AboutNancy B Expertise One of my all-time favorites. I`ve been there more than 10 times (for at least a month each time), done the tourist loop five times and travelled to several permit-only areas. Aside from the Yangon, Bago, Inle, Kalaw, Mandalay, Pagan, Pyay route, I`ve travelled twice to Sittwe, Mrauk-U and the Chin areas and then down to Ramree Island, Ngapali and Pathein. Been on the wonderful boat from Bhamo to Mandalay and sojourned in the south a bit past Moulmein. Most recently I trekked in the northern Kachin state, camped and stayed with the Rawang tribe, for 2 weeks on the way to Phonekan Razi to see the Himalayas from the east. I`ve taken nearly every mode of transport--trains, planes, buses, boats, bikes, oxcarts, trekking on foot. I can answer logistical questions about airfare, hotels, restaurants, trekking, trains, restricted/open areas and, especially, cultural/religious sites and their significance.
Experience The world is a fascinating place and nothing reveals this more thoroughly than exploring faraway lands. I've got a penchant for the exotic, a friendly face and a true curiousity about the people, art and life.
Question Hello,
I would be interested to know if you have seen much in the way of wood carvings from the Chin area. I have seen some large wooden poles with figures carved in them riding on horses and elephants. I was told these are from remote regions of the Chin area, but I have found no resources that support this. Have you seen wood carvings such as this and if so,which tribes and what were they used for?
Thank you for your time,
Jean
Answer Hi, Jean,
What a fascinating exploration this has been! (And sorry for the late reply, it went to my spam box.) I know what you've seen. I've seen them "on the market" but not "in situ". Hard to determine their origin and legitimacy. Traditionally in tribal cultures, these are either "village markers" (upon entering, usually) with protective powers, or, basically wooden "tombstones". The owner of Under the Bo, in Chiangmai, Thailand, has photos of them on the net at: http://www.antique-arts-asia.com/catalog/Burma?filter_id=0&sort=2a&page=2
Only problem is he labels them as the Salahim minority. I've been to the Chin area (though mostly Laitu, or Laytoo, Chin)several times and never heard of the Salahim. The name, as it's spelled would be Muslim, but Muslims don't represent animals or human figures (it's seen as sacrilege)and wouldn't be animists. The name is also NOT one of the 135 ethnic minorities in Burma as listed by the Burmese gov't. (See below.) Textile, tribal and Burma carving books I have show no evidence of them.
Burma Campaigns 1889-91
Title Chin burial grounds
Reference Y3029A/26
Extent and Medium Good condition, apart from slight fading along top edge.
Content and context
152 x 107 mm. Showing groups of the characteristic carved wooden headstones, with a Chin man standing in the foreground: 'The memorial erected in the North to departed Chiefs consists of a thick plank of hard wood with ordinarily the head of a man carved on the top, with a spike protruding from the skull. The head represents the deceased, and on the plank are carved men, women, children, animals of all sorts, gongs, beads, guns and so on ... The carving is rough and none are likely now to be erected, for the Chins say they are no longer allowed to take heads of capture slaves, and therefore the life of Chiefs is no longer worth perpetuating in memorials.' (Scott 1900, volume 1, part 1, page 472).
The memorials seen here roughly correspond to this description although the carving appears far more abstract and the planks have two spikes protruding from the top.
Further information
Indexed
CN 2213.
Index Terms
Asia
Chin
Myanmar
These do seem to be in a slightly different form than the ones now seen. And, whether or not the ones you saw are authentic or weathered new carvings, I can not say without seeing them.
Good luck!
Nancy B
List of ethnic groups in Burma
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from List of ethnic groups in Myanmar) • Learn more about citing Wikipedia •Jump to: navigation, search
An ethnolinguistic map of Myanmar
Burma (or Myanmar) is an ethnically diverse nation with 135 distinct ethnic groups officially recognized by the Burmese government. These are grouped into eight "major national ethnic races":
Kachin
Kayah
Kayin
Chin
Mon
Bamar
Rakhine
Shan[1]
The "major national ethnic races" are grouped primarily according to region rather than linguistic or ethnic affiliation, as for example the Shan Major National Ethnic Race includes 33 ethnic groups speaking languages in at least four widely differing language families.[3][2]
Many unrecognised ethnic groups exist, the largest being the Burmese Chinese and Panthay (who together form 3% of the population), Burmese Indians (who form 2% of the population), Anglo-Burmese, and Rohingya. There are no official statistics regarding the population of the latter two groups, although unofficial estimates place around 52,000 Anglo-Burmese in Burma with around 1.6 million outside of the country.
