Tai Don, White Tai in Vietnam

Introduction / History

The White Tai speak a tonal language, Tai Kao. They are members of a larger cultural linguistic group of Tai peoples that includes the Laotians, the Shan and others.

They are an influential people who inhabit the narrow upland valleys of northeastern Laos.

Centuries ago, the Tai Don lived in China. Relentless pressure by the Chinese gradually forced them southward. Eventually they settled along the Red and Black Rivers, where they settled near the Honghe River. In Laos, they are called Tai Kao, but in neighboring Vietnam they are called Tai Don.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Tai Don are extremely polite, respectful, and hospitable. Their children are brought up to respect those of a higher rank and to become self-reliant individuals. Age is highly respected in Tai Don society. Type of occupation, wealth, and place and type of residence follow age in terms of respect and rank. Rural farmers rank below craftsmen, merchants, and city government officials; and clergy are a separate group.

Families are the core of Tai Don society. In rural areas, the entire immediate family lives together with mutual respect for each other. A young married couple may live with the wife's family until they can establish their own home. The father is the head of the family, and Tai Don husbands and wives appear to have a harmonious relationship. In fact, the Tai Don are distinguished by an almost equal division of labor by sex. Both men and women plow, fish, cook, tend to the babies, clean house and wash clothes.

The Tai Don live in small, self-governing villages that are usually limited to a single valley. Each village is under the control of the chao muong, or prince, to whom the commoners pay taxes.

Most of the Tai Don live on small valley farms, where they grow wet rice using irrigation and terraces. They grow opium as a cash crop. The construction of new roads has helped increase accessibility to the rural areas. Chinese shops have opened in several market towns and Chinese merchants often visit Tai Don villages to do business.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Tai Don combine folk animism (belief that non-living objects have spirits) with Buddhism. They worship various spirits and objects and also believe that people have multiple personal souls. They hold ceremonies for recalling the souls because they believe that this will strengthen the individual personality. The Tai Don believe in spirits of the dead, the natural world, the political world, various localities, etc.

Many Tai Don are Buddhists. They are followers of Buddha ("the enlightened one") and seek to eliminate suffering and improve their future by gaining merit in pursuit of perfect peace, or nirvana. They believe that merit can be acquired through feeding monks, donating to temples, and attending worship services. Traditionally, young men enter village monasteries for about three months to study Buddhism.

They also believe in a supreme god who is active in their lives. According to their legends, their ancestors came out of a pumpkin in which they took refuge during a divinely decreed flood that drowned everyone on earth.

What Are Their Needs?

The Tai Don people need spiritual hunger. They are satisfied with the spirituality of their ancestors, one which leaves them devoid of the grace, mercy and forgiveness of the only savior. There are a few Christ followers among them in Vietnam, which is better than other countries where they reside.

Prayer Points

Pray for someone to explain the gospel to the Tai Don people in a way they can understand it without compromising the gospel message.
Ask the Lord of the harvest to send loving and dedicated laborers into Laos to minister to the needs of the Tai Don.
Pray that soon there will be Tai Don disciples making more disciples for the glory of Christ.
Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Tai Don towards the gospel and give them spiritual hunger.

Text Source:   Joshua Project