Week 8

Isabelle Perlada
Week 8
ASA141

I think that Hmong story cloths are especially notable because the Hmong language had no writing system for many years, so I see these story cloths as a huge way that the Hmong people were able to pass down their stories and histories throughout generations up until today. It is widely known that the Hmong people's history is largely oral. As a people with no homeland of their own, I think that this, along with having no writing system of their own for so many years, is interesting to think about when considering all things related to story cloths. Usually, history is written by the victors and the conquerors. In the case of the Hmong people, they have been able to tell their history themselves. On one hand, it can be thought to be unfortunate that the Hmong people haven't been able to physically record every detail of their stories, as maybe some things have been lost to time since what is preserved is dependent on what people choose to communicate and commemorate. On the other hand, it is for certain that these accounts of Hmong history are told by the Hmong people themselves. With story cloths in particular, these stories are displayed visually, retaining the sentiments and emotions attached to these stories as well. To think that a part of Hmong textile and dress also holds such deep and rich history unaffected by the Western gaze is so fascinating to me.

I found this music video on story cloths on YouTube. Unfortunately, I can't understand what is being sung here, but the comments seem to reflect a gratitude for this video because the song talks about the importance of story cloths to Hmong culture and history.