The Khmu take part in annual court ceremonies and were the ones who purified the royal palace in Luang Prabang after it was built and before the king took occupancy. The Khmu of Luang Prabang are heavily acculturated toward Lao life, and most Khmu in Laos know Lao.
Ethnicity
The Khmu, who are also known as Khamu or Kammu, were the indigenous inhabitants of northern Laos. The Lao refer to the Khmu as the Kha, a Lao word used as a generic term for any of the Austro-asiatic peoples of Laos. The central meaning of Kah is that of "slave" and it is therefore pejorative. Another term, Lao Theung, refers to the hill people who live in mid-altitude mountain slopes (officially 300 to 1200 meters). This is a polite government expression that covers the same peoples as the pejorative Kha, that is the Mon-Khmer peoples of Laos.
Language
Linguistically, the Khmu belong to the Mon-Khmer (Northern) family. Khmu speak a few different dialects. There have been several attempts to develop a written language for the Khmu language, but these dialect differences have caused problems in finding one system that represents all the dialects equally well.
Population
There are 450,000 Khmu in Laos. The Khmu are the largest of 62 Mon-Khmer people groups in Laos and the second largest ethnic group in the country. Only the Lao population is larger.
Location
The Khmu live mainly in the northern provinces of Luang Prabang and Xieng Khouang, although some are in the Sayaboury, Luang Nam Tha and Phong Saly provinces.
Culture
The Khmu take part in annual court ceremonies and were the ones who purified the royal palace in Luang Prabang after it was built and before the king took occupancy. The Khmu of Luang Prabang are heavily acculturated toward Lao life. Most Khmu in Laos know Lao. They, however, maintain their own language among themselves.
Livelihood
The Khmu are settled agriculturists and practice slash-and-burn farming. Agriculture is the main source of food, supplemented by gathering, hunting, trapping and fishing. Some Khmu keep domestic animals, but these are used for sacrifices more often than for food. Rice is the staple and there are many varieties, all of them glutinous. Other crops include corn, bananas, sugar cane and a wide variety of vegetables.
Rural Khmu in Laos often have an income that is rarely above a subsistence level. Sources of cash income are limited. Some villages produce baskets, wooden bowls, knives, silver bracelets, silver tobacco pipes, and woven cloths to sell. Other villagers sell crops such as peppers, ginger, tobacco, tea, sugar cane and many different kinds of sweet potatoes, taro and vegetables.
Religion
Traditional Khmu religion centers around spirits called "hrooy" (the phi of the Lao). Of particular importance are the "hrooy gaang" (house spirit) and "hrooy hoo" (apparently one of the most powerful of the jungle spirits). In addition, there are spirits of the village, mountains, rock, water, sun, and one particularly identified with shamans. The Lao believe that the Khmu have special power over the spirits of the area.
Openness to Christianity
In the late 1800s, the Khmu were the first people to respond to Christ in Laos. There are more Christians among the Khmu than in any other ethnic group in Laos. In 1995 about 15,000 Khmu in Laos were identified as Christians. These Christians have left the worship of spirits but often know little of Christ.
Missionary work is not officially permitted in Laos. However, a number of expatriate believers are ministering through non-governmental organizations administering aid and relief. Pray for a reopened door for pioneer church planters and Bible teachers into Laos.
In north Thailand, there is a Christian community of 200 Khmu. Portions of scripture have been translated into the dialect used by the Khmu, however the need for a Khmu Bible is great. There are no known Khmu Christians in China and Vietnam.