Lisu Hilltribe

 
The Lisu have a legend quite similar to that of many other tribes in Southeast Asia. Long ago there

was a giant flood.  There were only two survivors: one man and one woman. These two were brothe
r and sister. They survived by living off the meat inside a giant bottle gourd. Once the water had
receded, the pair set out in search of other survivors, but to their dismay, they found no one. They
became convinced they must be the last remaining man and woman in the world. They realized that if
they did not reproduce then mankind would disappear off the face of the planet forever. Still, they
couldn't get over the fact they were brother and sister. Finally, they decided to to consult the spirits.
Seeing a grinding stone and a mortar on top of a hill, the pair determined to separate the two parts and
roll them down opposite sides of the hill. When the grinding stone reached the base of the hill it refused
to stop rolling. Instead, it persisted in rolling all the way around to the other side of the hill and reuniting
with the mortar, ending up in exactly the same position it had been when on top of the hill. It did not
matter what objects the pair used to test their fate, the results were identical each time. The older
brother and younger sister agreed that God must have given his blessing to the union. Soon they had
produced a son and a daughter which marked the new birth of the tribe.

http://lisu.hilltribe.org/english/

HIstory of Lisu hilltribe

The Lisu have a legend quite similar to that of many other tribes in Southeast Asia, of how long ago there was a giant flood.  There were only two survivors: one man and one woman. These two were brother and sister. They survived by living off the meat inside a giant bottle gourd. Once the water had receded, the pair set out in search of other survivors, but to their dismay, they found no one. They became convinced they must be the last remaining man and woman in the world. They realized that if they did not reproduce then mankind would disappear off the face of the planet forever. Still, they couldn't get over the fact they were brother and sister. Finally, they decided to to consult the spirits. Seeing a grinding stone and a mortar on top of a hill, the pair determined to separate the two parts and roll them down opposite sides of the hill. When the grinding stone reached the base of the hill it refused to stop rolling. Instead, it persisted in rolling all the way 'round to the other side of the hill and reuniting with the mortar, ending up in exactly the same position it had been sitting in on top of the hill. It didn't matter what objects the pair used to test their fate, the results were identical each time. The older brother and younger sister agreed that God must have given his blessing to the union. Soon they had produced a son and a daughter which marked the new birth of the tribe.

	What "Lisu" means
	Lisu earned their name as the tribe that is alive with color. In fact, the Lisu are considered to use the greatest variety of colors of all the hill tribes. Their confident decision-making and independence is reflected in the way the Lisu use powerful combinations of colors, one on top of the other, to decorate their costumes. Often referred to as "Lisor," they refer to themselves as "Lisu." The word "Li" comes from the word "eelee," which means custom, tradition, or culture; "su" means "person." The combined meaning is: a group of people who share a deep pride in their customs, traditions, and culture. The Lisu are a people who love order and independence. The established social order is flexible, allowing room for change and diversity. Different cultures and customs are not dismissed out of hand, but new things must pass through a democratic decision-making process before being accepted. Processes like these make Lisu good managers, in general, and have allowed the Lisu have been quite successful at adapting to change.

