Both Sgaw and Pho mean “people” in those languages.  Karen people also call themselves “Bua Goon-nyaw" which also means “the people”. 

There are three main groups of Karen:  Buddhist, Animist and Christian.  Many people are both Buddhist and Animist.  In non-Christian and non-Buddhist villages, the main figure in the village is the priest.  He is in charge of the annual fertility rituals and the harvest festival. 

Unlike other tribes, female kinship is quite important for the Karen.  The oldest woman in each kinship group leads annual sacrifices to the matrilineal ancestors.  Some field spirits, who also receive sacrifices at various stages during the agricultural cycle, are also female.

Karen people traditionally live in the forest and prefer simple, quiet lives.  Unlike other tribal groups, however, many Karen do own small amounts of productive land and for them, economic life revolves around irrigated rice fields.  Karen also practice a controlled and ecologically sound form of slash and burn agriculture, which relies on a rotational, unirrigated system.  Unlike many other hill tribes, Karen have not grown opium, though some Karen are users.