The Wa people have a rich civilization of their own, and a deep history in the mountains of Southeast Asia. Their mythology suggests their land is the first place inhabited by humans, which they care for on behalf of the world. This book introduces aspects of Wa culture, including their approach to the worlds troubles and the lessons others might learn from it. It also presents a new interpretation of Wa headhunting, questioning explanations that see it as a primitive custom, and instead placing it within the fraught history of the last few centuries.

Magnus Fiskesjö is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Asian Studies at Cornell University. He has published widely on topics such as ethnic relations, slavery and inequality, as well as heritage and museum issues, mainly in East and Southeast Asia.

List of Figures
Preface
Acknowledgements

Introduction: Sources, History, Issues

Chapter 1. Gifts and Debts: Fieldwork in the Wa Lands
Chapter 2. Naming Oneself, Naming the World
Chapter 3. Rice Beer and the Making of Wa Sociality
Chapter 4. Mining, Hierarchy, and the Anti-State Wa
Chapter 5. Slavery as a Threat to the Ideology of Kinship
Chapter 6. War, Headhunting, and the Erasure of Wa History
Chapter 7. Barbarian Ruse: Playing With the Fears of the Civilized
Chapter 8. Disease and Death in the Peripheral Situation
Chapter 9. Hope Against Hope: Border Prophets and Foreign Saviors
Chapter 10. The Power of the Exotic: Negotiating the Future

Epilogue

References
Index