Protecting the village from plague

The chicken flu moved rapidly through Thailand killing chickens nation wide. What was noteworthy was that Akha villages still had their chickens.

Chickens are a major source of meat and eggs for the Akha. As with other village threats, the Akha do a ceremony called "Ah Kuuh Bah Gkhoh Taw". This means "to take the skin of a dog to the outside of a village". The ceremony is done so that what ever the plague is in the area, it will stop at the outside of the village and feed on the hide of the dog, and not come into the village. This protects the dogs, chickens and other livestock of the village. During the winter and spring of 2003-2004 these special shrines could be seen outside many traditional villages in Thailand.

The Akha have a lot of sensibility about life. What is given this or that seemingly superficial name is in fact a ceremony based on centuries of experience living in the environment, taking care to themselves, caring for the village, without "modern" medicines, or polluting their own environment.

Many people asign superstition to what in perspective is wise thinking and behaviour.