Kayah
The Kayah are the largest ethnic group in Kayah Steate. Their brightly-coloured head-cloths or shawls gave the territory its former name of Kayinni, or 'Red Kayin'. Burmese people call Kayah women 'elephant women' because of the numerous lacquered cotton rings they wear below the knee.
The Kayah are the smallest population group among the four major linguistic branches of the Kayins, together with the Pwo, Sgaw and Pa-O. Although animism is still practised, most Kayahs converted to Christianity last century.
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