settlers farmed the land until World War II when they united with the Thai military, using their elephants to help transport food and provisions for the soldiers. After the war, many northern Thais began moving into the area, causing congestion and competition for the use of the land. Some of the Karen decided to move once again.

The birth of the sub-district of Mae Yao      The Karen, by nature, are a people that like peace and solitude. When a place becomes too densely populated, they prefer to move away and find a new place to live. At the time that Naam Laat village was filling with people the Karen noticed that the sub-district of Mae Yao, where the logging company had been working, was an ideal location for farming. Dtoodonge Toorawone, an elder (Say Ko), led his extended family to the area where they settled down permanently. Mae Yao, the name for the sub-district, came from the name of the logging project. Another group chose to resettle in the sub-district of Thung Phrao in Amphur Mae Suai, Chiang Rai province. One more sub-group decided to move to the Thai-Burmese border in Kanchanaburi province. To this day the Karen people live in scattered pockets in every region, all over Thailand.

http://akha.hilltribe.org