Si La
Regions with significant populations
 Vietnam 909 (2019)[1]
 Laos 3,151 (2015)[2]
Languages
Sila, Vietnamese, Lao, others
Religion
Traditional religion/ancestor worship, Buddhism, Christianity

The Si La (also Sila or Syla) are an ethnic group of about 3,151 people living in northern Laos and another 600 living in two villages: Nậm Sin and Seo Hay of Lai Châu Province, Northwest region, Vietnam.

Culture

The Si La people speak a Tibeto-Burman language closely related to Hani (Edmondson 2002). Their primary occupation is the cultivation of cereals, augmented by hunting and foraging. One of the most distinctive Si La customs is tooth painting: men traditionally painted their teeth red, while women painted theirs black. The custom is increasingly uncommon among the younger generation.

References

  1. ^ "Report on Results of the 2019 Census". General Statistics Office of Vietnam. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Results of Population and Housing Census 2015" (PDF). Lao Statistics Bureau. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
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