Lawa

In this episode, we trace the history of the Lawa people, one of Mainland Southeast Asia’s deeply rooted Austroasiatic-speaking communities, from their ancient Neolithic origins to their modern struggles for recognition and land rights. Genetic and historical evidence links the Lawa to early agricultural populations who helped shape the region thousands of years ago, while later traditions remember them as urban pioneers, skilled metallurgists, and builders of fortified settlements in northern Thailand. Their relationships with emerging powers such as the Lanna Kingdom reveal a history of alliance, adaptation, and eventual marginalization as new migrations reshaped the political landscape. The episode also explores how Lawa identity has endured through animist spiritual traditions, distinctive rotational farming practices, and continued resistance to state forestry policies that challenge their ancestral connection to the land.