Lashi
Like their close Azie relations, the Lashi speak a dialect of Maru and are concentrated along the China-Myanmar border. Although they have spread elsewhere, settlements can be found in the main Maru area in the lower reaches of the N'Mai Hka valley.
There is a little visible difference in custome between Lashis and Jinghpaws, with both groups wearing black turbans and cropped black jackets decorated with silver beaded necklaces. However, Lashi women can sometimes be identified by their huge cylindrical silver earrings decorated with breads and pendants. It is not unusual for the ear to be pierced in three places.
In the mountains, some Lashis remain animists, worshipping spirits of their ancestors and of the forests and rivers. Like other Kachins, many have converted to Christianity within the past century, but traditional costumes are still produly worn for cremonial ocassions.
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