Isolated Myanmar tribe prays for harvest

A Naga tribeswoman carrying a child at the end of an overnight ceremony to bless the harvest in Satpalaw Shaung village in Myanmar's Sagaing region. AFP
A Naga tribeswoman carrying a child at the end of an overnight ceremony to bless the harvest in Satpalaw Shaung village in Myanmar's Sagaing region. AFP

YANGON – A haunting refrain pierces the night as the tribeswomen of the Gongwang Bonyo, among the most isolated people in Myanmar, dance around a campfire to bless the harvest ahead.

The group are part of the Naga, a blanket term for dozens of tribes each with their own distinct dialect living near the Indian border, only accessible by nerve-shredding motorcycle journeys and on foot.

Dressed in black and wearing orange bead necklaces and palm leaf headbands, they rotate around a fire in Satpalaw Shaung village, hands held tightly and braving the cold with bare arms.

“This is the essence of our village and it brings us joy,” they chorus. (AFP)

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