LEARNABOUTHMONG.COM
Video clips of Hmong folk arts, ceremonial arts and community events
(Support for this project from 2004-08 has come from the Saint Paul Foundation Asian Pacific
Endowment, the COMPAS/3M Award for Innovation in the Arts, the COMPAS/McKnight Foundation
Community Art Program and the National Endowment for the Arts).
Please Note: You must have Microsoft media player and broadband (cable or dsl) to play the videos.
WEBSITE CELEBRATION EVENT APRIL 10, 2007
Highlights from the LearnaboutHmong.com website celebration event held April 10, 2007 at Hmong
Cultural Center in Saint Paul, MN.
HMONG NCAS INSTRUMENT
Wangsue Lee playing a traditional Hmong courtship song on the Ncas instrument. (2004)
Click here to learn more about the importance of the Ncas instrument in Hmong culture and the Hmong
Folk Arts.
HMONG TWO-STRING VIOLIN INSTRUMENT
1. Wangsue Lee playing a song on the traditional Hmong Two-String Violin instrument (2006)
2. Wangsue Lee playing a 2nd song on the traditional Hmong Two-string Violin instrument (2004)
Click here to learn more about the importance of the Hmong Two-String Violin instrument in the Hmong
culture and the Hmong folk arts.
HMONG PLOOJ LEAFLET
Ger Xiong performs the Hmong Plooj leaflet (Date Not Available)
HMONG FLUTE
Ger Xiong plays the Hmong flute in this rare footage. (Date not Available)
Click here to learn more about the traditional Hmong flute instrument.
HMONG QEEJ INSTRUMENT
In this clip, Meng Vang plays the song "Pluas" on the Hmong Qeej instrument. This song is part of
the traditional Hmong funeral ceremony and is intended to help lead the spirit of the deceased to the
afterworld (2005).
Tougeu Leepalao playing a Hmong funeral ceremony song on the Qeej instrument. (2004)
Tougeu Leepalao explains: What is the qeej instrument? (Hmong Language) (2004)
Ger Xiong plays another Hmong funeral ceremony song on the Qeej Click here. (Date Unavailable)
Crafting Tradition: Building the Traditional Hmong Qeej Instrument (2007) Donated by Stone Soup Fresno
Click here to learn more about the importance of the Qeej instrument in Hmong culture and the Hmong
Folk Arts
IMPORTANT SONGS FROM THE HMONG FUNERAL CEREMONY ORALLY RECITED AND
PERFORMED ON THE QEEJ INSTRUMENT
Tougeu Leepalao performing the Death Song (2006)
Tougeu Leepalao performing the Song to Resurrect the Horse (2006)
Tougeu Leepalao performing the Song to Give the Deceased Supper (2006)
Tougeu Leepalao performing the Song to Give the Deceased Animals (2006)
Tougeu Leepalao performing the Song to Give the Deceased an Army (2006)
Tougeu Leepalao performing the Song to Send the Body to the Ground (2006)
Tougeu Leepalao performing the Orally Recited Song to Give a Blessing to the Deceased's Family
Through the Sacrifice of a Pig (2006)
Click here to learn more about the importance of orally recited songs in the Hmong funeral ceremony
Click here to learn more about the importance of the Qeej instrument in Hmong culture and the Hmong
Folk Arts
HMONG MARRIAGE SONGS AND MARRIAGE CEREMONY
Tougeu Leepalao orally recites a Hmong marriage song - Bringing the Bride to the Groom’s Family (2006)
Tougeu Leepalao performs a Hmong marriage song - Thaum yuav mus ua tshoob niam txiv cob kaus rau
ob tug mej koob. This orally recited song is usually performed for the groom's family as the wedding party
prepares to go with the Mej Koobs (marriage facilitators) with the umbrella to the bride's home. The
umbrella is used to signify protection for the couple from evil spirits. (2005)
Tougeu Leepalao teaching a class on the Hmong Mej Koob marriage tradition with the umbrella. (Hmong
Language with English Narration). (2005)
Click here to learn about the importance of recited songs in the Hmong marriage ceremony.
HMONG FUNERAL SONGS AND FUNERAL CEREMONY
Tougeu Leepalao performs a Hmong funeral song - Cuas nyab cuas ntxhais. This orally recited funeral
song is usually performed at the home of the inlaws prior to the time that they depart to pay homage to the
deceased at the funeral home (2004)
Tougeu Leepalao teaches a class on orally recited Hmong funeral songs. (2005)
Click here to learn more about the importance of orally recited songs in the Hmong funeral ceremony
HMONG TAPESTRY
What does Hmong Tapestry look like? In this colorful clip, Kor Xiong shows several Paj Ntaub embroidery
patterns she has sewed. Ms. Xiong narrates the clip in the Hmong language.(2005)
Threads of Life: Hmong Paj Ntaub Embroidery (Video clip donated by Stone Soup Fresno) (2007)
Click here to view a Hmong Paj Ntaub (Story Cloth) Image Gallery from Hmong Cultural Center (Saint
Paul, MN) (2007)
Click here to learn more about the cultural significance of Hmong tapestry
HMONG NEW YEAR (MINNESOTA)
Hmong New Year. Click here for some scenes from the MN Hmong New Year at the Minneapolis
Metrodome held in December 2004.
HMONG 101 (BUILDING BRIDGES) LECTURE PRESENTATION, HMONG CULTURAL CENTER,
SAINT PAUL, MN, JULY 2006
The full 47 minute lecture by Mark E. Pfeifer, PhD
The Lecture broken down by Topic
Part 1 Hmong Population (Mark Pfeifer)
Part 2 Hmong Population/Origins (Mark Pfeifer)
Part 3 Origins/Recent Hmong History (Mark Pfeifer)
Part 4 Vietnam War/Refugee Movements (Mark Pfeifer)
Part 5 Hmong Refugees/Wat Tham Krabok (Mark Pfeifer)
Part 6 Hmong Refugees/Wat Tham Krabok/Hmong in U.S. Census (Mark Pfeifer)
Part 7 Hmong in the U.S. (Mark Pfeifer)
Part 8 Hmong in the U.S./Minnesota (Mark Pfeifer)
Part 9 Hmong in the U.S./Community Diversity (Mark Pfeifer)
Part 10 Diversity in the Hmong Community (Mark Pfeifer)
Part 11 Diversity in the Hmong Community/Demographics (Mark Pfeifer)
Part 12 Hmong Socioeconomics in the U.S./Hmong Clans (Mark Pfeifer)
Part 13 Hmong Clans (Mark Pfeifer)
Part 14 Hmong Language (Mark Pfeifer)
Part 15 Hmong Language/Hmong Resource Websites (Mark Pfeifer)
Part 16 Hmong Resource Websites (Mark Pfeifer)
The video clips of Ger Xiong were generously donated by Nick Poss to the Learn about Hmong website.