Hilltribes In Chiang Rai

[Mymechew]

Well said Johpa and after the missionaries came the tourists both introducing the money culture to the villagers. When I’ve asked Akha elders why they converted they said it was because they didn’t have to work on Sundays or recall and recite all of their ancestors and that since the missionaries seemed to be rich they thought they would have more money as Christians. It is interesting that they often revert to their traditional rituals in times of crisis.

Erg, the topic might not be about religion but it is about hilltribe culture, which has been hugely impacted by religious groups. The American fundamentalists are the major missionary players but beware of the fast expanding Korean Christian groups and the Taiwanese non-Christian sects who are targeting the Chinese Haw villages employing many of the same recruitment tactics.

Unknown User, you’re right about the importance of education but sometimes it depends upon who is providing the education or what they expect in return. And, a non-formal education can often produce the wisest people.

jesus loves you

[Johpa]

Well said Johpa and after the missionaries came the tourists both introducing the money culture to the villagers. When I’ve asked Akha elders why they converted they said it was because they didn’t have to work on Sundays or recall and recite all of their ancestors and that since the missionaries seemed to be rich they thought they would have more money as Christians. It is interesting that they often revert to their traditional rituals in times of crisis.

Erg, the topic might not be about religion but it is about hilltribe culture, which has been hugely impacted by religious groups. The American fundamentalists are the major missionary players but beware of the fast expanding Korean Christian groups and the Taiwanese non-Christian sects who are targeting the Chinese Haw villages employing many of the same recruitment tactics.

Unknown User, you’re right about the importance of education but sometimes it depends upon who is providing the education or what they expect in return. And, a non-formal education can often produce the wisest people.

jesus loves you

I think that tourism plays a role in only a small number of hill villages. The primary trekking routes are somewhat limited. What happens in the tourist business is that one family in the village becomes the sleepover site for the trekkers and so the tourist dollar goes to a limited subset within the village. This does create a new inequality of wealth within the village where traditionally such inequalitys were not particularly common.

I once ran a guesthouse in a hill village. The guesthouse did create an income disparity and the local owner of that guesthouse, my partner, became headman. It was not a good move for the village and did not last as he was soon voted out. The village itself, and all the surrounding villages, eventually lost their appeal to tourists after a new paved highway, the Thaton to Mae Salong road was built. That road created far more change in the area than any tourist or missionary. The road did make many of the villages at higher elevations, especially the Akha villages, more accessible to many, including missionaries and mang daas (pimps). And it certainly facilitated for several years the activities of some of Khun Saa's major lieutenants, one of whom was an old drinking buddy of mine, the most notorious "Lisu" family in the north.

My own in-laws house use to be frequented by trekkers on overnight stays. Their house was outside the village, a baan lang diow. They made a little money off the tourist business but not that much. Again in that area the tourist business ended once a new paved road was built in the area. The building of the road impacted the area both for better and for worse.

The arrival of the Korean missionaries is after my time. But I would imagine that they are an off shoot of an earlier generation of US evangelicals in the field. I have found that the Korean and Thai evangelical converts bring Protestant flavors of Christianity back towards an animistic foundation much as Catholic converts in the Americas have incorporated a great deal of animism into their syncretic beliefs. I have found it hopless to discuss theology with the Asian converts as they have little depth in their understanding of their new beliefs. They believe, they need to endlessly reassert their beliefs in public confessions, and they need to ask of others to believe. Their belief in Jesus becomes their totem, their icon.

As for the Taiwanese non-Christian sects who are targeting the Chinese Haw villages, as long as I can still buy the best tao huu yii on the planet at these villages I will have few complaints. But many people are unaware that there are non-Teo Chiu Chinese villages up north, some Haw, some KMT, in the same predictament as the hill people in that they are not given Thai citizenship.

As for education, I have seen some of the most educated members of a hill village, including teachers, become proselytizers. I do not myself understand the appeal, but it does not seem to be dependent upon education.

I was pleased to attend the first investiture of Karen into the Catholic priesthood in Chiang Mai. One young man was a former student of my wife's. It was by far the largest single gathering of Karen I had ever seen in the city. Those in attendance were not limited to Catholic Karens. It was clear that the event was seen as a cause for celebration and pride for the larger community.

