(Booth on Kayan National Race)
An exhibition with the aim of enhancing better understanding of the socio-economic life of Wa, Kokant, Salon, Naga, Chin, Akhar, Kayan, Mro, Maramagyi, and PaO nationals was held at Diamond Jubilee hall of Yangon University with the aim of enhancing better understanding on 30th August to 2nd of September 2002.
At the exhibition, you can study photographs, books, cultural artifacts, utensils, dresses, and a video show on socio-economic life of ten national races which have been researched from 1996 to 2002 by Anthropology Department.
About Kayan National by Daw Lwin Lwin Mon ( Assistant Lecture, Anthropology Department, Yangon University )
Here, we display the photos and materials of Kayan-Padaung ethnic groups which we had taken during our field research in February 2000.
The Kayan-Padaung ethnic groups is found to be locating in Demawso and Loikaw townships in Kaya State, Phae Khon and Pinlaung in the Shan State and northern part of Thandaung in Kayin State.
There are four sub-tribes among the Kayan, Kayan-Padaung, Kayan-Kangan Kayan-Gaekho and Kayan-Lahta. Among these, Kayan-Padaung nationals have the peculiar custom of wearing brass-coins around their legs and neck. In the olden days, the girls started wearing the brass-coins at the age of six or seven. The ornaments of the Kayan women may weight about 20 pounds.
Fortune telling is very much alive in the Kayan society. The two methods they have relied on through generations are cork-bone method and thrash breaking method. They make yearly the festival called Gayhtoebo (or) Tagontaing by offering of foods. The members of the Gayhtoebo religion believe that their Gayhtoebo flat-mould worship is the most wholly and Levine of all.
Kayan-Padaung ethnic group and their livelihood by cultivation of crop the main crop being paddy. They usually go hunting in group or individually after the plantation season. Most of the weapons they use were saw, spear, cross-bore, and handmade fire arms.