Contents
[hide]
1 Alphabetical list
2 List grouped by language family
2.1 Sino-Tibetan
2.2 Tai-Kadai
2.3 Hmong-Mien
2.4 Austro-Asiatic
2.5 Austronesian
2.6 Indo-European
3 Unrecognized ethnic groups
4 References
5 See also
6 External links
[edit] Alphabetical list
Anu
Anun
Asho (Plain)
Atsi
Awa Khami
Bamar (Burman)
Beik
Bre (Ka-Yaw)
Bwe
Chin
Dai (Yindu)
Daingnet
Dalaung
Danaw (also spelled Danau)
Danu
Dawei
Dim
Duleng
Eik-swair
En (sometimes spelled Eng)
Ganan
Gheko
Guari
Gunte (Lyente)
Gwete
Haulngo
Hkahku
Hkun (also spelled Khün)
Hpon
Intha
Jinghpaw
Kachin (Jingpo)
Kadu (Kado)
Ka-Lin-Kaw (Lushay)
Kamein
Kaung Saing Chin
Kaungso
Kaw (Akha-E-Kaw)
Kayah (also known as Karenni)
Kayin (Karen)
Kayinpyu (Geba Karen)
Ka-Yun (also spelled Kayan; Padaung)
Kebar
Khami
Khamti Shan
Khmu (Khamu)
Khawno
Kokang (sometimes spelled Kokant)
Kwangli (Sim)
Kwelshin
Kwe Myi
Kwi
Lahu
Lai (Haka Chin)
Laizao
Lashi (La Chit)
Lawhtu
Laymyo
Lhinbu
Lisu
Lushei (Lushay)
Lyente
Magun
Maingtha
Malin
Manu Manaw
Man Zi
Maramagyi
Maru (Lawgore)
Matu
Maw Shan
Meitei (also spelled Meithei or Kathe)
Mgan
Mi-er
Miram (Mara)
Moken (also spelled Salon or Salone)
Mon
Monnepwa
Monpwa
Mon Kayin (Sarpyu)
Mro
Naga
Ngorn
Oo-Pu
Paku
Palaung
Pale
Pa-Le-Chi
Panun
Pa-O
Pyin
Rakhine (Arakanese)
Rawang
Rongtu
Saing Zan
Saline
Sentang
Sgaw
Shan
Shan Gale
Shan Gyi
Shu (Pwo Kayin)
Son
Tai-Loi
Tai-Lem
Tai-Lon
Tai-Lay
Taishon
Ta-Lay-Pwa
Tanghkul
Tapong
Taron
Taungyo
Tay-Zan
Thado
Thet
Tiddim (Hai-Dim)
Torr (also spelled Tawr)
Wa (Va)
Wakim (Mro)
Yabein
Yao
Yaw
Yin Baw
Yin Kya
Yin Net
Yin Talai
Yun (Lao)
Za-How
Zahnyet (Zanniet)
Zayein
Zizan
Zo
Zo-Pe
Zotung
[edit] List grouped by language family
[edit] Sino-Tibetan
Chinese
Kokang (Mandarin Chinese dialect; sometimes spelled Kokant)
Panthay (Mandarin Chinese dialect) - not in official list of 135 ethnic groups
Overseas Chinese (Hokkien, Cantonese) - not in official list of 135 ethnic groups
Tibeto-Burman
Burman (Bamar)
Anu
Anun
Asho (Plain)
Atsi
Beik
Bwe
Chin
Daingnet
Dalaung
Danu
Dawei
Dim
Duleng
Ganan
Gheko
Gunte (Lyente)
Haulngo
Hpon
Intha
Kachin (Jingpo)
Kadu (Kado)
Kayin (Karen)
Kaw (Akha-E-Kaw, Akha)
Kayinpyu (Geba Karen)
Kwelshin
Lahu
Lai (Haka Chin)
Laizao
Lashi (La Chit)
Lisu
Lyente
Maingtha
Maru (Lawgore)
Meitei (also spelled Meithei or Kathe)
Miram (Mara)
Monnepwa
Mro
Naga
Pa-O
Pyin
Rakhine (Arakanese)
Rawang
Sgaw
Shu (Pwo)
Taron
Taungyo
Thet
Tiddim (Hai-Dim)
Torr (also spelled Tawr)
Yaw
Zo
Zo-Pe
Zotung
[edit] Tai-Kadai
Tai
Shan
Hkun (also spelled Khün)
Khamti Shan
Thai
[edit] Hmong-Mien
Yao
[edit] Austro-Asiatic
Mon-Khmer
Mon
Danaw (also spelled Danau)
Khmu (Khamu)
Tai-Loi
Wa (Va)
Palaung
Pale
[edit] Austronesian
Malayo-Polynesian
Moken (also spelled Salon or Salone)
[edit] Indo-European
Indo-Aryan
Kamein[3]
[edit] Unrecognized ethnic groups
As in the People's Republic of China, the government of Burma does not recognize several ethnic groups as being among the list of 135 officially recognized ethnic groups:
Burmese Chinese
Panthay (Muslims of Chinese origin)
Burmese Indians
Anglo-Burmese (Eurasians of mixed Burmese and European--though not necessarily British--ancestry)
Rohingya (Indo-European)[4][5][6][7]
[edit] References
^ Retrieved from Myanmar Ministry of Hotels and Tourism webpage at [1]
^ For example, the Shan speak a Tai-Kadai language, the Lahu speak a Tibeto-Burman language, the Khamu speak a Mon-Khmer language, and the Yao speak a Hmong-Mien language.
^ [2] states that the Kamein "descended from Indian archer-warriors who served Arakan emperors during sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and consisted originally of Afghan Pathans, Moguls, Bengalis and many other Indo-Aryan races of north India."
