The Wa have for generations been one of the most despised peoples among the Palaungic groups in Southeast Asia - principally due to their reputation of headhunting and 'primitive' life style. (xxx) The uniqueness such a life style has been dispelled by Fiskesjö (2000) who has documented that such practices as cutting heads was the norm by many other ethnolinguistic groups, including the Chinese.
Chinese Sources
Thai sources
Various Chronicles have documented the presence in the various Tai / Shan/ Thai areas of peoples known as Lawa, Tuuila, and Wa.
Travelogues
Notes typically made in a travel journal and later published have been useful in documenting the presence and lifestyles of various Palaungic peoples.
Burmese Sources
British-Burma Sources during the Colonization period
Mission documents
Wa sources
Myths
Personal histories
Kinship
Migration documentation