This article reveals the complex cultural meanings of Karen poetics (hta), which encode diverse plant names, seasonal knowledge, and ecological ethics among Karen communities in Northern Thailand. The study focuses on the processes of plant knowledge transmission through poetics and related stories that circulate within households, ritual spaces, and community gatherings. Ethnographic fieldwork and local plant surveys were employed to document poetics and narratives that include local plants and their uses. The findings indicate a wide range of plant-related narratives that connect human communities with their ecological systems, demonstrating the deep-rooted relationship between the Karen and their surrounding forest environments as expressed through the singing of hta. This also reflects the long-term adaptation of Karen communities to mountainous environments. The collective memory embedded in these poetics supports the resilient strategies of Karen communities and serves as a method for negotiating with government officers by demonstrating sustainable ways of living with nature, highlighting their capacity to manage and coexist with forest landscapes.

Authors:
Putthida Kijdumnern, Chiang Mai University, Thailand

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Putthida Kijdumnern is a lecturer in the Department of Social Science and Development, Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.

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