Alak

The Alak are a central upland group of southern Laos. In 1981 their population was estimated at about 3,000, representing a near doubling of the population since the early 1960s. The Alak speak Alak (Krlak), a Mon-Khmer, Austroasiatic language. Another small group in southern Laos also speaks a language called Alak and calls itself "Alak," although the two groups and their languages are distinct. They are primarily swidden rice horticulturalists who derive some additional income from wage labor. Their religion continues to be basically animist; animal sacrifices and predictions by village sorcerers are important elements.