Yawyins with bear-skins awaiting rewards at Htawgaw. Yawyin was a term that was sometimes used in relation to Lisu peoples. It was considered an insult by Lisu peoples themselves and was never employed when talking about oneself.
"Population in ['Flowery' Lisu] Burma - 19,865. The Flowery Lisus are an off-shoot from the main body of the tribe which occurs scattered throughout the highest mountains in Western Yunnan. In British territory isolated colonies exist in the Upper Ngawchang and Panwa Valleys of Htawgaw; the Upper Shingaw Valley of Sadon; near Sima, near Sinlum Kaba; and again in the Northern Shan States south-west of Namhkan. Finally they are found as far south as Kengtung and Mong Pan in the Southern Shan States and also occur in Indo-China and in Northern Siam." [dissertation, 1934:28-29]
*****Their chief crops are maize, millet, buckwheat and hemp. Wild honey is used in making a very palatable alcoholic drink. They are great hunters and trappers. The pig is, however, the only domestic animal which is killed for meat.
*****On the 12th [May, 1914] we reached Htawgaw, descending two or three thousand feet by a break neck path almost to the Ngawchang river, and then climbing up again to the fort, which, from an altitude of 6000 ft, commands the whole valley. At Htawgaw I met Mr Lowis, of the PWD [Public Works Department],w ho had built Hpimaw Road - he was now engaged on the fort, a compact little building of stone commanding a splendid view of the Ngawchang valley and the roads to China by the Hpare and Lagwi passes, both under 10,000ft. Once more attention must be drawn to the physical barrier maintained by such a mountain range. From Htawgaw onwards the valley is occupied by Lashis below, Yawyins (Lisus) above." ['In Farthest Burma', Capt. F. Kingdon Ward, London, 1921, pp.26-27]
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