We're officially out of country, geared up, and off to Myanmar tomorrow! And that means time to transition from fundraising and planning to keeping everyone educated & up to date with our progress from the road. Happily, we can announce that we've found the perfect blog site to do exactly that! This will be the best way for our team to stay in touch with all you amazing followers and, better yet, it's also a way for you to stay in touch with us.
See you in Myanmar!
In the west we think of headhunters as people who help you find your next job. Headhunting in Myanmar is entirely different vocation. Until just over 30 years ago the practice of headhunting (hunting victims, severing their heads and using them as trophies/religious icons) was alive and well. Two of the peoples we will be contacting on our trek are former headhunters, the Naga and the Wa.
The Wa, were historically and are presently a very insular group living deep in the hills and mountains of the Shan State. In the past the Was rarely left their well hidden village unless it was on an organized head hunting expedition. Headhunting for the Was was a part of their religion and cultural belief system. They believed that the captured skulls warded off evil spirits and offered their communities protection. Without a the spiritual defense of a skull the Was believed that their families would die and their crops would fail to prosper thus, headhunting was ingrained as a necessary part of their tribe’s survival. So where did they get these skulls? It is said that Wa hunters particularly treasured the skulls of strangers as they believed the lost souls would stay with their decapitated heads as they’d be unable to find their way out of deep web of mountainous forest land.
The Naga people are known as fierce warriors who have fought off both British and Burmese government troops in the past. Nagas, like Was used the decapitated heads as a means of village protection, but they also capitilized on headhunting as a path through which men gained personal recognition and glory for their families and villages. Naga hunters decapitated their victims and hung their heads in baskets among bamboo groves with arrows through the eye-sockets which, like the puzzling landscape of the Shan State, was believed to anchor the souls of the skull which in turn provided protection over the village.
Cultural changes including the influx of Christianity and the harsh criminal penalties introduced under British colonialism have lead the practice of headhunting to dwindle into what is now believed as extinction. So how do the Was protect their villages, families, and crops? And how do the Nagas illustrate portray their hunting prowess? ...We hope to find out!
We are arriving in Yangon just in time to catch Myanmar’s New Year Water Festival, Thingyan! Thingyan is a celebration of water symbolizing the end of the dry season and the washing away of the past year’s bad luck and sins.
The roots of the Thingyan festival are not originally Burmese but are rather traced back to India’s Brahmin Hindu traditions cultivated hundreds of years ago. How did Indian culture become rooted within Myanmar? Brahmin once held important positions in the courts of Burmese kings thus permitting their culture and traditions to seep into the upper levels of Myanmar’s ancient culture. Over the centuries Thingyan has become an integral part of Burmese culture and is one of the most joyous and collectively celebrated festivals within Myanmar; everyone young or old, rich or poor all get in on the action!
This festival of spiritual cleansing lasts three to five days and is marked by powerful pipes that pump water on to celebrators! Kids and teens also join the fun using water pistols to drench anyone in range including friends, family, and strangers – word is only monks and the elderly are safe from the downpour.
Besides dousing each other with water, the locals also celebrate the day by performing acts of merit as it is believed that will add to their good karma in the coming year. The festival is further commemorated by the capture and release of birds and fish, and a special feast held for the local monks.
The cleansing power of the Thingyan is meant to bring promise and a fresh start for the New Year!
Hi everyone!
Welcome to Face of Myanmar! We are so happy you’re here exploring our site and supporting our expedition!
Beginning this April our team will set out on a three month journey to explore the previously isolated nation of Myanmar. Myanmar is a dynamic country made up of over 135 ethnic groups. Its ethnic diversity is further compounded by various degrees of social unrest charged by a fragmented military regime and underlying religious strife. Our goal is to get past political and religious factors in order to capture the distinct beauty that is Myanmar.
Our concentration on this expedition will be to utilize photography and conversation to document the Burmese peoples’ use of Thanaka paste. Thanaka paste is made of ground Thanaka tree bark. A tradition they have used for over 2,000 years. The paste was historically used as a natural sunscreen but has since become a type of cosmetic. People throughout Myanmar wear Thanaka paste as a way to express their beauty both individually and collectively.
As the use of Thanaka paste is deeply rooted in historical customs, you may be wondering why we have chosen this April to make our trek. There are many factors, but the main urgency driving our journey is the country’s recent push towards modernization.
Until 1948 the country of Myanmar was a British colony known to the world as Burma. Post-colonized Burma was known as a bed of opportunity with rich cultural and natural resources, and was projected to be the most prosperous country in Southeast Asia. Comparing modern Myanmar to the current social, political and economic climates of neighbors like Thailand and India, it is clear that this projection fell short of realization. This is because unlike Thailand and India, soon after gaining freedom, the political system in Myanmar was taken over by a military regime. The regime made its international policy one of isolation. So for the past 50+ years, the Burmese people have been cut off from the world. Though fifty years may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of humanity, it has been a particularly eventful fifty years. In this time the world has globalized and modernized at exponential rates.
We have landed on the moon, invented cellular phone systems, credit cards, the internet, and YouTube; we have millions of ways to communicate and influence people all over the world with just a few, simple clicks. Myanmar on the other hand has not been a part of this move towards global culture – they are in a sense exactly where they were left sixty years ago. Walking into the outskirts of Myanmar is like looking back in time. Many people still wear traditional clothing and generally work in the same professions their grandfathers and grandfather’s fathers worked before them -- but this is all changing and is changing quickly.
Our team’s goal is to capture Myanmar’s current state before this change and ultimate modernization/Westernization takes over. We want to document the rich culture and varying ethnicities as they are naturally before it becomes a country overrun with tourists. We plan to enlist the assistance of local guides (as is legally required) and fellow travelers as we embark on this three month journey to preserve the memory and the images of these culturally unique groups.
You can explore more of Myanmar’s history, our route, cultural issues and other wonderful bits further on our site. Check out our profiles and expect a more in-depth team blog coming soon!
Our Indiegogo page launches this Monday, February 2nd, and the fundraising campaign will begin! We have 50 days to raise $9,000! So please check us out, give what you can, and spread the word! Share our adventure with your friends, family, and acquaintances!
Don’t forget we are also sharing via Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for faceofmyanmar, #faceofmyanmar.
Cheers!
M.Franks 1/30/15
