Empowerment through Acculturation

Abstract

This article uncovers the legend of Senpongsimun, a Phunoy hero, as narrated by members of the Tibeto-Burmese-speaking group living in northern Laos. By highlighting the story of the highland hero, the article seeks to disclose these people's vision of the past, and more significantly, their unorthodox strategy to maintain a distinctive identity from the ethnic majority in contemporary Laos.