THE KAREN TRIBES AND THEIR LIVING HERITAGE

THREADS OF IDENTITY: THE KAREN TRIBES AND THEIR LIVING HERITAGE

IN THE FORESTED HILLS OF THAILAND AND EASTERN MYANMAR, THE KAREN PEOPLE — ALSO KNOWN AS KAYIN IN MYANMAR OR PGAZ K’NYAU IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE — HAVE PRESERVED A RICH AND RESILIENT WAY OF LIFE. WITH ANCIENT ROOTS, A COMPLEX SOCIAL STRUCTURE, AND DEEP TIES TO THE LAND, THE KAREN TRIBES ARE AMONG SOUTHEAST ASIA’S MOST VISIBLE YET MISUNDERSTOOD INDIGENOUS GROUPS.

WHO ARE THE KAREN? THE KAREN ARE NOT A SINGLE TRIBE BUT A COLLECTION OF RELATED ETHNIC GROUPS, EACH WITH ITS OWN LANGUAGE DIALECT, CLOTHING, AND CUSTOMS. TOGETHER, THEY NUMBER OVER 7 MILLION PEOPLE, SPREAD PRIMARILY ACROSS MYANMAR (ESPECIALLY IN KAYIN STATE, MON STATE, AND TANINTHARYI REGION) AND THAILAND’S NORTHERN AND WESTERN PROVINCES, INCLUDING MAE HONG SON, CHIANG MAI, AND TAK.

MAJOR SUBGROUPS: EACH SUBGROUP HAS DISTINCTIVE STYLES OF DRESS, LANGUAGE, AND JEWELRY:

• SGAW KAREN: THE MOST WIDELY KNOWN GROUP IN THAILAND, OFTEN SEEN IN RED TUNICS AND WHITE WOVEN ROBES.

• PWO KAREN: KNOWN FOR MORE COMPLEX WEAVING TECHNIQUES AND RITUAL TRADITIONS.

• PA’O (BLACK KAREN): SOMETIMES GROUPED UNDER KAREN IDENTITY, THOUGH OFTEN CONSIDERED DISTINCT. THEY WEAR BLACK INDIGO-DYED CLOTHING WITH BRIGHTLY COLORED TURBANS.

• KARENNI (RED KAREN OR KAYAH): RESIDE IN KAYAH STATE AND MAE HONG SON; KNOWN FOR THEIR JEWELRY AND SPIRITUAL RITUALS.

• KAYAN (PADAUNG): FAMOUS WORLDWIDE FOR THEIR BRASS NECK RINGS, THOUGH THIS TRADITION IS PRACTICED BY ONLY A SMALL SUBGROUP.

FABRICS AND CLOTHING: TRADITION WOVEN BY HAND KAREN WEAVING IS AN INTERGENERATIONAL ART, TYPICALLY DONE BY WOMEN ON BACKSTRAP LOOMS. THEIR CLOTHING USES NATURAL DYES, COTTON OR HEMP, AND GEOMETRIC OR SYMBOLIC MOTIFS. TRADITIONAL GARMENTS INCLUDE:

• UNCUT, HANDWOVEN TUNICS (LONG SHIRTS OR ROBES) WORN OVER THE BODY.

• RED AND WHITE COLOR SCHEMES: RED SYMBOLIZES BRAVERY, WHITE FOR PURITY AND PEACE.

• BLACK JACKETS OR SKIRTS FOR MARRIED WOMEN IN SOME GROUPS.

• HEADDRESS SCARVES FOR CEREMONIES, OFTEN RED OR INDIGO-DYED.

KAREN WOMEN START WEAVING FROM A YOUNG AGE, AND TEXTILE DESIGN REFLECTS AGE, MARITAL STATUS, AND SOCIAL ROLE.

JEWELRY, EARRINGS, AND SYMBOLISM TRADITIONAL KAREN JEWELRY IS BOTH SYMBOLIC AND FUNCTIONAL, OFTEN CRAFTED IN SILVER, BRASS, OR LOCALLY SOURCED ALLOYS. THE KAREN ARE KNOWN FOR DISTINCTIVE STYLES OF EARRINGS, MANY OF WHICH ARE HAND-FORGED BY TRIBAL SILVERSMITHS.