Background
The Lisu are a people with a hunger for understanding about life. Their language falls into the Yee (Lo-Lo) language group--part of the larger Tibet-Burma family of languages. About 30% of the language comes from the Chinese Ho dialect. Originally, the Lisu were from the area near head of the Salawan waters and the Mekong river, located in northern Tibet and the northwest portion of Yunnan province in the People's Republic of China. The Lisu immigrated into Thailand around the year 1921 (Christian Calendar). This first group of migrants was made up of only 4 families. They settled in a village now known as Huay San in the capital of Chiang Rai province. Later, in that same year, 15 more families made the journey. As the Lisu have no written language of their own, a group of missionaries interacting with this first group, helped to create one using English characters to represent the Lisu sounds. Some Lisu are now Christian. About 5-6 years after the initial move into Thailand, the group separated, with one group remaining behind and the other moving to Doi Chang in the township of Mae Saruay in Chiang Rai province.        The Lisu divided into two sub-groups: the striped Lisu and the black Lisu. Almost all Lisu residing in Thailand are of the striped Lisu sub-group. As for the black Lisu, they are spread out across China, Burma, India, and Thailand. The Lisu in Thailand are scattered across nine different provinces: Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Phayao, Tak, Kampaengphet, Phetchaboon, Sukhothai, and Lampang. Originally, the Lisu divided themselves into six different family dynasties: honey (bia-seu-wee), wood (seu-pa), fish (gua-pa), bear, rice bug, wheat, and hemp. The honey dynasty is the largest of these family lines, but is itself divided into three smaller sub-dynasties. There are nine family lines branching off from inter-tribal marriages with the Chinese Ho: Lee, Yang, Yao, Woo, Kao, Ho, Joo, and Jang. The two largest of these lines are the Lee and Yang line.        Religiously, the Lisu worship their ancestors and the great Spirit. They have two religious heads: the cultural leader (meu-meu-pa) and the ceremonial leader (nee-pa).
Population         In mid-1983 there were approximately 18,000 Lisu spread out over 110 villages in Thailand. In 1958 a survey concluded there were only about 7,500 Lisu, meaning their numbers multiplied at a rate of 3.6% per year over the course of 25 years. Most of the expansion accounts for new immigrants to the country, rather than births. For perspective, in 1983 there were 250,000 Lisu in Burma and about 500,000 in China. Hundreds of families crossed the border and settled in the northeast. Interestingly, there are no Lisu in Laos or Vietnam. The Lisu in Thailand are divided up across the different provinces as follows: 47% in Chiang Mai, 23% in Chiang Rai, 19% in Mae Hong Son, with the other 11% scattered across Phayao, Tak, Kampaengphet, Phetchaboon, and Sukhothai. The Lisu now living in Thailand are quite different from their relatives in northern Burma. This may be due to the fact that the Lisu began in China and divided up and separated out over many different generations. This is not to mention all the inter-marriage that occurred between the Lisu and the Chinese Ho, to the point that these Lisu began referring to themselves as Chinese-Lisu.       A survey conducted in 1997 by the Hill Tribe Research Institute found there were 30,940 Lisu living across 151 villages in 5,114 households. This accounts for 4.11% of all the hill tribe peoples living in the country. 23% are in Chiang Mai, 19% in Chiang Rai, 11% in Mae Hong Son, and the rest are spread out across Phayao, Tak, Kampaengphet, Phetchaboon, and Sukhothai. The past and current organizational structure in a Lisu village: Kwa-Too (Leader of the community): This person is elected to the position by the villagers. Meu-Meu-Pa (Ceremonial leader): The holder of this position is chosen by way of ah-bpa-mo (a fortune-telling ceremony). Each village can have only one Meu-Meu-Pa. The ceremonial leader's responsibilities are to act as a medium between the great Spirit and the villagers, and to announce and conduct ceremonies to observe the various sacred days of the year. Nee-Pa (Spirit doctor): This individual is elected and appointed by the spirits of the ancient ancestors of the family dynasty and is responsible for maintaining the connection between the spirit world and the world of humans. Cho-Mo-Cho-Dtee (Head elder): An elder in the village who is respected and revered by all the younger members of the village. Presently: Kwa-Too (Leader of the community): Now the official village headman. Meu-Meu-Pa (Ceremonial leader): Still appointed in the same way as in the past. Assistants to the village headman (1-2 assistants): Appointed by the headman. Official representative to the Tambon Administration Organization: This position is an appointed one and the appointee is responsible for general administration work in the village and managing and maintaining a budget from the government. The village committee. Advisor: Cho-Mo-Cho-Dtee (Head elder). Nee-Pa (Spirit doctor): Responsible for performing miscellaneous ceremonies.         As for the Lisu Village Organization (Tribal Organization), its role was not all that clear in the past, but was best known for its work in bringing distant relatives of the same family dynasty together. In other words, the organization was not an official one, but was known and respected among the Lisu. In the past, it had a long list of roles and responsibilities in Lisu society. Now, distant relatives continue to come together to perform various ceremonies of importance to the family. http://lisu.hilltribe.org

Live style : Marriage

Lisu people cannot marry their relatives.

