The Insar (, ; , also spelt Innsar) are members of a

Tibeto-Burman The Tibeto-Burman languages are the non- Sinitic members of the Sino-Tibetan language family, over 400 of which are spoken throughout the Southeast Asian Massif ("Zomia") as well as parts of East Asia and South Asia. Around 60 million people speak ...

ethnic group living around Inle Lake. There are around 100,000 to 200,000 Insar.

Origins

The origins of the Insar are disputed; the Insar believe their ancestors arrived from the southern tip of modern-day

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

(

Tanintharyi Region Tanintharyi Region (, ; Mon: or ; formerly Tenasserim Division and Tanintharyi Division) is a region of Myanmar, covering the long narrow southern part of the country on the northern Malay Peninsula, reaching to the Kra Isthmus. It borders ...

). A commonly held theory is that the Insar fled from southern Myanmar during the 14th century; the ruling Shan saophas forbade them from settling on the land, which forced the Insar to instead settle on Inle Lake. To this day, the Insar primarily live in four cities bordering the lake, in numerous small villages along the lake's shores, and on the lake itself. The entire lake area is in Nyaung Shwe township.

Language

The Insar speak a divergent dialect of

Burmese Burmese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia * Burmese people * Burmese language * Burmese alphabet * Burmese cuisine * Burmese culture Animals * Burmese cat * Burmese chicken * Burmese (horse), a ...

. Colonial observers noted that the Insar spoke a language resembling Burmese, with a Shan accent. Unlike other dialects of Burmese, the Insar language does not exhibit voicing sandhi, similar to the Danu and

Taungyo language Tavoyan or Dawei (, abbreviated ) is a divergent dialect of Burmese language, Burmese is spoken in Dawei (Tavoy), in the coastal Tanintharyi Region of southern Myanmar (Burma). Tavoyan speakers self-identify as Bamar people, Bamar, and are classi ...

Culture

Insar are overwhelmingly

Buddhists Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth ...

and live in simple houses of wood and woven

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

on stilts; they are largely self-sufficient farmers. The Insar support themselves through the tending of vegetable farms on floating gardens. Traditional Insar attire consists of a pink-colored short sleeved jacket and loose trousers for men. During the pre-colonial era, Insar women wore tailored cotton jackets called "chin in" over a penny cloth white upper garment, and a satin and silk ''htamein'' decorated in alternating shades of light and dark pink stripes and waves. The Insar village of Ywama is home to an indigenous type of longyi called "hat yar," which is sewn with silk and cotton fabric in varying brown and yellow stripes. Insar cuisine is known for its diversity of bitter soups called ''saykha hin'' (ဆေးခါးဟင်း). The traditional beverage of choice, brewed green tea, is served with salt. Traditional meals consist of cooked rice and an array of curries served in a ''

daunglan Daunglan (; ) is a circular pedestal tray used to serve meals in Myanmar (Burma), especially in Upper Myanmar. Commonly made of lacquered bamboo, teak or beechwood, the ''daunglan'' is served with small bowls consisting of various dishes and sou ...

''. Traditional Insar dances include the ''lansi'', ''lunsi'', and ''ozigyi'' dances. Poem recitation traditions called ''taiktay'', in which Intha bachelors and maidens recite poetry. The Insar are also well known for their unusual leg-rowing techniques. Most transportation on the lake is traditionally by small boats, or by somewhat larger boats fitted with 'long-tail' motors that are necessary because of the usual shallowness of the lake. Local fishermen are known for practicing a distinctive rowing style which involves standing at the stern on one leg and wrapping the other leg around the oar. This unique style evolved for the reason that the lake is covered by reeds and floating plants making it difficult to see above them while sitting. Standing provides the rower with a view beyond the reeds. However, the leg rowing style is only practiced by the men. Women row in the customary style, using the oar with their hands, sitting cross legged at the stern.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Intha People Ethnic groups in Myanmar Buddhist communities of Myanmar Sino-Tibetan-speaking people