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Alak |
| People Group: |
Alak |
 |
 |
| Location: |
Laos |
| Population: |
4,900 |
| Religion: |
Ethnic Religion |
| % Christian: |
0.05% |
| % Evangelical: |
0.05% |
| Ministry
Resources: |
Some evangelical
resources available |
|
|
Total People Group
Population: |
4,900 |
Other countries People
Group Linked to: |
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Additional Information:
Introduction / History
More than 17,000 people belonging to the Alak ethnic group live in
southern Laos. The highest concentration of Alak is found in Xekong
Province. Others are found in Saravan and Attapu provinces. Many
communities in the area are difficult to visit because of lack of roads,
although in one location, foreign tourists can visit an Alak village by
riding elephants from Tadlo Resort for 5,000 kip ($1) per hour. In some
places the Alak have integrated with the Katu and it is difficult to
tell the two groups apart.
 What
are their lives like?
The Alak like to arrange their palm and thatch houses in a circle around
a communal house. Many work on coffee plantations that were planted by
the French in the early 1900's. Others work on rubber and banana
plantations.
The Alak have retained most of their customs and many women wear
traditional dress. In the past, Alak women tattooed their faces, but
this custom is now dying out. Alak society is traditionally matriarchal.
The women lead the family, keep control of finances, and make all major
decisions that affect the community.
There are several clans among the Alak, named after certain types of
animals such as pigs, buffalos and chickens. These animals are
considered sacred by the members of each clan, who are not allowed to
eat them.
The Alak, along with the Talieng, Lavae and Katu, participate in the
annual Buffalo-Sacrifice Ceremony. Annual festivals are also held to
honor the spirits who protect their villages. In times of sickness or
calamity, or if a poor crop is produced, the Alak believe they have
provoked the spirits and a ceremony is held in order to find the
offended deity. A chicken is boiled and a shaman summoned to study the
liver patterns and stomachs of the chicken. This form of divination is
believed to be able to pinpoint the spirit that caused the disaster.
There are only a tiny number of known Christians among the Alak in Laos.
Most Alak have never heard the Gospel in a manner they can easily
comprehend. Gospel recordings exist in five different Alak dialects.
These audio tools are a great help to people wishing to take the Gospel
to this group. Just over a third of Alak (one-fifth of the women) are
able to read.
Prayer Points
* Ask God to raise up a triumphant Alak church for the sake of His
glorious Name.
* Ask God to send Christians to live among the Alak.
* Pray winds of revival would blow through the numerous unreached
Mon-Khmer groups in southern Laos.
* Pray for translation of the Bible to begin in this people group's
primary language.
* Pray for the availability of the Jesus Film in the primary language of
this people.
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