Carving a Community: The Katu People highlighted the distinct cultural traits and crafts of the Katu residing in southern Laos and the central highlands of Vietnam. Intricate weavings and basketry and bold woodcarving created by the Katu people were highlights of the exhibit. Of special interest was the carved decoration of the Katu communal meeting house. Traditionally, the meeting house was the focal point of the village, where members of the community gather to carry out important rites, including buffalo sacrifice. Videos of this annual ritual and daily activities allowed visitors to witness the folkways of the Katu.

Developed with the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Lao Institute for Social Sciences, and the University of Gothenburg, the exhibition received support from the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation to realize the full exhibition and produce an exhibition catalogue.

Edited by Dr. Linda S. McIntosh, the exhibition catalogue gives an overview of the current status of Katu culture and society in Laos. Carving a Community: The Katu People, will be available soon in the TAEC Museum Online Shop.

In 2015, the exhibition moved to a permanent home in Sekong Province.

Carving a Community: The Katu People highlighted the distinct cultural traits and crafts of the Katu residing in southern Laos and the central highlands of Vietnam. Intricate weavings and basketry and bold woodcarving created by the Katu people were highlights of the exhibit. Of special interest was the carved decoration of the Katu communal meeting […]