The peoples of Kachin (Jingpo: Ga Hkyeng red soil; Burmese: ကခ်င္လူမ်ိဳး; MLCTS: ka. hkyang lu. myui:, [kətɕɪ̀ɴ lù mjó]), more properly known as Jingpho Wunpong (Jingpo: Jinghpaw Wunpawng the Confederation of Jingpo) or simply Wunpong (the Confederation), are a group of ethnic groups who largely inhabit the Kachin Hills in northern Burma's Kachin State and neighbouring areas of China and India. More than ninety-nine percent of the Kachin people identify themselves as Christians, while less than one percent follows Buddhism and some also adhere to animism. Kachin people name themselves as "Jinghpaw Wunpawng". Jinghpaw people are living in India, China and Burma. the language Singhpo (Jinghpaw) is spoken in Northeast India and Jingpo in Southwest China. Kachin state is also known as the land of jades and gold.
Contents
The term Kachin includes a variety of different linguistic groups with overlapping territories and integrated social structures. These are notably the Rawang, the Lisu, the Zaiwa, the Lashi/Lachik and the Lawngwaw and Jinghpaw. Such definitions carefully distinguish Kachin and Shan (Tai) peoples though some Kachin people have defied the Western expectation of lineage-based ethnicity by culturally "becoming Shans".
Common Language - Jinghpaw language standardised and recorded by Dr. Ola Hanson.
Categorisation
In Yunnan, a different categorization is applied and peoples grouped as Wunpong are grouped into 4 nations. The Chinese definition of Jingpo, which include all speakers of Zaiwa cluster of Northern Burmish languages is broader than that in Kachin Hills and is somewhat comparable to Wunpong in Kachin Hills. Lisu, Anung (Rawang) and Derung (Taron) peoples in Yunnan are not subordinated to ethnic Jingpo thus are classified outside the Jingpo nation:
Behaviour and traditions
The Kachin people are traditionally known for their disciplined fighting skills, complex clan inter-relations, craftsmanship, herbal healing and jungle survival skills. In recent decades, their animist beliefs have been largely supplanted by their accelerated embrace of Christianity. As such, many of their formerly animist events and symbols, such as the annual Manao festival in Myitkyina, have been largely re-interpreted as "folkloric" celebrations and items.