Victor Ntxhee Yees Yang

Victor Ntxhee Yees Yang is a high school senior, HMong funerary instrument player, Niam Ua Mov (rice maker), community collaborator, and txiv neeb (HMong shaman), as well as an LGBTQ youth. Yang has been a shaman for about ten years and has helped the HMong community since before COVID spiked in 2020. In recent years, he has developed an understanding of traditional oral dialogue such as txhiaj txhais, paj lug, and paj huam, which include folk songs (e.g., kwv txhiaj txhais, lus taum, and lug txaj ntsig) that are used in shaman rituals, wedding ceremonies, and funeral rites. Yang has taught peers, family, and those around him about HMong cultural traditions and its relevance to modern life.