Choosing the match
In the evening Lisu women will cook the rice, and the following morning the men will come to help, and spend time teasing each other. Some couples exchange bracelets or other symbols to show they love each other, and they will keep them in their pocket near their heart. When they have to go to work in the field, the women will tell the men and all of them will wear full dress, and sing impromptu songs. Tradition explains that Lisu men are similar to the trunk of tree and branch, and the women are similar to the leaf - when the trunk feels that the leaf is threatened by someone, the trunk will protect the leaf as much as it can.

The wedding Lisu men will give money to the brides’ parents; the man’s parents give all of the money that the women’s parent asked for. For Lisu, the money given to the bride is more than other hilltribes because when they marry, the woman stays in the man’s house and does everything in their family, work hard.

When the couple agrees to marry, the men bring release for the women from her own family. His family comes to talk with hers, to ask for the hand of the girl and make decisions and agreements, such as if his parents can give the money after the couple live together. If they do not have enough money though, the women’s parents will bring their daughter back home. Her parents will set the day for marriage and will have the ceremony at their house before noon. They have the ceremony in front of an ancestor’s mantle in the house. The couple kneels in front of the ceremony leader, and the leader tells the ancestor about the new member in the family.

The ceremony leader takes the water on the mantle to the couple for prosperity and, when the ceremony is completed, he collects money from the guests to give to the couple. Water is also put in the bowl which the groom symbolically drinks for wealth. The money is then poured into the groom’s hand, which he, in turn, pours into the wrap cloth on the bride’s head. At night, they have a dancing ceremony, holding hands with each other to create a circle, while a group sings two songs. The main song in the ceremony is sung in front of the ancestor’s mantle, while the second song separates women and men who sing in response to each other.

http://lisu.hilltribe.org

Live style : Giving a name

Naming a Lisu Child (“Chajuaduer”)
The Lisu people hold a name ceremony for newborns as they believe that newborns must be named within three days being born. If a family fails to name their child in this time, a spirit will name and claim the child as its own. The child’s life would then be in danger.

The Lisu Child-Naming Ceremony (“ChaJuaduer”) The Lisu parents prepare an offering of boiled pig parts that they take to the village shrine. The offering is presented before the shrine together with joss sticks, two glasses of water and two bowls of cooked rice.     The joss sticks are lighted to announce the child’s birth. The parents then ask that the shrine god protect the child. A coin is tossed and lots cast to select the child’s name. The family presents the same offering to the shrine in their home following which, every family member of the newborn child places money in a water bowl to bless the child. This is done in the hope that the child grows up to be healthy. The elaborate ceremony concludes with family members tying the child’s wrist with a holy thread.

The Six Names of a Lisu Each Lisu individual is given multiple names. Unlike one’s nickname, these names must stay with the individual for his or her lifetime. Using a newborn Lisu female for example, The Lisu will choose her name during the HleeJeeMe Saelee ceremony (this translates to the “Name Sirname” ceremony). The first name is determined by the child’s status in her family. If she is the first-born child, her first name would be “Amee”. If the child is adopted, her adoptive parents will name her after a wild animal. The child will then be named after either her strongest or weakest character trait. In addition, she will have a nickname determined by a noticeable character trait such as bravery. The Lisu word for bravery is “Awosuema” which literally means “to like to catch butterflies”. Finally, this newborn child will have a government name such as Kamolrat.

