the oldest NGO for Tribes in Asia – Linked on our blogs with AKHA.net Laos, with Sinuan – Laos, Akha tribe, and with A re-compilation of texts and blogs for indigenous peoples.
- Religion, Belief and Akha Scripture: The Akha share the uniform belief found in many ancient cultures that everything has its owner, its spirit which in the Akha’s case is called Yaw Shahl. Shamanism predates all other religions and survives today after over 20,000 years, because it is a sustainable philosophical way of life.
- The Akha live by the code “all is always now” an inherent belief of the « eternal wheel of time » where there is no separation between mankind and a « material or objective » world. It is the bridging link between the world and the human psyche, the collective unconscious, or the“synchronicity” of human life. In Jungian psychology it is a ‘universal archetype’ – an inner cosmic map of the Universe within ourselves … (full long text OUR CULTURE, THE WORLD AND THE GREAT SPIRIT).
Homepage;
12 Programmes; Media; Health; Voluntary Works; How to find; Staff; Sponsors;
Address: AFECT, 468 Moo 4 T.Rimkok, A. Muang, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand;
Contact.
The History Of The Akha People: The Akha originated from Tibet and are spread over 5 countries in S.E. Asia: China, Laos, Burma, Vietnam and Thailand. There is an estimated population of 2.3 million.
Their history surpases 2700 years and each family clan can recite their ancestral lineage by name, a lineage and philosophical path called the Aqkaq Tsuivq. The Akha are indiginous forest dwellers and possess extraordinary rainforest herbal knowledge. They have their own Tibetan Burmese dialect and are a proud people and live outside the modern world.
They have their own governing structures and law and have a wonderfull system of agriculture.
The history of Akha has not (been) written in Letters but the performance through rituals, traditions, tell – a tale, songs, and chanting in the rituals etc. We are able to divide the Akha History to 5 big periods which are:
- The 1st period the Byumq-eu / การริเริ่ม, the period of history had begun with the origin of living – non living things such as lands, rivers, stone, animal ,plant, air, spirit, substances, rule & regulation,law etc. The Akha named the period that “Zahl”. The history of the period has been in the ancestor named “Umq shil shildi-Umq Mavq Umq Ghahl.
- The 2nd period of human lives with ghost Nehvq Tsawl Tiq gal Jawl-eu / คนผีอยู่ร่วมกัน, the period of humanliving with ghost animal and plant can talk to each other. This period has been in the ancestor named Sul mil O-Dzoeq Tahq Pahq human and ghost have one mother called Aqma ma tavq and the name of Aqma ma ma tavq was Tahq Pahq Zaq Yal Aq ma.
- The 3rd period of separation between human and ghost Nehvq Tsawl ghawq il eu /คนผีแยกทางกัน, the period of separation betewwn human and ghost due to the deadth of Ag ma ma tavq. The conflict of huamn and ghost. This period has a short time and has been in the the ancestor named Dzoeq Tahq pahq.
- The 4th period of moving Zaq nyiq Duml gui ga-eu / อ่าข่าเคลื่อนย้าย, eu which means moving to the South. The period there were 7 couples of ancestor (14 persons) the Akha called Tahq Pahq Shivq Jum Meh Numl causing to divide of Akha lineage and counted the ancestor coming from 7 couples such as Tahq Pahq mahl/ tahq Pahq Ju/ tahq Pahq Sav/Tahq Pahq Mehl/ tah pahq Coel/ Tahqq Pahq Ghoel/ Tahq Pahq Bul/ tahq Pahq Moq/tahq Pahq Uv/ and they have moved to China Burma Laos and Thailand.
- The 5th period of Integrated Akha( present time ) Aq kaq Al boel Tsawl so / ยุคอ่าข่าผสมผสาน, the 5th period of change in way of life, belief, Religion of the Akha to adjust themselves to be suitable to the places (the countries) they were moving to live in and the change of the way of life, the decadence of natural resources, the government policy, the spread of new belief and the development which did not get along with locality effecting to the Akha has to adjust to be likely the larger group. The way of life is to be integrated. The period is to be held that the Akha has lost the body of knowledge, culture, rituals, traditions and subjectivity greatly. The period originated in B.E.2440 or around the last 110 years.
Akha language / ภาษาอ่าข่า: The Akha Language is arranged to be in the group of Tibetan-Burmese. No alphabet to learn so the the rituals arrangement should be by remembrance. However at present the Akha use english alphabet for the written Akha.
Akha in Thailand / อ่าข่าในประเทศไทย: Akha live in the 5 provinces in the Northern of Thailand which are Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Phrae, Tak. At present, the Akha migrate to other provinces to earn for their life, such as Phayao, Nan, Pitsanuloke, Kamphangphet, Nakhon, Pathom. There are around 95,000 persons. The Akha can be divided from costume and speaking Language to 8 groups which are:
Uq Lol Akha / Law mil Akha / Pal mil Akha/ Puavq Akha / NaqKal Akha / Aheul Akha / UqPi Akha / Jawl Akah.