STYLES INCLUDE:

• LARGE SPIRAL OR HOOP EARRINGS, SOMETIMES WORN THROUGH STRETCHED EARLOBES.

• SILVER EAR PLUGS OR TUNNELS WITH FLORAL OR GEOMETRIC ENDS.

• TAPERED CONE SHAPES USED FOR EAR STRETCHING AND INITIATION RITES.

• COIN-BASED DESIGNS, INCORPORATING OLD BURMESE OR SIAMESE CURRENCY.

IN THE PAST, SILVERSMITHS USED RAW SILVER OBTAINED THROUGH TRADE WITH BURMESE LOWLANDS OR CHINESE MERCHANTS. MATERIALS WERE MELTED USING CLAY FURNACES AND CAST INTO SAND OR HAND-CARVED MOLDS. TOOLS WERE OFTEN SIMPLE: BELLOWS, HAMMERS, AND FILES.

TODAY, WHILE SOME KAREN STILL USE TRADITIONAL METHODS, OTHERS SOURCE SILVER FROM LOCAL MARKETS OR MELT DOWN OLD JEWELRY. DESIGNS REMAIN SYMBOLIC — FLOWERS FOR GROWTH, SPIRALS FOR LIFE'S CYCLE, OR SUNBURSTS FOR PROTECTION.

FOR THE KAYAN (PADAUNG) WOMEN, THE ICONIC NECK RINGS ARE MEANT TO ENHANCE BEAUTY AND HONOR TRIBAL IDENTITY. CONTRARY TO MYTHS, THE RINGS DO NOT STRETCH THE NECK, BUT RATHER PRESS DOWN THE COLLARBONE AND RIBS, CREATING THE ILLUSION OF ELONGATION.

SPIRITUALITY AND BELIEFS KAREN SPIRITUALITY IS DIVERSE:

• MANY ARE ANIMISTS, BELIEVING IN GUARDIAN SPIRITS OF FORESTS, ANCESTORS, AND LAND.

• CHRISTIANITY (ESPECIALLY BAPTIST AND CATHOLIC) SPREAD WIDELY IN THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES THROUGH MISSIONARIES, AND TODAY MANY KAREN ARE DEVOUT CHRISTIANS.

• BUDDHISM IS PRACTICED AMONG GROUPS CLOSER TO LOWLAND BURMESE REGIONS, PARTICULARLY PWO KAREN.

• RITUALS FOR PLANTING, HARVESTING, AND HEALING ARE DEEPLY RESPECTED AND STILL PRACTICED, ESPECIALLY IN REMOTE AREAS.

COMMUNITY, INTEGRATION, AND RESILIENCE DESPITE DECADES OF MARGINALIZATION AND CONFLICT — PARTICULARLY IN MYANMAR — THE KAREN PEOPLE HAVE RETAINED THEIR SENSE OF IDENTITY. IN THAILAND, MANY KAREN LIVE IN RECOGNIZED HILL TRIBE VILLAGES AND INCREASINGLY ENGAGE IN ECO-TOURISM, TEXTILE SALES, AND EDUCATION TO PRESERVE THEIR CULTURE WHILE ADAPTING TO MODERN REALITIES.

KAREN VILLAGES OFTEN REMAIN TIGHT-KNIT, GOVERNED BY ELDERS OR SPIRITUAL LEADERS. KNOWLEDGE IS PASSED ORALLY, AND EVEN DISPLACED KAREN COMMUNITIES HAVE FOUND WAYS TO REBUILD CULTURAL COHESION IN REFUGEE CAMPS OR DIASPORA NETWORKS.

LIVING HERITAGE TO WITNESS A KAREN ELDER WEAVING BENEATH A BAMBOO STILT HOUSE OR A GIRL DONNING HER FIRST TRADITIONAL TUNIC IS TO WITNESS AN ANCIENT CULTURE THAT CONTINUES TO BREATHE. IN EVERY THREAD AND RING, IN EVERY RITUAL AND WOVEN SCARF, THE KAREN TRIBES CARRY CENTURIES OF KNOWLEDGE, RESISTANCE, AND BELONGING.

THEIR HERITAGE IS NOT FROZEN IN TIME — IT WALKS FORWARD IN RED ROBES, SILVER LOOPS, AND THE SOFT BEAT OF A WEAVING SHUTTLE.