The Aku

 

Probably due to their lowly status as a tiny minority, the Aku seem to have been shunted onto less desirable land and are one of the most underprivileged hilltribe groups, with an appalling infant mortality rate. These days villages have access to medical care and educational facilities so conditions are improving.

 

Just a handful of their villages remain, in the immediate area around Ken Tung in Myanmar’s eastern Shan State.

 

The Aku are Baptist, with missionary proselytising clearly influencing their culture. Houses remain very traditional, if somewhat toned down. Their traditional dress, which is still worn by most of the tribe’s women, is also much plainer than that of their neighbours. Hemp or cotton jackets died black using indigo and lacking any frills seem to be standard dress, while head-gear consists of black turban-style scarves and colourful necklaces. The Aku women are famous for their elongated earlobes with elaborate earrings and for chain-smoking tobacco in bamboo pipes.

 

They have their own Aku language to communicate with members of their own little tribe. Like other local minorities, they use Shan language to communicate with their neighbours and townsfolk.