Bit

History of Bit tribe

Bit and Khmu tribe appeared in the Land of Laos at the same time, it is said that they were from the same group in the past. Bit people can understand and speak Khmu language, but Khmu people don’t understand Bit language. Bit people are in 2 villages “Ban Nampok and Ban Nam Daeng Village in Oudomxay Province. The total population is 383 people – 196 female based on the statistic in 2011.

Other people call them Lao bit or Kha bit, but they love to call themselves only “Bit”. The word “Bit” means the new tribe. They have their own speaking language, but no writing. Bit language is considered in the Mon – Khmae language type as many words and phrases similar to Khmu language.

They have been respecting their own ancestor for centuries. There is an altar in every house. There are some important spirits that they will always call when having problems are spirits (Ghost) of the house, spirits (Ghost) of the parents and spirits (Ghost) of the grandparents. These spirits mentioned are believed to be their sacred ancestors of all time, followed by the spirits (Ghost) of the village, spirits (Ghost) of the sky, spirits (Ghost) of the forest and spirits (ghost) of the river. The majority of the Bit people are animists.

The house: The location for a Bit house is chosen with great care by an elder, as it important that the location be good enough to their ancestors in order to have a happy family life. Normally, there are 2 rooms – one is the bedroom of the parents which includes a small stove inside designed for rice cooking only.

he second one is the separated one next to the parents’ bedroom “dining room” and this is for quests or visitors. There is also a kitchen outside for cooking. Visitors are not allowed to enter the bedroom without permission and not allowed to sleep by sided sleeping position against the door (It means only a dead person will be put or placed like that).

Bit women always give birth at home and some experienced women are in charge of that for assistance. After giving a new born child for only a week, they will start going back to work and will not stay longer.

The funeral does not take long like other ethnic groups, it sometimes spend only one or two days for a funeral. The corps will be covered by a mat easily and the corps is buried in the forest nearby the village or the village cemetery. But the family has to stay at home for 10 days and also organize a Baci ceremony for all family members at the same time to drive the bad things and problems away in order to have a happy family life in the future.

The main activities for generating cash income and for daily family consumption are upland “sticky” rice cultivation, corn - maize plantation, natural resources and vegetable planting. Furthermore, livestock is also an activity that helps them a lot for making money every year. The animals they raise are chicken, duck, goose, dog, pig, cow, cattle, buffalo, and goat and so on. They harvest and collect some natural resources like bamboo shoot, cardamom, galangal, wild vegetable and others that can be sold each year in order to sell to local traders or markets. Most Khummu men like to produce handicraft products like basketry and blacksmith – knife production.