People Resources and Conservation Foundation (PRCF)

Cultural Arts Revitalization Program

Photo: Young weaver learns from village elder how to weave on traditional loom

In late 2003, the PRCF conducted a rapid field survey along the Mi River of Chin State, at the Kyauk Pan Taung site. The survey helped us recognize the opportunity to support the local weaving arts. This is done as a means to improve local livelihoods while promoting revitalization of the cultural art, and possibly linking these aspects to biodiversity conservation and natural resource management.

As a follow-up, between 2005 and 2006, we sponsored a Burmese company, Wild Bird Adventure Travels and Tours Co. Ltd (WATT), and the Department of Anthropology of Yangon University, in conducting a field research project in villages of the greater Kyauk Pan Taung landscape. The objective of this survey was to explore the local economic and socio-cultural conditions of local communities, their livelihood dependency on natural resources, and the state of their weaving art culture. The research project culminated in the identification of opportunities and constraints to strengthen the weaving culture, in support of community-based natural resource management and socio-economic development.

Ten villages were surveyed along the Mi River. The area is inhabited by several different ethnic groups and sub-groups, mainly of the Khuang Zo (Chin ethnicity) and Mro ethnic groups. Weaving is an important cultural expression in these communities, and involves interlaced weft silk embroidery and warp cotton thread. Most traditional weavings are made for personal use as blankets and garments, such as skirts and breastplates. Only a small proportion of contemporary weavings are sold, given their unfortunately reduced quality, and villagers are often forced to sell their valuable heirloom weaves to visitors.

The local women still teach weaving skills to their daughters and other close relatives, and thus the tradition is kept alive as a woman’s hobby. The weaving practice is also maintained out of a sense of cultural pride and duty.

It is clear that traditional knowledge of weaving remains strong in the area, but this knowledge, sadly, is fading rapidly as the intricate beauty of the weaves gradually disappears with the passing of skilled master weavers. There are, in fact, constraints for restoring the weaving culture’s ancestral splendor. The most tangible obstacles include a lack of market opportunities combined with the poor availability of raw materials, such as cotton and silk. Another major constraint is the availability of free time for weaving, due to involvement in other priority income generation activities. But most important, the passing of master weaving skills from mother to daughter is not economically attractive now. In addition, the village men are not as supportive of the art as they could be, due to the opportunity cost of time for more remunerating activities.

However, our experience in Indonesia with our Dayak Ikat Cultural Arts Revitalization Program shows that these are not unsurpassable constraints. We know that the proper guidance, incentives, and dedication are capable of outweighing temporary limitations, as long as the culture, knowledge, and sense of tradition remain.

Revitalizing Chin textile weaving

Drawing on its success in revitalizing weaving skills in Indonesia, the PRCF is exploring possibilities to strengthen traditional skills for weaving textiles among ethnic groups in the Southern Chin Hills of Myanmar.

In late 2003, the PRCF conducted a rapid field survey along the Mi River of Chin State, which recognised the local potential for supporting local weaving arts to improve local livelihoods linked to biodiversity conservation and natural resource management. As a follow-up, the foundation then sponsored a Burmese company called Wild Bird Adventure Travels and Tours Co. Ltd (WATT) to conduct a field research project in ten villages in the Southern Chin Hills during 2005 and 2006.

The objective of this research was to explore the economic and socio-cultural conditions and livelihood dependency on natural resources of local communities, and to identify opportunities and constraints to strengthen the weaving culture in support of community-based natural resource conservation and socio-economic development.

Ten villages were surveyed along the Mi River. The area is inhabited by several different ethnic groups and sub-groups mainly of the “Khuang Zo”, i.e. Chin ethnicity and Mro ethnic groups. Weaving is an important cultural expression of these communities. Most weavings are made for personal use for blankets and garments, such as skirts and breast cloths. Only a small proportion of the weavings are sold. The local women still teach weaving skills to their daughters and other relatives, and the tradition is thus kept alive as a hobby, but also out of a sense of cultural pride and duty.

It is clear that traditional knowledge of weaving remains strong in the area. However there are constraints to its development; the main ones being a lack of market opportunities combined with a lack of time for weaving due to involvement in other priority income generation activities.