Welcome to the PJL Archive!
Kachin Cultural Heritage
The Kachin region of Myanmar was traditionally home to a vibrant and diverse oral cultural heritage rooted in the ritual practices of the joiwa and dumsa 'spirit priests'. This oral culture was performed less and less during decades of conflict, political turmoil, and social and religious change. Knowledge about this culture has further declined as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. Many elderly people with ritual knowledge or lived experience of traditional culture from their younger days have sadly passed away, largely due to the collapse of the local public health system and lack of access to vaccines during this time. These long and short-term crises have contributed to making knowledge about local oral cultural heritage critically vulnerable.
Human-Environment Interactions
As these practices have declined, so too has local knowledge about the history, landscape, flora, and fauna of this important region of highland Asia. Concerns about the impact that this loss was having on Kachin society were first expressed in the 1980s and 1990s. A group of church elders decided to create a record of this oral culture before it vanished completely. This was not without some local opposition at the time, as many did not want to undermine modern Kachin society's commitment to Christianity. However, convinced in their belief that the loss of this knowledge would be a tragedy for future generations, they commenced their work.
Led by Sara Kaba Maran Pungga Ja Li they began recording the rituals and performances of the few remaining joiwa and dumsa 'spirit priests'. The PJL Archive presents this material as a lasting legacy of their foresight and their dedication to documenting the traditions of a disappearing cultural heritage.
Why PJL Archive?
We have called this site the PJL Archive to memorialize the work of Pungga Ja Li (PJL), who dedicated his life to this work. However, we also dedicate it to the many elders who contributed to and encouraged his work. These include Revd N'Ngai Gam, Revd Dr. Lahtaw Gum Se, Revd Dr. Maran Ja Gun and Revd Dr. N-gan Tang Gun. Many others were involved but this group was particularly important for enabling this work to be initiated within the theological colleges, and without whose support it would have been almost impossible. All, sadly, have now passed away. Further information about Pungga Ja Li is available here. Short biographies of all the elders above in Jinghpaw are available here.
Where to start?
We hope this site will encourage further study, research, and debate. The archive includes many hours of audio and video of a variety of cultural practices recorded in situ at rarely performed ritual events. Other recordings were made for archival purposes, usually in the home of the dumsa or in Pungga Ja Li's house. It also includes many hundreds of photographs and related documentation. Many of the original joiwa and dumsa recordings have been transcribed. Full transcriptions and some translations into modern Jinghpaw and into English are included for further study, which we anticipate will be particularly important for linguists and others.
To start your journey through this archive, please read our 'About' sections to learn more about Pungga Ja Li and others who made this research possible. Please look at 'How to Use the Site' for advice about how to get the most from the material we present.
We hope you enjoy learning about the rich cultural traditions of a fascinating and important region of highland Asia!
Featured Exhibit
A Traditional Manau
Stepping together As the manau is a key symbol of modern Kachin nationalism, the event with its large decorated posts is widely...
Featured Collection
The collection of audio, photographic and video recordings of this wedding was overseen by the Kachin scholar and teacher, Revd. Dr. Maran Ja Gun of…A Traditional Wedding, 1990
