An ethnic mosaic
The population of Laos is made up of about 100 ethnic minorities. Officially, these are listed in three main groups:
The Lao Loum,
or "Lao of the plains" (65% of the population), which includes the Lao people themselves (Lao speaking) as well as similar ethnic groups who speak Thai (Tai-Lou, Tau-Neua, Tai-Dam, Tai-Deng, etc.).The Lao Theung
or "Lao of the slopes" (about 24%), sometimes pejoratively nicknamed Kha ("slave" in Lao), Mon-Khmer or Austro-Asian speaking. Among them are about 30 ethnic groups: Khamu, Pray, Singmu, Khom, Thene, Idou, Bit, Lamed, Samtao, Katang, Makong, Try, Trieng, Ta-oi, Yeh, Brao, Harak, Katu, Oi, Krieng, Yarou, Yeh, Souai, Gnaheune, Lavy, Kabkae, Khmer, Toum, Ngouane, Meuan and Kri.The Lao Sung
or "Mountain Lao" (about 8.5 per cent), which includes the Hmong - the country's main minority ethnic group - and the Yao-mien, both of whom speak Hmong.TheSino-Tibetans include eight ethnic groups: Akha, Sing, Sali, Lahu, Sila, Hayi, Lolo and Hor. The Hmong ("Meo" is a pejorative nickname) suffer numerous discriminations. They helped the Americans during the Vietnam war and now live in the forests (if they have not been exterminated).
The Lao Loum or "Lao of the plains
Numerically, politically and economically, the Lao Loum - Thai-Lao or Lao of the plains - have dominated the country since the foundation of the Lane Xang kingdom in the 14th century. They belong to the same ethnic family as the Thais (Thailand) and the Shan (Myanmar). The Lao Loum represent more than half of the country's population. Belonging to the same group, the Lü and the Phu Thai represent 15%. Within this group, the Thai-Dam (Black Thai), Thai-Khao (White Thai, near North Vietnam) and Thai-Deng (Red Thai, in eastern Laos) minorities are generally considered to be Phu Thai, despite significant cultural and linguistic differences (e.g. dress code).
Theoretically, the Lao Loum live in the plains, near rivers. The villages are autonomous and are home to about 50 dwellings, with a population of 200 to 300 inhabitants. These villages are bordered by rice fields and wastelands. The wooden houses are built on stilts with woven bamboo partitions. The villages live in autarky; a chief governs the village town (or ban).
Customs.
The marriage mixes traditions and current customs. In the past, marriages were arranged by families. Nowadays, couples are free to choose, even if parental advice is not negligible. Once the dowry has been fixed to meet the expenses of the wedding, the festivities take place in the bride's house. Polygamy has become less widespread since the Party condemned the practice. Only men of sufficient wealth can maintain several wives. Divorce is allowed and remarriage is possible.Economy. Rice cultivation is predominant. Sticky
rice is the staple food, accompanied by sauce, soup, fish or meat. Plum-coloured sticky rice is reserved for special occasions and cooked for dessert. Fruits and vegetables are often grown in the village, as well as tobacco, cotton and sugar cane. Poultry and pigs and buffalo are raised locally. Gathering, hunting and fishing play an important role in daily life, although these practices have diminished in recent years due to lack of space.Organization and spirituality. Lao Loum villages are under the authority of the village chief (pho ban or nai ban), assisted by one or two assistants, elected by the villagers. A council of elders - older men and women - also has some power. Since 1975, villages have been controlled by regional administrative committees overseeing both agriculture and self-defence militias. Indeed, village chiefs have authority based on consensus. The Lao Loum are predominantly Buddhist and most villages have a temple that serves as a meeting hall (social and religious role). In addition, the Lao Loum believe in the spirits - Phi - associated with a place or a deceased person. The cult of phi ban - the protective deity of the village - is celebrated at least once a year. Many villages have abandoned these animist practices, under pressure from the government, but the annual sacrifice is still practised during a ceremony reaffirming the importance of social unity, as a token of good fortune for its inhabitants.
The Lao Theung or "Lao of the slopes
It's probably the most marginal group. It represents 24% of the total population. Within this group, the Khamu number about 400,000 individuals. There are significant cultural differences within the Lao Theung. The Nyaheun, Sedang and Lavae live deep within Attapeu and Saravane provinces. The Lamet reside near the border between Bokeo, Oudom Xai and Luang Namtha. Their languages are of Austro-Asian origin: some have already been studied (Khamu, Lamet and Sam Tao); others remain incomprehensible. None of these languages can be written.
