THE STORY has often been told of Her Majesty the Queen’s first encounter with the ethnic hilltribes of the Thai North five decades ago, and how she was immediately enamoured of their intricately woven traditional clothing and colourful ornamentation.

She saw too how the hill people struggled in their daily lives, and soon after welcomed them into the arms of the Foundation of the Promotion or Supplementary Occupation and Related Techniques, or the Support Foundation she’d established in the Northeast. The foundation has ever since provided them with additional sustenance in return for their skills.

Now the story is to be retold once again, more movingly than ever, in the exhibition “From the Hands of the Hills … To the Hands of the Queen”, taking place from August 1 to October 11 at the Queen’s Gallery.

The exhibition – which will cover all five floors of the gallery and include multimedia presentations on the hilltribes’ living conditions – commemorates both His Majesty the King’s 70th anniversary on the throne and Her Majesty’s seventh-cycle birthday next month.

Thanpuying Charungjit Teekara, the Queen’s deputy private secretary, says six groups of “Thai mountain people” will be represented in the show – the Karen, Hmong, Yao (Mien), Lisu, Akha and Musser (Lahu). All persevered through the destruction of their homelands during the 1950s and ’60s and were often left with little choice but to participate in “slash-and-burn” agricultural practices that led to forests being cleared and watersheds damaged.

The first-floor exhibits will address this aspect of their history specifically and show how Their Majesties sought to improve the hill people’s lot, including the introduction of sustainable farming methods by which the tribes could resume living in full harmony with their surroundings.

On the second and third floors will be displays of royal kindness towards the hill people, such as the creation of the Support Foundation. The palace encouraged them to honour their traditions and maintain their unique identities, as reflected in their textiles, silverwork and other arts and crafts. Several of the groups will participate in the exhibition in person, demonstrating their remarkable weaving techniques.

Their Majesties formal long-term initiatives and how they evolved over the generations will be examined on the fourth floor. And the fifth floor will be a “learning centre” where visitors can make their own hilltribe-style fabrics, buy handicrafts and have their photos taken wearing authentic outfits.

Cultural heritage, Thanpuying Charungjit points out, is a priceless treasure that must be preserved. Her Majesty showed great foresight in setting up programmes that not only gave the ethnic peoples alternative sources of income but also improved their environment and strengthened their sense of identity. They were able to find better employment or, if they chose, continue doing craftwork, with the full backing of the palace. The result, she says, was a revival of interest in their traditional arts and the emergence of innovations that added value to their skills as artisans. And no longer did they have to migrate with the seasons to sustain their livelihoods.

“Their Majesties have always been concerned about these mountain people because they rely so much on the natural water sources in their surroundings,” Thanpuying Charungjit says. “We don’t have melting snow to replenish the rivers, and the forests where they live are the hearts of the watersheds – they keep the whole country supplied with water.

“In the past Their Majesties often visited the mountains. Looking down from their helicopter they could see the vast opium fields, and sometimes they’d walk through those fields too. That’s why His Majesty initiated his Royal Project to introduce alternative forms of agriculture, and Her Majesty supplemented this with her handicrafts programmes, getting the hill people involved with the Support Foundation she’d started in the Northeast.

“Every time Her Majesty visited the North, the local people would dress in their decorative costumes. And every time, she would ask about their living conditions, what they grew and what they were eating, where their water came from, how

far from their homes they’d have to travel to get the water, and whether it was available year round.

“Her Majesty would always remind them that cultural heritage, such as their craftsmanship, had to be preserved, and that they should help the environment and conserve the forests by, for example, not using chemicals in their planting, since they lived at the sources of the whole country’s water supply.

“She also urged them to think about future generations – what they would think if their forebears were to ruin the environment.”

Thanpuying Charungjit says the Queen “has a keen perception” of artistic creativity. She’s an adapt observer of details in the hand-woven clothes of Karen women with their colourful seams, the rich embroidery of the Hmong, the appliqu้ and coloured yarn of the Lisu, and the Akhas’ silver decorations and beading.

“Her Majesty would always ask them to do more, and they’d present her with their finest work. She’d buy the pieces and then recreate them in her own style of clothing, or on a pillowcase or blanket. The hilltribes came to realise that their handiwork had greater value than they’d realised and became prouder of it, especially seeing their fabrics being worn by the Queen. The fact that everything is made by hand makes it far more beautiful and valuable than anything done by machines.”

Thanpuying Charungjit says the Support Foundation receives a steady stream of hand-woven cloth and handicrafts and has experts evaluate the items and offer the makers a fair price, which varies according to refinement and overall quality. “They don’t know the source of any given piece, so they can judge them without bias. Only the accountant knows exactly where the most beautiful pieces come from.

“For the most exceptional works, at Her Majesty’s advice, we give the makers a bonus to boost their spirits. She always stresses that the beauty of art comes from the artist being happy.”

Years ago the Queen established the Support Training Centre (now called the Sirikit Institute Training Centre) in the grounds of Chitralada Palace, the royal residence in Bangkok, and insisted there be no limitations on who could attend, in terms of age, skill level or formal education.

“She likes it when the member of the family considered ‘least useful’ at home comes and works for her so they aren’t a burden on their family,” Thanpuying Charungjit says. “She believes learning comes through collaborating with others. Hill people who are especially good at creating silver decorative work will teach the skills to others, and they train the artisans who made pieces for the royal court that are shown in the ‘Art of the Kingdom’ exhibition in the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall.

“We’re always proud to see the children raised at the centre growing up and being able to draw such beautiful curved lines freehand and create such amazing artwork.”

One of the most cheering parts in the show is sure to be the sight of some of these youngsters – the children of the hill forest and the foremost beneficiaries of the Support Foundation – drawing pictures to illustrate their appreciation for all the good the King and Queen have bestowed on them.

A ROYAL

APPRECIATION

– The exhibition “From the Hands of the Hills … To the Hands of the Queen” will be on view at the Queen’s Gallery on Rajdamnoen Klang Road in Bangkok from August 1 to October 11, daily except Wednesdays from 10am to 7pm.