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Showing posts from July, 2011

Mindat lei laimi

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Photos: Tattooed Faces of the Women of Burma’s Chin Brent Lewin for National Post Comments Twitter LinkedIn Email Merle Robillard Jul 15, 2011 – 6:59 AM ET | Last Updated: Jul 14, 2011 10:21 PM ET Historically the Chin were adored for their beauty and King’s would come to villages to steal men’s wives. As a measure against their women being stolen, village elders started tattooing teenage girls to make them ‘ugly’. The tradition stuck and over generations eventually lost it’s original meaning of ugliness and came to represent courage, beauty and strength. However, as these traditional groups began moving outside their villages, the struggle between tradition and modernity has placed tribal Chin culture under increasing threat of being absorbed by the dominant Burmese. Unique language, customs and dress have been abandoned. Under this pres
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