Most of the Lao Theung villages are located halfway up in the mountainous regions. Since the 1950s, however, many villages have been settled close to roads and waterways. After 1975, many Hmong and Khamu were driven out by the Lao Pathet. Since the 1980s, the government has been encouraging minorities practising slash-and-burn agriculture to settle on the plains. The Lamet and Khamu villages are rather sedentary and move only once every fifty years. Others, in the centre of the country, migrate every ten years. The houses in the Lamet and Khamu villages are built without any apparent organization, but the sites are chosen by a shaman. The Lamet villages are separated in two, with the common house of the men in the centre.
Customs.
Marriage is not forced, the parents negotiate the bride's dowry. Polygamy is traditionally allowed, but it is not widespread: few men can support a second wife. In the absence of a dowry, the groom may reside with his wife's parents, for whom he will have to work. The Lao Theung are craftsmen who specialize in wooden or bronze drums. The women sell vegetables, chickens and handicrafts.Economy.
The Lao Theung use shifting cultivation as the basis of their domestic economy. Lamet and Khamu prefer to eat sticky rice. During the harvest, a shelter is built next to the rice field and the family can stay there, so that they can avoid the daily commute to the village. Because the yield of slash-and-burn crops is low, Lao Theung men are often forced to work in the city. The Lao Theung also practice hunting and gathering. Each Khamu or Lamet household has 6 to 12 members.Organization and spirituality.
The traditional chief acts as an intermediary between the village and the government. Important decisions are made by the elders who, in the absence of writing, hold the memory of the village. All Khamu and Lamet villages have a spiritual chief who is in charge of officiating during important rituals. The Lao Theung are mostly animist and their neighbours on the plains believe them to be endowed with magical powers. The spirits play a role in their daily life. They perform sacrifices and make offerings to the spirits of the deceased to protect the village and avoid bad luck. Rituals are celebrated for events such as planting rice or building a new house, for example. Some practices are specific to them: the making or repairing of tools takes place in the men's common house, never in the family home. During the Indochina war, some Lao Theung supported the Lao Patriotic Front, Neo Lao Hak Sat, the political branch of the Pathet Lao. This can be explained by the difference in identity and resentment towards the Lao Loum because of their domination.The Lao Soung or "Lao of the mountains
This group includes the following main ethnic groups: Hmong, Akha and Mien (or Yao). It is estimated that there are approximately 250,000 Hmong in Laos. About 60,000 Akha have been identified in Luang Namtha, Phongsaly and Bokeo provinces. Other groups include the Phu Noi in the northern provinces; the Mien in Bokeo and Luang Namtha provinces; and less than 10,000 Lahu and Kui in the northwestern fringes.
Coming from the North, the Lao Soung are the last to arrive in the territory (early 19th century), in successive waves of migration. The Hmong left China to escape persecution. They first transited through North-West Vietnam, coming from China, before settling in Laos. They make up more than two thirds of the Lao Soung group. The Mien migrations left from Burma and Thailand to Laos.
At present, the vast majority of Lao Soung villages are in the north of the country, with the exception of a few Hmong villages, relocated not far from Vientiane. The Lao Soung generally live in the mountains, above 1,000 m in altitude. They had to adopt slash-and-burn agriculture because the plains were already occupied by other peoples. The location of Hmong villages is chosen according to geomancy principles. Hmong houses are built on the ground, with vertical wooden boards on the walls and a bamboo roof. The size of the houses varies. In each home there is an altar dedicated to offerings for the spirits of the ancestors.
Customs.
The whole family lives under the same roof and it is not uncommon for a house to house about twenty individuals. However, households tend to dissociate, and young couples move elsewhere. Marriages are arranged by intermediaries representing the interests of the fiancé to the girl's parents. Once the union is accepted, the dowry is negotiated, but a government measure has attempted to stop excessive marriage expenses and several Hmong clans have abolished the dowry system. Divorce was possible, but not encouraged. There are no specific occupations in a Hmong village: men are farmers out of necessity.Economy.
The Hmong cultivate white non-greasy rice, maize, different kinds of tubers and harvest wild vegetables. Rice and corn are the staple foods. The Hmong raise pigs, chickens and buffaloes. Poppy cultivation was traditional, but in the early colonial period, the French encouraged the production of opium to pay taxes, in order to sell it to different colonies. By the 1930s, production had become an important source of income for the Lao Soung. By banning opium cultivation, the government was faced with the problem of the Lao Soung's livelihood. Efforts were focused on education and the development of alternative crops.Organization and spirituality. The Hmong are animist, but a small number of them were converted to Christianity by missionaries. Most believe that spirits are responsible for diseases. Shamans communicating with these spirits are highly respected and have an important role. Hmong villages have no central point, no community buildings. The family home is considered more important than the village.
Organization and spirituality
. The Hmong are animists, but a small number of them have been converted to Christianity by missionaries. Most believe that spirits are responsible for diseases. Shamans communicating with these spirits are highly respected and have an important role. Hmong villages have no central point, no community buildings. The family home is considered more important than the village.
