Mon Identity: Social Practice for Self-identification of the Mon in Lamphun and Chiang Mai Provinces

Abstract

This article presents the cultural phenomenon of the Mon ethnic group. on the issue    of various Mon social practices for defining Mon people's identity through cultural expression     of the Mon ethnic group, Nong Du Village and Bo Cow Village of Pa Sang District, Lamphun Province and Ton Tan Village and Nong Krop Village of San Pa Tong District, Chiang Mai Province   

The researchers found that Mon peoples in those villages identified themselves base on memory of settlement that links to the histories of Queen Chammadhevi and Inta, the rich man, which combine the localness via storytelling of the settlement of history of Muang Lamphun or story about the Mon state in Burma. In addition to the memory set of migration, Mon villagers in the four villages (Bo Cow, Nong Du, Ton Tan, and Nong Krop) try to present Mon via traditions on Rice Bran, the Swan and the Flag Floating. Moreover, villagers in Tontan community present Monness via career, economic status, and society by doing fermented and fresh rice flour noodles for sale, while peoples in Ban Nong Du village make Kanom khao kuab, a kind of dessert.

We also found that Mon peoples used story or various memory sets to present Monness conforming to various contexts and social situations that they face, in order for adapting the power relations. In addition to the storytelling for presenting Mon identity, they also try to produce and resurrect Monness via cooking, costume, animism, or even reproduce rites which taking from Mon peoples in Central Thailand.