I forgot the add the icing on the cake -- according to Leach, "Political Systems of Highland Burma," Kachin and Shan tribes inhabit the same regions (Kachin up in the mountains, and Shan down in the upland river valleys), and individuals can become sort of indentured to members of the other tribe and end up adopting the identy of that tribe. So an ethnic Kachin will call himself "Shan" if he/she is indentured to a Shan and living among the Shan, and vice versa!
Plus, frequently a sword may be made by one tribe, and used by the other, or the blade made by one tribe and the fittings by another. Bewildering ...
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Originally Posted by Mark Bowditch
That is but the tip of the iceberg. There are dozens of "Kachin" tribes (Kachin is actually a Burmese word), Karen, Chin, Arrakanese, Mon, etc., etc. Burma is a very heterogenous country, ethnically speaking. The nosology of the dha is indeed very tricky.
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