	Examples of Lisu names. Names that are listed at the top are used more frequently than the names listed at the bottom.
	Male Lisu names ABePha ALepha AHsaPha AHseePha AHwuPha AHluPha ASuePha APhaPha	Female Lisu names AHmeeMa ALeMa AHsaMa ASeeMa HwuMa AHluMa ASueMa APhaMa

http://lisu.hilltribe.org

Life style : Dreams of Pregnancy and Their Significance

Dream before Pregnancy       The Lisu people believe that dreaming is a way of communicating. Dreams are significant and there are explanations to certain dreams especially for women. Lisu people believe that if a woman dreamed of herself conceived in her dream, it means that she is really pregnant. The woman will normally be able to remember the dream. Dreams during Pregnancy       If Lisu women have dreams during pregnancy, some of these dreams may have certain meaning to their lives. Some of these dreams would be able to inform pregnant Lisu women of the sex of their unborn child. For example, if they dream about going hunting for animals or going for a battle, it would mean that her child is most probably a male. In another case, if the woman dreams of working in a farm and collect fruits and vegetables, her child is probably a female. If Lisu woman dreams of herself collecting rotten fruits, it would mean that her child is retarded and abnormal. These are some of the superstitious believes of Lisu people.

There are signs to show if the unborn baby can be born healthily or unsuccessfully. If the Lisu mother dreams of herself vomiting, crying or passing out blood as urine, it would mean to Lisu people that the fetus is dead. If the Lisu woman dreams of a baby coming to say goodbye or the baby walks towards an endless road, it will mean that the baby is leaving the mother and he/she is dead. The Lisu people believe that whether the baby is healthy or not depends on the deeds of his/her parents. If the parents did a lot of sins, the Lisu people will feel that the baby will receive all the punishments for his/her parents and born abnormally.

 Highland Mapping Development and Biodiversity Management Project / IMPECT

http://lisu.hilltribe.org

Life style : Taboo for Lisu’s pregnant

Who has pregnant do not underestimate or insult such as the older or handicap person and also the general people because they believe that her baby has handicap also. Lisu teach their lineage that do not laugh at other people because it will retribution with them, do not wait until the next world (Lisu call Jumae)

The place that the pregnant woman cannot go. Lisu believes that during pregnancy, the woman is very vulnerable to any bad  because they tend to be more tired physically and mentally than others. Pregnant women are no longer considered virgins since the child is brought about by sexual relations between the parents. Lisu thus forbids pregnant women to enter spiritual places where ceremonies and rituals such as Thanksgiving to the forest (Mi Gwu Gwu) are conducted, and to attend them. When such ceremonies or rituals are conducted, the pregnant women cannot go to that place because of the gods dislike people who have defects, are unhealthy or unclean, and if the gods are angered, they can take the life of the person away. Also, around Apha Moo Hee (the village shrine), women cannot enter because this area belongs to the god (Apha Moo Hee)  who perfers men over women.

Lisu also believes that places that produce alcohol from corn are holy and are taken care of by gods.such that the alcohol producesd is pure and concentrated. If a pregnant woman passes this area, it is believed that the alcohol produced will be of low concentration and impure because pregnant women are not considered virgins, which affect the purity of the alcohol. Pregnant women cannot go near funerals because they believe that the spirit of the deceased will take their souls away. To prevent this, the shaman will protect the people by hitting vegetable on the coffin so as to browbeat the spirit do not come to take the weakened people.

