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The Akha, also
known to the Thai as the Gaw or the E-gaw (names that the Akha do not
like), are located primarily with Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai provinces.
The Akha are closely related with the Hani of Yunnan province, China,
the Akha-Hani complex numbers about two to three million people, but
with just over 70,000 members in Thai territory. The Akha speak a
language in the Lolo/Yi branch of the Tibeto-Burman language group, but
have no traditional written language. There are a variety of schemes
for writing Akha developed by missionaries or linguists which employ
Roman, Thai or Burmese characters, but literacy in Akha is still
virtually nil. The Akha are traditionally subsistence farmers, growing
a variety of crops including rice and corn.
Though many
Akha, especially younger people, profess Christianity, Akha Zang (The
Akha Way), a total lifestyle perscribed in the oral literature of the
Akhas, still runs deep in the consciousness of older generations. The
Akha Way combines animism, ancestor worship and their deep relationship
with the land.. For an Akha, the Akha Way is a way of life which
extends beyond simple religious practice and infuses every aspect of
their existence. The Akha Way emphasizes rituals in everyday life and
stresses strong family ties; every Akha male can recount his geneology
back over fifty generations to the first Akha, Sm Mi O.
But the chain
of continuity so important for Akha people is being broken. A
combination of Thai schooling, land restrictions, some missionary
activities, technology and a feeling of social inferiority to lowland
Thais is making the once essential Akha Way less attractive and
relevant for younger generations who are rapidly integrating into Thai
society.
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