Of the many forces eroding hilltribe life, one often overlooked is the lack of positive media role models. While the hilltribe youth are bombarded with images of Thai "superstars" and idealized Westerners, the media coverage given the hilltribes is split between negative or pitiful news stories and tourism commercials for Northern Thailand. Seeing the need for positive media images of hilltribe people as well as an information forum capable of reaching the remote villages of Mae Yao, The Mirror Art Group created Bannok TV (www.bannoktv.com).

Supporting Bannok TV is an extensive Video Community Archive. The Archive is a multimedia collection documenting traditional ceremonies, songs, customs, costumes, farming processes, weaving methods and hunting techniques. Using the archive, the Group makes educational documentaries for hilltiribe people and lowland Thais alike, allowing the viewers to take pride in their culture or discover a beautiful culture within their own borders.

The programming developed for Bannok TV is not solely produced by the staff. Under direction from members of The Mirror Art Group, local youth have planned, written, shot and edited their a number of short videos in their tribal languages. Among the topics covered by these videos are village drug abuse as seen through the eyes of the young people and the sense of separation felt by the young people when observing the traditional skills of their grandparents which have failed to be handed down over the generational gap.

Bannok TV has received funding from the World Bank and the Global Catalyst Foundation.

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