Again, I just want to emphasize from my lengthy observations in the hills (mostly between 1981 and 1994) that change is complex, as well as inevitable, and it is difficult to pinpoint universal causes. Of course missionary work has its impacts, often negative, but just as often quite neutral, and sometimes positive.

[Joel Barlow]

It isn’t the case anymore, that Amphoe MaeFaLuang is ‘special’, more advanced or pampered than other amphoes, not anymore, La… ChiangRai Guy. Many of the ‘ka ratchagan’ bureaucrats working there pulled for that posting because it once did seem a place of opportunity, but now they’ve become disgruntled, and seem resentful, obstructive and willing to take out frustrations on ‘lessers’. Opportunity became a career dead-end when someone unexpectedly died (at about 99). Many ‘tribal’ friends of my wife from adjoining amphoes got citizenship a year ago, even some who openly admitted being born in Burma. But now, with an election coming sometime, but not right away, someone is looking for grateful new voters…

I too am impressed with recent posts in this thread, and glad to read the insights and observations. I consider them important. Johpa’s road comments relate to something I’ve been working on for the last week:

An ancient philosopher remembered mostly for surviving fragments of things he wrote, Heraclitus, proclaimed: “The road up is the road down.” What did he mean, that there are two sides to every street or coin, that some bad comes with all good, or that the road to hel_l is paved with good intentions?

A better remembered ancient, Hesiod, in his “Works and Days”, told of great heroes of dimly remembered mythologized days, who accomplished incredible deeds in battle, in building and leadership, then went on to explain the heroism of the good farmer, the importance of the mundane and necessity of hard, honest work within the rhythm of nature, and of moderation and justice.

Taoism suggests that significant results from life come more from minimalist action than heroic deed – more from planting seed than killing a bull. For both Hesiod and good Taoists, to live right one must learn cycles, patterns, likelihoods of repetition or similar recurrence, so as to plan accordingly (instead of trying to ‘order’ the world). To do this, one needs to gain from experience. The hero, on the other hand, needs the single-minded strength of youth.

In Plato’s work, Socrates says the study of philosophy is inappropriate for youth, and should be set aside exclusively for those over 60. At 16, I found this pretty obnoxious. At 52, I begin to understand (though I’m sure I’d have difficulty convincing a teenager of what I understand).

When one can be a hero, a proponent of ideals, of great changes and necessary action &/or restriction, there are always minor details brushed aside, things deemed insignificant which the older Taoist or philosopher might well not see as so. Too often, what one thinks one is accomplishing is not the case at all. There are things one only learns from experience, experiences one only actualizes by returning to something, and seeing it in a different way. Just as “you can’t step into the same river twice”, the essence or significance of any road can easily, and quickly, change. Roads that made the mighty Mongol Empire prosperous and advanced for its time also allowed the rapid, uncontrollable spread of the Black Plague.

With ‘progress’ there are also important things lost. Most see electricity and modern medicine as unmitigated good; what they may be missing is resultant weakening of the human condition, as when there are no longer large predators and cullings, invasive germs and viruses are given safe nursery for effective breeding, to adapt new forms before spreading out among a larger community. Modern people seem to become lazy, indulgent and unjust. As pride goeth before fall, and experience is necessary both for the wisdom of humility and humility of wisdom, it is indeed important to realize: “The road up is the road down.” Pandora’s Road.

Many hill people know something about this. My wife told me a Lahu fairy-tale, which I put in my books (and on www.chiangraiprovince.com/guide):

Long, long ago, people had wings but no hands, and ate only fruit. They could fly but had no fire. They slept in trees; in the rainy season they were cold; they couldn’t stay warm! But a kind of jungle animal, a raccoon or nocturnal squirrel (in Lahu, fahsu) with 5-finger hands, did have fire, and wanted to be able to fly up to fruit in trees too. The squirrel used fire he made from hitting rocks together to keep warm, but envied wings, and finally arranged a trade. Mankind got fire, and flying squirrels got to eat fruit.

So – everything’s a trade-off. Win some, lose some, at least if things don’t stay the same you don’t get too bored and have something to think about. Sympathetic magic may be no better or worse than psychiatrists; rubbing skin raw with coins to alleviate pain doesn’t appeal to me but many are completely convinced of its efficacy.

Is it really worth it to have luxury at the expense of our resource base? If archaeologists dig up everything now, might not that preclude better analysis later? Will global mono-culture open us to rewarding thoughts? Why do so many want to make decisions for other people? Are there diamonds in our trash?