The Phunoi (; Lao: ຜູ້ນ້ອຍ; also spelled ''Phu Noi'' or ''Phounoi'', and called Cốông, ''Cống'', or formerly ''Khong'' in
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
) are a tribal people of
Laos
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
,
Northern Thailand
Northern Thailand, or more specifically Lanna, is a region of Thailand. It is geographically characterized by several mountain ranges, which continue from the Shan Hills in bordering Myanmar to Laos, and the river valleys that cut through them. ...
, and
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
. They are related to the
Mpi people and the
Bisu people.
Etymology
"Phunoi" means "little man" in various Tai languages and is not this ethnic group's original name, which is probably "Khong".
Distribution
There are approximately 35,600 Phunoi in Laos and 1,300 in Vietnam (the 1960 census indicated that there were approximately 6,500 at that time). In Laos, many Phunoi live in
Phongsali Province
Phongsaly province ( Lao ຜົ້ງສາລີ), also spelled ''Phôngsali'', is a province of Laos in the extreme north of the country. The capital of the province is the city of Phôngsali. Phongsaly is between Yunnan (China), and Điệ ...
(around the town of
Phongsali),
Louang Namtha Province, and
Houaphanh Province
Houaphanh province (, , Romanization of Lao: ''Houaphan'' also ''Huaphan'') is a province in eastern Laos. Its capital is Xam Neua. Houaphanh province covers an area of . It is bordered by Vietnam to the north, east, and southeast, Xiangkhoua ...
. Some also live in
Luang Phrabang Province and
Vientiane Province, the remnant of those serving in the Royal Lao Armed Forces.
Culture
They speak
Phunoi, 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 ...
language that is classified as one of the
Loloish languages
The Loloish languages, also known as Yi (like the Yi people) and occasionally Ngwi or Nisoic, are a family of 50–100 Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily in the Yunnan province of Southwestern China. They are most closely related to Bur ...
. The community is divided into several clans, each with its own
taboo
A taboo is a social group's ban, prohibition or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, offensive, sacred or allowed only for certain people.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
s and customs for
ancestor worship
The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...
. Their primary occupation is
slash-and-burn
Slash-and-burn agriculture is a form of shifting cultivation that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a Field (agriculture), field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody p ...
agriculture. They also produce a variety of handicrafts, most notably
rattan
Rattan, also spelled ratan (from Malay language, Malay: ''rotan''), is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the clos ...
baskets and mats.
References
Further reading
* The Akha and Phu Noi Minorities of Laos in the 1920s. Henri Roux. 2011. White Lotus Press.
External links
Vietnam National Administration of Tourism The Cong ethnic group in Vietnam
{{Authority control
Ethnic groups in Laos
Ethnic groups in Vietnam