Culture is one of the greatest sources that tells who you are, how you live, and where you are from. Hmong is one of the oldest tribes. It may be together or older than the Chinese and Japanese timelines. We do not know for sure the original territory of the Hmong people, however, there are some phrases in our wedding songs, funeral songs, flute instruments, and folk stories about where we first s
tepped on this planet, etc.…
Today, in the funeral services, there are always guides related to the first person who created the universe system; the people live in each level of the universe (9 levels of the sky which refers to the 9 planets). when a person passes away, spiritually, s/he will go back, visit, pay respect, and thank you to each place that s/he has been to. This is referring to a person from birth to death because s/he used and consumed natural plants, soil, and others for her/him to grow up before s/he could continue the journey further to each location that her/his parents, grandparents, ancestors migrated from, and even continue further to the first Hmong couple who stepped on the earth and till the person who created the universal system respectively. There is a phrase in the funeral services that states that there was a 9 steps stair connection whether up or down to other planets where the couple (our parents) would be there by the time the earth was newly born or created. Millions of years later when the world was filled with crazy it broke and people could never travel back as a physical person. Therefore, today, we still practice sending a dead person's spirit in the hope of traveling to see, meet, and rest in the warmth of our parent’s lap. On the other hand, from the scientific point of view, people, especially those powerful countries, have been competing for other planets they could settle in for decades. This was started in the 1960s between The US and Russia. Currently, more nations are trying to compete for the same project. Returning to the tradition of believing, In the funeral service guidance, the (first) Hmong ancestors would step on or exist at the North Pole, then they migrated and split everywhere else thousands of years later due to conflicts, wars, and many other reasons…that lead the Hmong people to many countries around the world. for example, from history recorded, there was no Hmong in the West until the Vietnam War ended. Below is the timeline of the recent migration of Hmong people just for a century and a half, which began in southern China.
- In 1810 Hmong begin to move to Indochina.
- 1810-1840 The Hmong begin to cross into the highland regions of Northern Laos. The mountains would provide security for the Hmong people. This represents their first major diaspora.
- 1840 Major movement of Hmong into Laos.
- In 1893 French establish a protectorate in Laos.
- in 1896 Hmong revolted over French taxes.
- in 1919 Hmong Mad Man's War in opposition to the French.
- In 1936 Chongtou Lo, the son of Lo Bliayao, takes over his father’s duties as Kaitong. However, due to his ineffectiveness, he was replaced by his brother-in-law, Ly Fong. Ly Fong's ascension to the position of Kaitong would eventually lead to clan conflict, pitting the Lo Clan against the Ly Clan.
- In 1938 Touby LyFong is appointed kaitong by the French.
- in 1936-1945 During WW II, the Japanese controlled much of Southeast Asia, including Laos. The Lo Clan chose to support the Japanese occupation of Laos, while the Ly Clan favored the return of the French to Laos.
- in 1945 As WW II comes to an end, the French resumed control over Laos.
- In 1952 Catholic missionary Father Yves Betrais and two American linguists, Dr. Williams Smalley, and Dr. Linwood Barney, developed a Hmong writing system based on the Roman Popular Alphabet (RPA).
- In 1954 The French were defeated at Dien Bien Phu; Laos gained its independence and became a member of the United Nations.
- In the Late 1950s American Green Berets begin arriving in Laos to assist in the struggle against the communist forces.
- In 1960 Lo Fong, a leader in the Pathet Lao, created the Lao-Hmong alphabet; Kong Le coup d' etat the United States begins the "Secret War" for Laos.
- 1961-1973 The Hmong, led by General Vang Pao, assist the United States in the struggle against communist expansion in Southeast Asia. This conflict has come to be known as the "Secret War," as a result of the clandestine efforts of the United States CIA.
- 1962 The Geneva Accords reaffirm that Laos is a neutral country in the widening conflict in Southeast Asia.
- In 1964 North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao occupy the Plain of Jars.
- In 1965 The United States began to provide air support for Hmong forces in Laos. The Hmong soldiers rescued downed American pilots, provided valuable reconnaissance information, and launched attacks against Ho Chi Minh.
- In 1967 U.S. installed air guidance equipment in Laos; Hmong and U.S. continue to resist Pathet Lao and NVA.
- 1973 A cease-fire agreement was signed between the Royal Lao Government and the Pathet Lao in Vientiane.
- 1975 As the Americans completed their withdrawal from Southeast Asia, the Pathet Lao took control of Laos. General Vang Pao and many of his officers were airlifted from Long Cheng to Namphong, Thailand. The first groups of Hmong refugees arrived in Namphong, Thailand. While in Thailand, the Hmong would be forced to reside in refugee camps.
- 1975-1978 The United States experiences the first wave of Southeast Asian immigration. Kailor Cultural Center
Was formed in November 2022 to inspire Hmong traditional instrument acquisition among villagers in the PhouKout district, Xieng Khouang. The Kailor Cultural Center is planning to register as a traditional culture project and is committed to improving opportunities for young people through Culture study and aims to enhance opportunities for careers in the business and tourism sectors. III. Objective:
Kailor Cultural Center (KCC) aims to focus on 3 main areas: to maintain traditional art music, educate and promote gender equality, and teach foreign languages such as English, Chinese, and computer.
1. Kailor Cultural Center (KCC) is a unique environment that people can hardly find. With its purpose, the center will provide classes of instruments (creating flute, violin, and the Qeej) to locals and foreigners who want to see and learn in a platform to practice those instruments skills and be able to continue with their ability to practice traditional culture for alive.
2. The culture center will also educate and promote gender equality in the future since the gap is needed to take action. Inequalities faced by girls can begin right at birth and follow them all their lives. there are several cases of girls forced to marry strangers she has never known.
3. The center will also provide English, Chinese, and computers to underprivileged students to be able to get a job. if they could speak some basic English or Chinese, they will be in a much better position to get a good job. We offer focused training for girls and young women who, historically, have had a more difficult time getting an education and finding decent work in our society. The founder
Kailor, the founder of the Kailor Culture Center, is one of those who was in the army force in the Lao Revolutionary (1961-1973) and retired in 2001. Then he started to make Hmong traditional instrument the Qeej. Since then, lots of locals and foreigners have been traveling to see him and Hmong traditional instruments such as the Qeej and Hmong Flute. V. The Impact
Hundreds of people have visited this cultural center for the past 15 years. Therefore, I have been working hard to create it and the business proposal was submitted to the government. It is now being reviewed and will be moved to a better service.