Food and drug for the pregnant. Lisu believes that pregnant women should avoid using medicine of food that can affect the fetus because the fetus receives the nutrients required from the mother. This is to prevent the mother from falling sick and harming the fetus. Lisu are very particular about pregnancy. Food forbidden during pregnancy. Taro, tomato and sugar cane. The Lisu believe that it make the fetus fat and thus

http://lisu.hilltribe.org

Life style : Vocation

Farming     The Lisu consider their main source of livelihood to be farming. It is like the heart and soul of a Lisu. Thus, the Lisu take special care in choosing a site for farming. They will select a site where the soil is fertile, ensuring a high yield. In searching for a site to farm, a Lisu will look for land that is densely forested, where the earth is black and moist and not far from a stream or other water source. If possible, a Lisu will try to find a place like this close to the village to cut down on commute time. Once a suitable place has been found, the farmer will cut down the trees, clearing the land. The area will then be left alone for a few days while things dry out, after which time the farmer will set the field ablaze. Any unburnt debris will be collected and the field will again be left to sit for a few days. When the farmer returns a ceremony will be performed to make an offering to the spirits of the forest, the mountains, and the pathways, to ask permission to use the field and to ask for a good harvest. Following the ceremony, the farmer will pull out all the weeds and begin tilling the earth in preparation for planting the seeds. The planting will be done in May, during the rainy season. The Lisu's main crops are rice and corn, followed by other fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, cabbage, chili peppers, sesame seeds, ginger, potatoes, and various different kinds of beans.

Rice planting season (Ja ya mee)        As the first rains of the rainy season fall to the ground in early May, the Lisu begin preparing themselves for the hard work ahead, as the planting season is upon them. The Lisu will await the rain to start planting their corn and rice. Once the soil has been prepped as described above, the planting is fairly easy. The only things needed for the job are a small spade and seeds. The seeds will be planted by a male and female team, with the man walking in front and digging the holes and the woman dropping the seeds in behind. The man will use a long bamboo shaft with a small metal spade attached to the end of it. He will plunge it into the ground and then pop it up lightly, creating a small hole. The woman, carrying a bag of seeds over her shoulder, will insert about 3-5 seeds and leave the hole open. When the rain comes, the dirt will erode and cover up the seeds on its own. This work is always done in pairs and is often accompanied with singing and playful conversation, keeping the atmosphere fun and light.

September is the season for planting opium (Ya pee)       At the beginning of August the corn will be harvested, leaving the land free to plant opium, which will be done around September. The two crops are planted in rotation with one another and complement each other well as the dead corn stalks serve as a shelter for the young opium seedlings, protecting them from the sun's intense rays. Later, the corn stalks will decompose and become fertilizer, providing nourishment to the growing opium plants. Planting opium is hard work and requires close attention, making sure the plants don't grow too closely together, choking each other and fighting for diminishing nutrients. If too many plants are grown on too small a plot of land, the farmer will get diminishing returns as the soil can't properly sustain the whole lot. The plot must be continually weeded and the ground tilled over in order to ensure healthy growth, beautiful, hardy flowers, and a good harvest of opium. The season for harvesting opium (Ya pee)     After the rice harvest in November and early December comes the season for harvesting opium poppies, collecting their hallucenogenic sap. It is at this time that the poppies are in full bloom and the fields are bursting with a spreading array of red, purple and white opium flowers. The harvesting will be done in the late morning, when the sun has been up for awhile. Under the hot rays of the sun the sap will flow more freely and dry faster once collected. A special scraper is used to get at the sap, which is made of 3-5 small, sharp, and pointy knife blades wrapped tightly together. Holding the poppy flower in one hand, the scraper is used to cut lines from the heart of the flower up to the tips, following the natural lines of the flower. Careful attention must be taken when scraping to use just the right amount of pressure. Scraped too hard, the sap will flow out too fast and drip out onto the ground. Scraped too softly, the sap just won't leak out at all. It takes a lot of practice before becoming expert in the art, and only the best will be allowed to do the scraping during harvest time. The sap from the poppies is milky white in color and thick. Once the flower has been scraped, the sap will ooze out and collect at the heart of the flower. The flower will then be left out overnight for the sap to dry to a tacky consistency. During this process the sap will turn brown in color. The next day a crescent moon-shaped knife blade will be used to scrape the hardened sap off the flowers and onto a sheet of paper where it will be collected for safe storage.

http://lisu.hilltribe.org