Peoples of the Golden Triangle: Six Tribes in Thailand - Softcover

Lewis, Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0500974721 ISBN 13: 9780500974728

Publisher: Thames & Hudson, 1998

Synopsis

The fascinating area of Southeast Asia known as the Golden Triangle is home to six culturally distinct peoples--the Karen, Hmong, Mien, Lahu, Akha, and Lisu--who struggle in a hostile environment to maintain the integrity of their beliefs, customs, and way of life against all the pressures of the rapidly changing society around them. Paul and Elaine Lewis spent decades living and working with the tribes of Northern Thailand. The results of their experience and research are gathered in this book, along with more than seven hundred photographs--most of them in color. Here we see not merely the demanding landscape in which these peoples live, but their ceremonies and rituals, their clothing and ornamentation, their houses and villages, and the impressive skills that they exhibit in crafts such as jewelry, textiles, and basketmaking.

About this title

About the Author

Paul and Elaine Lewis have lived and worked among tribal people (primarily Lahu and Akha) since 1947--first in Kengtung State, Burma, until 1966 and since 1968 in northern Thailand. They are missionaries of the Board of International Ministries of the American Baptist Churches, and have studied linguistics and anthropology. While working with tribal groups in the areas of literature production, primary health care, family planning, education and craft marketing, they have observed and studied the cultures of the Karen, Hmong, Mien, Lahu, Akha and Lisu.

From the Inside Flap

For centuries the mysterious region of Southeast Asia known as the Golden Triangle has exerted a powerful hold over the Western imagination. Today it continues to figure prominently in world news as a focal point for tales of the infamous traffic in opium and heroin. Yet this fascinating area is also of considerable interest for a different reason: within it live six culturally distinct people--the Karen, Hmong, Mien, Lahu, Akha and Lisu--struggling in a hostile environment to maintain the integrity of their beliefs, customs, and way of life against all the pressures of the rapidly changing society around them. Paul and Elaine Lewis lived and worked with the tribes of Northern Thailand for many years. The results of their experience and research have been gathered in this book, along with more than 700 photographs--almost all of them in color. Here we see not merely the demanding landscape in which these peoples live, but their ceremonies and rituals, their clothing and ornamentation, their houses and villages and the impressive skills which they exhibit in such crafts as jewelry, textiles, and basketmaking.

Edition details

• Publisher: Thames & Hudson
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0500974721
• ISBN 13: 9780500974728
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 300