A true mosaic of traditional ethnic groups, Laos currently counts 130 different tribes separated into four4 linguistic groups. Some of these tribes consist of only a few hundred people and are only found in Laos. Some are in danger of disappearing, as they are swallowed up by the more dominant groups. Customs and languages continue to disappear and for those that do have writing in their culture, disappearance can be very fast. Today, there are practically 6 million people spread across 16 provinces.

The Laotian government has tried to simplify the diversity of these ethnic groups by specifying three main groups of people:

• Plains-people “Lao Loum”, live  below 400m
• Mountain-people “Lao Theung”, live between 400 and 900m
• High mountain people “Lao Sououng”, living above 900m.

 

                ©Guillaume Massardier

 

But this classification is hardly ever used. Instead, the four linguistic groups are used more commonly:

• Tai-Kadai family: about 55% of the population
• Austro-Asian family: about 30% of the population
• Mia-Yao family: about 10% of the population
• Sino-Tibetan family: about 5% of the population

 

                ©Guillaume Massardier




Tai-Kadai

• The largest group in Laos
• Consists of people from these tribes - Lao, Phutai, Phouane, Tai Nyo, Tai Deng, Lue, Thai Khao, Thai Dams
• Their origins go back several centuries to the conflicts with the Mongols, the Hans and other Chinese groups
• They come from the North (Yunan)
• Characteristics include:
• Permanent villages that tend to be larger than those of the other groups
• Traditional housing is made of wood & bamboo on stilts
• Food is based on sticky rice
• Agriculture is based around rice paddy-fields
• Buddhist with a belief in spirits
  
  
  

Austro – Asiatic

Made up of 47 tribes
• Language is taken from Mon & Khmer
• Consists of people from these tribes - Khamu (Ou, Lu , Rok et Me), Lawen, Taoy, Katang
• Came to Laos from the south over 10 centuries ago
• Characteristics include:
• Houses built on stilts that are shorter than those used by the Tai-Kadai
• No writing
• Religion is animist and shamanist
• Strong community spirit
• Slash & burn culture
• Drink rice beer from small earthenware jars

 

                ©L.Van Parys

 

Miao – Yao

• This linguistic group came from China to the north of Laos between 1815 and 1900
• Consists of people from these tribes – Hmongs, Yao Mien, Lao Huay (Lenten), Pana
• Hmongs originate from the high steppes of Tibet.
• Largely independent people
• Characteristics include:
• Houses built from wooden and bamboo on the ground
• Adoption of the Chinese writing
• Animist religion with worship of ancestors
• Clan unity is very important
• Burn land to cultivate rice, corn and the poppy.

 

Sino – Tibetan

This linguistic group is essentially formed from the Tibeto-Burman language
The least developed group living only in certain parts of the country

• Consists of people from these tribes - Ikhos (Akha), Lahu, Pounoys
• The Ikhos came from Yunan & Tibet at the beginning of the 19th century
• The Pounoys were the first tribe to move into Laos; coming from Burma in the 16th century
• The Ho people, originally from China were the last to arrive in Laos
• Characteristics include:
• Houses built from wooden and bamboo on the ground
• No writing
• Complex animist religion based on spirits & souls
• Burn land to cultivate rice & poppies
• Hunter-gatherers

 

                ©Guillaume Massardier

 

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