Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index The Si La (also Sila) are an ethnic group of about 1,800 people living in northern Laos and another 600 living in the Lai Chau province of Vietnam. They speak a Tibeto-Burman language. Their primary occupation is the cultivation of rice and corn, augmented by hunting and gathering. One of the most distinctive Si La customs is teeth painting: men traditionally painted their teeth red, while women painted theirs black. The custom is increasingly uncommon among the younger generation. This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.