There are roughly seven million of the Karen people living in Burma. While they are a very diverse population, a majority of the Karen people are subsistence farmers. The majority of the population live in small mountain villages. Most of the villagers grow white rice and vegetables, as well as raise animals (KBDDF). Most villagers will eat a bowl of rice, some boiled vegetables, and fishpaste for their meals. It is common for them to eat twice a day, once around 10 A.M. and again at 4 P.M. Most native Karen people will use their hands to eat, however those exposed to Thai culture will use a fork and knife. In addition to the plants and animals they grow and raise, they will also gather vegetables and go hunting. There are not many animals that they will not hunt (Moonienda 2011:25).
In most Karen villages the Buddhist monastery is the center of the community life, it is the home to the monks who are the leaders of not only religion, but also the community. They also serve as school teacher, activists, counselors, and doctors and care for the orphaned and homeless children (KBDDF). In the traditional Karen village there is not a lot to do day to day, so the people spend their free time visiting others in the village. There is no invitation necessary and hosts don't usually reject their visitors. Visitors will stay for anywhere from five minutes to even five hours and their hosts will always invite the visitor eat, which the visitor will politely decline (Moonienda 2011:37). For most villagers alcohol is a integral part of their culture. They will make a mildly alcoholic beer out of rice that will either be drank as is or further distilled into a whiskey. Men drink more than the women in the village and will sit in a large circle sharing a bottle and one cup. Drug use is very uncommon in the villages, however marijuana is grown for use in feeding the elephants and to be cooked into stews (Moonienda 2011:38).
While the above is true for a lot of Karen villages, the war has forced much of the population to flee to refugee camps across the Burma-Thai border. For the most part the diet in these camps remains the same and a majority of the refugees still work as farmers, however some refugees are employed by aid organizations to work in the camps. However some have sought employment outside the camps and are at risk of being detained, robbed, or raped (Moonienda 2011:39). Most of the refugees and their camps have been very well maintained and organized due to the upkeep the refugees have put into them. Most of the refugees keep a happy and pleasant attitude. The houses in the camp are built from bamboo and teak leaves and separated by vegetable gardens (Moonienda 2011:39). While drug use is not prevalent in the main villages, amphetamine usage is much more common in refugee camps. Additionally drinking is a much more common factor and the preventative measures used by the main villages to keep everyone safe are not found in the camps. Alcohol, drugs, and gambling have lead to a level of violence, poverty, and sexual abuse within the camps that is not found in the villages (Moonienda 2011:38).
References
KBDDF
The Karen People. http://www.karen.org.au/karen_people.htm 2 June 2015
Moonienda, Ashin
2011 The Karen People: Culture, faith and history. Karen Buddhist Dharna Dhutta Foundation. http://www.karen.org.au/docs/Karen_people_booklet.pdf 2 June 2015
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The iCross-Cultural Citizen Project is a cultural anthropology course-based project meant to raise critical consciousness about the rich cultural diversity in our indigenous world. Being totally aware of the limitations of being outsiders, we are a group of multidisciplinary undergraduate students who believe in cross-cultural sensitivity and participatory agency aimed at disseminating information about indigenous realities as accurately as possible.
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The Karen people are a very interesting group. Compared to my own lifestyle they seem to have a more, for lack of a better word, simple lifestyle. It seems as though the average villager will spend an average day tending to their crops (working) or visiting with friends and having some whiskey. Comparatively I will do these things in addition to attending class, playing video games, watching Netflix, going to the pool. My diet also consists of more than primarily rice and I do not have to grow or hunt for my food.
ReplyDeleteHowever, while the lives of the Karen people may comparatively be simpler than my own, they seem to be an overall happy people. Even in the refugee camps, they are able to keep a positive and upbeat attitude. I on the other hand find myself stressed very easily. Furthermore, I also don't have the threat and fear of living in a war torn state or the idea of having to flee to a refugee camp.
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