Includes index.

Bibliography: p. 292-293.

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.