User talk:Kokyar

Lahu

The Lahu are believed to have originated in Tibet and then migrated down to China, Laos, Burma and Thailand. The group can be divided into many subgroups including the Lahu Nyi (Red Lahu), Lahu Na (Black Lahu), Lahu Shehleh, Lahu Laba, Lahu Phu and Lahu Shi. The Lahu Shehleh also calls them Black Lahu but customs and dialect are different to the Lahu Na. The name Lahu reportedly means "to roast tiger meat by fire," although others say the name has no particular meaning. Their skill as hunters has given them their nickname of Musso, which is used throughout Southeast Asia. Since 1890, when the Lahu surrendered their rebellion against their Yi and Tai landlords, they have been viewed as cowardly by other minority groups in Yunnan. An old Lahu man said, "Ever since the defeat, the Lahu lost heart and were despised by other groups."

The Lahu belong to the Tibeto-Burman linguistic group and amongst them, the dialect of the Lahu Na is recognized as a standard; Lahu Nyi and Lahu Phu are closely related, Lahu Shehleh is more divergent and Lahu Shi is the most different of all. The Lahu Na and Lahu Shehleh wear a lot of black. The women wear a knee length robe made from black material and decorated with a white border and trimming, sometimes other colors are also sewn into the sleeves. They also wear black trousers and puttees. The Lahu Nyi wears a short jacket usually blue, green or black with a large red border; they wear a sarong made of the same colors. Lahu Shi wear a similar short jacket but in black and more intricate and detailed design. Clan and kinship doesn't play a large part in Lahu villages, although kinship will be traced back through both mother and father when a couple decides to marry. In Lahu villages the headman or the elders have most power and the rules of the village are decided through consensus. Mobility of Lahu amongst villages is quite common and if they don't like the rules of one village they find another which suits them better. This isn't a problem as all Lahu think of other Lahu as brothers and sisters.