The History
The History of Akha people
Akha the people group who exists the way of life, belief, rituals or traditionsfor more than 2,700 years. The history of Akha has not 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;
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.
2nd period of human lives with ghost “Nehvq Tsawl Tiq gal Jawl-eu” / คนผีอยู่ร่วมกัน
The period of human living 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.
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.
4th period of moving “ Zaq nyiq Duml gui ga-eu / อ่าข่าเคลื่อนย้าย
The 4th period of the moving to the new land the proverb dais that Zaq Nyiq Duml gui ga –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 count ed 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.
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 body of knowledge, culture, rituals, traditions subjectivity greatly.the period originated in B.E.2440 or around the last 110 years.
Akha Ancestor /บรรพบุรุษอ่าข่า
The Akha ethnic group are able to inherit and remeber the late ancestor for mane period of years to present called Aqkaq Tsuivq who is the important due to the ability to find out their relatives and clans wherever they live and including to be consisted in rituals, to calculate on the passing time.
Religion, Belief and Akha Scripture
The Akha believes that everything has its owner, its spirit which is called Yaw Shahl,eventhough Akha has no written alphabet but we have Tradition and Ritual called Dehvq Zahl ShilZahl to be the living materials. We have proverb and teaching words called Aqkaq Dawq daq, we have rule and law called Zahl and all of them are originated of the Religion called Akha Zahl which is to be held as the scripture of Akha tribe with the belief called Nui Jah . The Nui Jah respects various Gods such as God of Land, God of water, God of the hills, god of the river etc.and the highest God is called “ Aq Poeq Miq Yehi” to be respected and pray until the present time.
Structure of Akha tribe / โครงสร้างชนเผ่าอ่าข่า
Man has an important role to be inherit of clan and family . to extend the family is to extend of patrilineal to inherit family and social system . the oldest man is the head of family who have a decision and work out to be the leader and to give advise to member of family.
Governing Structure/ โครงสร้างการปกครอง
Akha community has a governing position according to the Aqkaq Zahl to administer the community with the calling name and position as follows;
Dzoeq ma position the culture and governing leader
Dzoeq Zaq “ deputy leader
Civq/Bajiq “ community mechanic
Pil ma/ Boel mawq position ritual priest
Naq ngeuq “ information Officer/ negotiator
Nyil paq “ typical doctor
Qav ma/ Lavq dzaq “ natural Leader.
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 remebrance. Howeverm at present the Akha use english alphabet to be the written Akha.
Countries the Akha live in /ประเทศที่อ่าข่าอาศัย
The Akha reside in the area of Asia continent which are China, Laos, Burma, Vietnam Thailand. It is expected that there are around 2.3 million.
Akha in Thailand / อ่าข่าในประเทศไทย
Akha live in the 5 provinces in the Northern of Thailand which are chiangRai chiangMai, 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. 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/ a Jawl Akah.
Akha Occupation / อาชีพอ่าข่า
In the past Akha Tribe has an occupation on agriculture produce for livelihood, planting crops, vegetables, fibre cropping by using integrated agriculture which is one plot of land they grow not less than 22 kinds of plants differenting from present.the Akha earn in many kinds of occupations such labour, trade, government official , Ngo with the portion of 90 % are agriculture and 10 % are others.
Back to Akha
Back to Akha
