Na xion
This is the Hmong culture. We will be your tour guides through this journey. We will teach you about history, religion, everyday life, language and food for the Hmong culture.
First, we will talk about Hmong history. In the 1960’s the Hmong helped the USA in the Vietnam War. Over 1700 Hmong soldiers died during the war.
Many Hmong people died trying to cross the Mekong River. The ones that were lucky made it across to Thailand. In the Hmong culture they make story cloths to show about events like these.
Laos is about the size of Utah. It has about 6,834,942 people for their population. The Laos flag has a blue stripe in the middle to represent the Mekong River. There are two red stripes on the top and bottom to represent the lands joined and separated by the river. There is a white circle in the middle to represent a full moon.
Laos was taken into communist control by the Japanese. Today, it is still a communist country. About 100,000 Hmong people tried to escape to Thailand.
Next, we will talk about the Hmong religion. First of all, there religion is shamanism. If someone is going to die a shaman will perform a traditional ritual, they enter the spirit world to find the sick persons spirit.
Hmong people believe in a lot of spirits. The Hmong people that believed that pond, streams, rivers, hills, valleys, trees, rocks and even wild currents all have individual spirits. Hmong people say that if a tree is draped with a white cloth it is a spirit tree. That seems pretty weird if you know, what that means to us.
The major cylindrical cerinomoy is New Year, when spirits a renewed. Hmong New Year is in October. A funeral lasts a minimum of thee days, attended by all local male family members.
There has to de one shaman in a village that is chosen by spirits. When a shaman cures a sick person he or she goes into a black cloth that covers her eyes to see spirits. A village is usually small so a shaman doesn’t have to cure many people.
Everyday life is the third thing we will talk about. There are about 4 to 5 million Hmong on earth. Countries with Hmong in them include China, Vietnam, Laos, The USA, Thailand, France, Australia, French Guiana, Canada, and Germany. But china has the most population of Hmong. Hmong in the USA live in the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, California, Michigan, and Massachusetts.
Hmong became Christians when they came to the USA. Most Hmong are still animist. Hmong have a short life expectancy. So boys can get married at the age of 16.Girls can get married at the age of 14.
The area of Southeast and East Asia is full of mountains. Most Hmong live in this area. Hmong have groups and there are 19 of them. Hmong farming villages, 20 – 40 house holds, are usually on the side of a mountain.
Hmong New Year is the only holiday they celebrate. Hmong New Year Wisconsin is celebrated in October. They celebrate it with games and traditions. At Hmong New Years celebration some children play the game Pow Pow.
A long time ago the Hmong people lived in China, but the Chinese didn’t let the Hmong read or write in Hmong. Because the Chinese would not let the Hmong people speak their language they began to forget it. Then in the 1950’s they created the Hmong language I know now. Today it’s a good thing kids in Thailand learn to read, write and think in their language.
Some vocabulary words about the religion, wedding, etc, are the dab nyeb, a spirit which inhabit various parts of the household. Another word is mej koob or what Americans call best man in a wedding. Lastly, is a choj or silver bar which is Hmong money.
One of the believed in. Qeej, or musical bamboo pipes is one instrument that young people play. The qeej, also helps make your lungs strong. Another word that is important is dab and in Hmong most important thing to the Hmong culture is the language. Txiv Neeb, meaning shaman, is the religion the Hmong means spirits or monsters. The word is important because, you may not think of it but everyone has one in their house but, it’s a good spirit that protects.
The Hmong language is its own language because it’s a minority group. The Hmong also have a passion for sewing because the girls don’t have a lot of things to do in Thailand. They make a paj nt aub or flower cloth that can tell a story. A fun game is kab taub which you have to use a bamboo ball and it’s a mix of volleyball and soccer combined but, it’s challenging. A long time ago the Hmong people
Here are facts about the Hmong food. Hmong preserve vegetables like peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, and beans. The Hmong preserve food by adding salt in a jar with the vegetables.
The Hmong grow rice, cucumbers, squash, and other vegetables. While they grow vegetables, they raised animals like pigs, cows, horses, and fish for food. Hmong preserve meat by smoking in the fire.
Sticky rice or glutinous rice is the staple of Hmong or Lao. Most Hmong food is traditionally eaten with sticky rice. Most Hmong food is eaten with hands.
Sticky rice can only be held by hand. The Hmong coffee is often called Pak xion coffee. The only time Hmong was able to use spoons was for soups.