Beliefs, resources, and lifestyle of the Mae Yang Min community in Mae Yang Min watershed

Written by Issara Phanasantikul

Communities in the area of Mae Yang Min watershed network include indigenous Pgakenyaw and Lahu whose traditional lifestyles remain in contact with natural resources that they believe in everything surrounding them and in the care of the protector-spirits. In the ninth month (June) of every year, there are seasonal rituals, namely: community spirits, weir spirit, and headwater spirits that they are expected to provide protection to the whole community, the forest and the watershed areas.

“Worshipping the community spirits”: It is believed that community spirit or land spirit and ancestor spirits are the protectors of all community members. If anyone commits wrong-doing to the spirits, he/she has to ask for forgiveness at the sacred forest.

Only men are allowed to enter the sacred forest. Offering sacrifice to the community spirits is expected to receive protection from them and also to maintain the culture of sacred forest areas, while women are to prepare food for all. Boiled chicken that each household brings for food together with ceremonial whisky will be consumed together for prosperity in life. The ritual of spirit worshipping has been passed down from the past and it is performed in the ninth month (June) of every year. The villagers believe that the community spirit or the land spirit and ancestor spirits provide protection for the whole community. If the children and grandchildren have to travel so far, they will ask for the safe trip, or they may ask for the bless to pass the exam, or to ask for the protection; but if they make mistake, they will come to ask for pardon at the sacred forest.

“Worshipping the weir spirit and the headwater spirit”: People will pray that, “May the rain fall so that the water in the river and stream will be full enough to feed the rice in the paddy field and the rice plants will be strong throughout the season”. The purpose is to pray for good get things to all farmers to have plentiful rice yield for the spirit has already taken the offering. In order to perform the ritual, a spirit altar is built near the weir or the headwater. The villagers give their sacrifice in order to conserve the environment and ecosystem. The people show their love of the headwater that they believe in the guardian spirit of the watershed that they dare not cause any damage to the headwater forest.

This is the ritual at the community level that foster positive relationship between community members and the natural resources. It illustrates the good stratagem for natural resource conservation in the forest and the headwater areas that provide water supply for the whole community. It also reflects the transmission of indigenous knowledge in natural resource management through many generations in the area of Mae Yang Min.