Indigenous peoples in Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Yunnan (in China) live in a region of massive change, fuelled by the rise of China, the end of war or sanctions, “open door” policies, and regional integration. Policies aimed at minorities or developing upland areas, as well as transformations wrought by migration, highways, hydropower, the Internet and other media, and tourism are all impacting the cultures of the Akha, Lisu, Karen, Dai, Mien, Khmu, and numerous other groups in the Mekong region.
This book is the result of an innovative cross-border comparative project jointly conducted by an international team of scholars. The authors focus on a variety of phenomena including religious conversion, the media, healing practices, rituals, hydropower projects, and tourist-oriented ethnic enclaves. A closing chapter is a theoretically informed study of the transformation of Hmong culture and identity, with insights that may well be applicable to the other groups.