The Tongluong ethnic tribe of Laos is divided in two groups: the first one is located in the province of Khammouance and Boli Khamsay.
In Sayabouly, they live in Bane saphoung, Bane Kikkieng and Bane Navene, which are in the district of Phieng. There are 24 people in this group and they are called the MARABRI. In Kamou language, MARA means person and BRI means forest. Those who live in Khammoune and Bolikhamsay are called ARI, which means the forest people.
In general, the Lao call them the forest people. Tongluong and Khakankae do not wear clothes and sleep without mosquitoes nets. They are so bitten by mosquitoes that their skin appears like gecko skin.
The Tongluong usually live in a group or in a village of the same blood affiliation and they are governed by a chief. Each group has its own lifestyle and does not interfere on others territory. As they move from places to places they build a small hut of which the roofs are covered with kho tree, Bay Seuua or Banana leaves. Members of the same family sleep together on a temporary mattress of leaves on the group. They use Knives, spades, spears, arrows and nets. They eat everything they catch in the forest or in the rivers by cooking them simply by putting a fire or in a bamboo tube that they transpose onto the fire.
During the winters, they light up a fire camp and sleep around it. Their clothes are made of the barks of Puakmong trees. They speak a language similar to Mon-khmer, and old khmer language.When a woman delivers a child, during the period of pregnancy, she has to live in a separate hut where only her husband and her daughters are allowed to take care of her. When somebody dies, the corps is buried. If the body is too heavy, then the family members will bury it in the hut and burn it. After the death of any family member, the rest of the family will move away and settle somewhere else.
They worship their ancestors, the spirits of the jungle, of the earth and of the sky. They believe the spirits or the Ghosts can help them find food and sickness. To, worship the spirit of fire, of the bear and of the tiger, they sacrifice monkeys, squrels, kadeng or mice and give some alcohol.
They believe in black magic to prevent and cure sickness, to drive a bad spirit away, to call for love and to become a good hunter. If one, can learn from 9 different teachers, then one can become a witch doctor.
The Tongluong belong to the Family of Negroide or NegroPolynesia. They have dark skin and lived in the Island by the sea. Their height is 1.50 meters tall. Their cheek or front head are large, with a small nose, black curly hair and eyes color is light. These tribes have been discovered in Souvan-naphoum over 3,000 years ago.